Election day
So, general elections to the Knesset (the Israeli parliament) today. I do believe we've not had a government that lasted the full, four year term in over 15 years. That can't be good. I have generally low expectations from politicians, but I still feel uneasy. The wind is blowing so much to the right that some of the parties beg the term 'fascist'. Some of them will almost certainly pass.
The sheer number of parties is astounding. Over twenty. Regularly one of the new parties gets into the Knesset because voters are so sick with all the existing ones they go for them, thinking that few others will. So we have parties that get around 10% of votes one election and completely vanish the next. Crackpot parties abound. The party for the protection of male rights. The joint party of Holocaust survivors and 'graduates' of the Green Leaf party (in favor of legalizing marijuana), I mean what the hell?
In short, I'm rather scared of the country I'll be living in starting tomorrow. Things are pretty bad already and though I don't believe any of the candidates will make great sweeping social changes (the larger parties esp. seem to be mostly about them being in power and not someone else, then any actual policy), but you can never underestimate the tendency for things to get worse.
The sheer number of parties is astounding. Over twenty. Regularly one of the new parties gets into the Knesset because voters are so sick with all the existing ones they go for them, thinking that few others will. So we have parties that get around 10% of votes one election and completely vanish the next. Crackpot parties abound. The party for the protection of male rights. The joint party of Holocaust survivors and 'graduates' of the Green Leaf party (in favor of legalizing marijuana), I mean what the hell?
In short, I'm rather scared of the country I'll be living in starting tomorrow. Things are pretty bad already and though I don't believe any of the candidates will make great sweeping social changes (the larger parties esp. seem to be mostly about them being in power and not someone else, then any actual policy), but you can never underestimate the tendency for things to get worse.