Real Democracy?

I did my duty, I voted today in the voting thing that went on. I say voting thing, because when you actually got down to it, there were five votes to cast. I didn't realise this until the leaflet came through the door, and even then, on studying the contents briefly, almost decided it wsn't worth the bother, trying to figure out who was who and what was what. It all boiled down to, and I don't exaggerate, 'don't concern yourself with the individuals involved, it doesn't really matter who they are, just vote for the party tag that they represent', both complex and frighteningly simplified at the same time.
[[For your information, two votes for mayor of London, 1st and 2nd choice, two votes for the London Assembly, one for your constituency, one for London Wide [whatever that really means...] and one vote for European MEP, possibly. Still not totally sure, and I'm not totally thick, so god help the rest.]]

It's a joke really, what national and international politics has become. If that is the basis of the democracy that they all trumpet so loudly and use as the unchallengable foundation of their system, then they are going to be shortly up the spout. It goes without saying that the levels of manipulation and the potential for unnaccountability are truly scary.