Placard

Set to be the most boring national election of all time but it could all change within an hour through a terrorist attack or an internet hack attack from a foreign power. Boredom itself or indifference as well as last minute technical voting could also change things.

We Brits have the most democratic system of government within the known Galaxy. A non elected head of state able to block all laws and an upper house of wise men and women who debate, alter and sign off our laws, not one of whom was elected.

We defend this system to the last man, woman or child standing and especially any attempts by elected Europeans such as J-CJunckers to impose his personal will on us.

After the TV debate between the Conservative Merkel and Labour Schulz a week or so ago, a Times of London reporter at the subsequent press conference, was asked by German TV for his view of the event: - Germany is totally broken, it's political structure destroyed: the two antagonists didn't bash each others heads in, no shouts and threats but instead a large amount of agreement. That's no way to run a country.

As readers will know, I can't vote having had my democratic rights taken from me by my own government, ratified by the House of Lords and signed off by HRH. But for the record if I was a German citizen I would in fact get two votes!

One "X" I can place on the left side of the form against a named person who is standing as a candidate in my election district and then the second "X" on the right side against one of the Parties in Bavaria (or one of the 16 German states one lives in).

Half of the German parliament is then made up of the named persons who won by the "first past the post" on the left side of the form and the other half of MPs are nominated by the Parties themselves according to their share of the vote on the right side of the form. That ugly word "Proportional representation" as we call it west of Calais.

So if I have a left wing communist local person who is looking after my day to day concerns about the local mobile library service, I could give him my one personal vote and the second impersonal one to the ultra far right fascist bigots of the "AfD" to protect my (then) newly adopted  Homeland.

This appalling amount of choice and freedom to have more than one opinion is totally irresponsible. Can you imagine anyone being given the keys to a potential killing machine car without passing a driving and an eye test? Unthinkable. Let's stick to simple rules and have the ability to hand over the key to our entire nuclear weapons fleet to a Prime Minister or President who don't even represent 50% of their populations.

The German Federal and Democratic System was formulated in 1948/9 by the USA, UK, France as well as Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg at the London 6-Powers Conference. Don't do as we do, do as we say.

To be honest in Bavaria it doesn't matter much what placards you post up, as here in Ottobeuren. Half can be washed away by the rain and nobody cares. Well almost half - Mr Schulz's SPD Labour party do cling on and try their best,  even if they can't manage to put a brave face on it.

The other half is a mixed bag. The two far left are for the Bavarian Conservative party who will no doubt win again, just as they have done  since 1957.

Then the next two are the Greens who have totally lost their way and most of their original demands have been hijacked by the other parties.

The 3rd from left top, the very prim, immaculate Sahra who doesn't visually fit her ultra left, communist Party. Below her the "DM" party that wants the Deutsch Mark back, all money held by a Govt bank, no more interest on money, no more foreign military activity except when all NATO partners involved. World open but having control.

4th from left the Pirates who want to protect our Data, Basic Rights and the Bees. Below them the BUESCO's who see Germany future along the Silk Road, without the Euro and most recent EU treaties annulled but wants to stay in Europe. They hate the US Republicans and also Hillary but has a pact with a section of the Democratic Party, presumably the Bernie end. They consider "Globalisation" to be a synonym for the Wall St and City of London's "Anglo American Empire".

Several other national and local parties missing - from A (AfD the UKIP equivalent) to Z ( well there is a Vegan and Vegetarian Party) which I will rename the Zoological Party for Animal Rights.

No photo of Mrs Merkel or even a local representative of her national Conservative Party "CDU". They don't put up any candidates in Bavaria nor are they on the list of Parties. Neither she nor her party have since WWII ever got a single vote from a Bavarian resident. Try working that one out!

Will try to photograph Angie's ballot paper. She has got hers already  for a postal vote. We will probably be in Ottobeuren on Sunday when perhaps Placido and Sarha will be singing an opera at the Básilica.