In the UK we are currently voting in a General Election for a new government. I say "new", but a lot of people are still voting for the old government, despite their terrible record (don't get me started on that). I don't really want to get into the nitty gritty of the candidates and their policies but for those who don't know I'll do a simple summary.
Jeremy Corbyn: Left wing socialist, campaign based on fighting for equality, human rights and an end to war.
Theresa May: Right wing captalist, campaign based on making Jeremy Corbyn look bad. Policies are just about austerity.
Maybe an oversimplification, but as I said, I don't want to get into the details. The question I want to ask is, can Jeremy Corbyn (the challenger as it were) really change things, despite being very contrasted to his counterpart in terms of ideology and policy proposals? Let's look at some factors which are completely out of his control but will have more effects on the lives of the people living in the UK.
The Banks
The banks are the things that set the interest rates. Even if the national rate, set by the Bank of England is changed by a fraction of a percent it would have a huge impact on lending, borrowing, markets, imports, exports and prices of common goods. It is not impossible to imagine that with a socialist government in power, the BoE might change the rates to counteract any benefits afforded to the working class.
Brexit
Similarly, the decisions made by the EU would arguably have a much bigger affect on the things mentioned above. Yes it's true that those decisions will be based on who is in power, and their negotiating skills and strategy, but ultimately they will be making decisions that best benefit the EU and worst affect us. If the Conservatives get in, they will probably make a deal which is bad for the working/middle class in order to get benefits for the rich. If Labour gets in, the EU will probably give them a harsher deal, which ends up being worse for the working/middle class.
Trump
I hate to even have to mention this guy, but sadly the events in the US too have a great impact on the UK. This coupled with what happens in Brexit will have a bigger effect than any free school breakfasts (a campaign pledge in Labours manifesto for those that don't know).
The Light
As well as these negative things, there are also positive things which have nothing to do with politics that can have a bigger effect than policies. Take the blockchain for instance; if the UK takes the initiative to become a world leader in blockchain technology, we could all prosper without the help of government. I could write a whole other article on what anarchism could do for us, in fact I have already written several (follow me if you like that kinda stuff), but in many respects the government is already redundant, it's just up for the people to take their heads out of the sand and work together for a better world.
Like what should have happened in the US election, maybe we should think not just about ourselves, but the wider world. For example Labour's foreign policy could have a big effect on the situation in the Middle East, but sadly I feel like banks will always win the day in that regard. Although this article may induce apathy, try to stay positive; maybe Labour and Conservative supporters will see their fighting is futile :) See you tomorrow for the aftermath :D