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Originally Posted by Miss Modular
For the longest time, I've prided myself on keeping up with current events and forming an opinion on them.
But I give up. More and more, I just want to tune it all out. There's a serious schism in the House and Senate. Everytime I pass through a major bookstore, most of the new releases are either aimed at how bad liberals are, or how bad conservatives are, or how a plan outlining how [insert sector of dems or repubs] are going to "take back America". I'm not even sure how I feel about Iraq at this point, and (honestly), I'm not entirely sure if I care.
Part of me would really like to participate in active discussion of current events, but I'm also sick of the media putting talking heads on a pedestal, as if their "talking points" are any more enlightened or valid than you or I.
I realize what I'm saying here might not be entirely thought out, but I'm very frustrated right now.
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Well, if you want my two cents... and I can't see whay anybody wouldn't... that pretty much means you are perfectly normal. Anybody who actually watches the Sunday shows and keeps up with everybody's spin on everything, like Kevin, is mostly just food for the machine, like Kevin.
I don't know how much or for how long you've been keeping up with this end of the board, but most folks round here recognize me as an outspoken, extremely opinionated and somewhat overbearing Mr. Know-it-all who is always right about everything. I have admitted before this, however, that prior to 9/11 I was perfectly content to make my way in the world remaining completely oblivious to all things political.
After that, however, I realized just how dangerous that thing that existed mostly on my periphery truly was, and I set out to learn more about it. I've got less than 5 years in on my studies of politics, but in that short time, I've seen some pretty dark periods of near utter disillusionment.
I would venture that your feelings of frustration originate from your desire to want someone to lead you into what you should feel. One of the hardest lessons I've learned so far is that anyone that seeks to convince you of some sort of political ideology is never any better than Michael Moore or Rush Limbaugh. The only way to un-spin the deafening jibber-jabber is to constantly compare the crap being fed to you to some sort of internal guide of your own design.
Without a well-thought-out personal ideology, you will always be confused and frustrated. It has suited me well to have selected a very basic, black and white philosophy of governance in libertarianism, but I can also understand and accept similarly un-nuanced versions of political thought from the right or the left... though I admit to having difficulty respecting the views of any sort of authoritarian would-be despot.
You cannot stay sane in the world of politics without the fundamental understanding that it is all based in lies and manipulation. On one hand, knowing that, most people want to avoid it all together, though a lot of us understand the importance of wading into the cesspool and fighting for what we believe in no matter how disgusting politicians really are.
The trick is not becoming just another demagogue. Listen to the talking points and try your best to determine where they are attempting to lead you, then figure out why they want you to think that way. I tend to filter all of that through my heartfelt love of freedom and my belief in an inherent goodness in people, but that's me.
I'm not trying to be condescending. I know you have deep beliefs of your own and that you are capable of rational thought... else you wouldn't have posted that. While I might come off as someone acting as if they know something you don't, I'm actually just trying to encourage you to realize that politics is FOR you, the person that finds it repulsive, rather than existing for those that are attracted to it for twisted personal reasons.
Like Kevin.