I find myself in limbo. It is more of a feeling than an actual place, yet it is very much a state of being. This state where I am in, is probably the only place in which I have some control, although it is a state in which no control is required. The state of limbo is, I am quite sure, occupied by many people, and because it is so populace, we cannot see each other, although as we go about outside our homes, we occasionally recognise a fellow citizen of limbo from a comment they may make or from a look in their eye. Some people deliberately go there and others, like myself, just find themselves there. It is a gradual shift, a sort of disengagement. It’s not stopping the world, but it is, sort of, getting off it.
The French verb and phrase se dégager comes to mind. It is a very useful and succinct way of expressing separation. It is useful for telling people politely to go away. ‘Dégage!’ or, ‘Je me dégage’ is often heard in French films, usually spoken by some surly youth. In any event it is a passport to limbo. Je suis dégagé, or more correctly - Je suis désengagé.
This state of being disconnected is brought about by the endless frustration of repeatedly complaining about the state of the world and realising that one has no influence or power to do anything about it. Most of us are not politicians or public servants who are tasked by our governments to improve the situation and bring about co-operation and rational thinking. The desire to create a healthy, prosperous and peaceful existence, full of the joys and beauty of life, is clearly the main goal of our elected representatives; yet, the finding of common ground and equality is just as elusive as it has ever been.
Our democratic state tells us that each and every one of our votes is vital and will have great effect and bearing on our future as a result of the representatives we elect. So get out and vote. That is your power as an individual citizen. Even better, if you care so much, have the energy and the will, put yourself forward as well.
Not so easy, and one must have a powerful ambition to lead. There’s the rub. Looking around the world, the calibre and quality of current leaders, and some prospective leaders, in powerful office is dismal. There are few democracies around the world where voting has any chance of bringing about real change or at least preventing a monumental political disaster. Most of the EU, the United Kingdom and North America, have had for some time (so I believe) fair and honest elections. There may be others, but there is no doubt that the coming election in the United States in November is of vital importance. Were the entire western world to have a vote then the outcome could possibly be predicted, but the vote is limited to citizens of the United States, and judging by the interviews one is exposed to over various parts of the media, the very possibility of a second Trump administration is cause for extreme anxiety.
As I do not have a vote I am disengaged from the process. I am disengaged from voting in all elections around the world, save the United Kingdom. Given the mode of elections in the UK, the only vote I have is to vote in the London Borough of Lambeth and Greater London. As to that, there are three Labour MPs for Lambeth, all of whom have solid Labour majorities. In a general election I can only vote in the Vauxhall Constituency. As to more local government in Lambeth, that too is solidly Labour and my vote is limited to the Oval Ward of the constituency. My vote therefore is limited. I can vote for some local representatives directly but have no actual vote for the Prime Minister. I am in effect disconnected from the choice of leader.
Is it any wonder that I am in the state of limbo. There is the fiction in the United Kingdom that voters are electing a particular party to govern the country, and that it is the leader of the party who commands the vote of the electorate. It is through the leader that the voters elect a party representative, no matter what that representative is like. There is the assumption that all of a political party’s choice of representatives are merely cyphers. The fact that they are individuals does not matter. They are labels one votes for. Is that it? Is that how we are meant to vote? Vote for a party not the individual? We are voters without any say in when and how we have a general election, or any election for that matter. Voting for individuals makes little impact. Is it any wonder that I am disengaged.
There is of course the age old remark (not attributable to any one person) “If voting changed anything, it would be abolished”; however, I am not advocating abandoning the concept of voting. It is or can be a useful method of establishing the will and priorities of the majority, but that must be tempered with some care for the wishes and preferences of minorities. Universal suffrage is exactly that, and how we suffer in the doing of it. There is no one anywhere who does not, at some point in their lives, express a political opinion, some view as to how, where and when it is appropriate to behave in a specific way - in a manner that is generally deemed to be the most appropriate and least offensive - the most diplomatic. Overthinking this politically correct approach to life has led to much mirth and satire. It is not necessarily without merit. Careful and respectful communication can be very effective. And yet…
I know that I am not alone in the state of limbo. We can rage against the violence and mayhem in Ukraine, the Middle East, Myanmar, Yemen etc. We can listen to and watch intrepid reporters showing us and analysing the daily horrors, but can do nothing actually to stop it. Giving aid and sympathy to the grief stricken and the victims on the ground is laudable, but it is not stopping the carnage. Indeed the incessant and insistent news is never out of mind. How do I stop the constant internal screaming in my brain, “STOP THIS INSANITY!”? Is it any wonder that I am becoming disengaged?
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