The patriotism is what put them in this mess but the voting blocs are what is killing them. The United States had no business being the country that it is. It overextended its reach to an absurd extent. It tried to captiulate to too many people who all wanted to share in the nationlistic nonsense that America pumps out daily. Now the country is fragmented to hell. Too many people feel like that the country doesn’t represent them in anyway while also insisting that the United States should be another way. So they rally around two voting blocs that diverge and don’t represent really anyone because they’re either like the Democrats and spreading themselves too thin while making no one happy or the Republicans who actively ignore what their voters want the second they have power.
I understand the emotional appeal to blaming individuals for their action/inaction, but the fault lies with the system of governance. You can try to herd cats until the cows come home, but it only leaves you frustrated and drained. We can only educate ourselves, and try to educate others.
I’ve been voting for 40 years, and look where we are. I understand the desire for change, but have to remind myself not to fall victim to electoral fetishism. Real, lasting change, can only come from social movements by the people.
Yes. This is true. Do you know how you effect those social movements in the government?
By voting.
You cannot argue that you are trying to participate in a social change of government by not engaging in that system of government. It is what is there. If you want to change it, you either need a full on revolution or active social change effected through voting in of various representatives that actually represent you and are willing to change those laws. True, you cannot fall to electoral fetishism, but that doesn’t mean to just ignore it entirely.
So. Once again, I am blaming the voters which is an accurate blame to place. Why? Because they are uneducated, hostile, or hateful. They do not engage in the voting system, they engage in spectacle. Whether that be by posting random comments like this Index person who is blatantly a Russian or by throwing a hissy fit but not doing anything.
The reason this cycle keeps continuing is because voters do not educate themselves and vote for their best interests. It is just as simple as that. Straight up. It isn’t complex. There isn’t some massive conspiracy. People just do not bother.
I believe you mentioned that propaganda influences people. The same system that educates us, propagandizes us. Why blame those who are miseducated and manipulated? That’s barking up the wrong tree. I get it, I’ve been where you are. It’s frustrating. And it’s difficult to stay focused on the root cause (because of propaganda). Fighting with friends and family, even though you may be right, is fruitless. It’s much better, and more productive, to listen, try to understand where they are misinformed, and try to find common ground. I have influenced many in my life through connecting on an emotional level, and then steering them to constructive conversations of understanding. They want us at each other’s throats.
Yeah, and quick thing, but how do we go about getting rid of those they again?
Oh yeah…
By being an educated voter.
I can be angry at ‘them’ all I want. I am. But I can be equally as frustrated with the infinite amount of fools who buy into that propaganda and think nothing more of it. I am not going to remove blame from idiots simply because they were swayed by propaganda from one side. They are still idiots who didn’t educate themselves, didn’t go further in and entrenched themselves in stupidity. Never thinking for themselves.
I am done with this circular logic of “No, don’t blame the people who aren’t doing the literal ONE FUCKING THING that they have within their power to do! Blame someone else!” Equally as done with this conversation.
The contradiction between blaming voting blocs and then blaming rampant patriotism is not even remotely unironic.
The patriotism is what put them in this mess but the voting blocs are what is killing them. The United States had no business being the country that it is. It overextended its reach to an absurd extent. It tried to captiulate to too many people who all wanted to share in the nationlistic nonsense that America pumps out daily. Now the country is fragmented to hell. Too many people feel like that the country doesn’t represent them in anyway while also insisting that the United States should be another way. So they rally around two voting blocs that diverge and don’t represent really anyone because they’re either like the Democrats and spreading themselves too thin while making no one happy or the Republicans who actively ignore what their voters want the second they have power.
The country is schizophrenic.
I understand the emotional appeal to blaming individuals for their action/inaction, but the fault lies with the system of governance. You can try to herd cats until the cows come home, but it only leaves you frustrated and drained. We can only educate ourselves, and try to educate others.
And how do you fix that?
VOTE.
My blame is accurately placed.
I’ve been voting for 40 years, and look where we are. I understand the desire for change, but have to remind myself not to fall victim to electoral fetishism. Real, lasting change, can only come from social movements by the people.
Yes. This is true. Do you know how you effect those social movements in the government?
By voting.
You cannot argue that you are trying to participate in a social change of government by not engaging in that system of government. It is what is there. If you want to change it, you either need a full on revolution or active social change effected through voting in of various representatives that actually represent you and are willing to change those laws. True, you cannot fall to electoral fetishism, but that doesn’t mean to just ignore it entirely.
So. Once again, I am blaming the voters which is an accurate blame to place. Why? Because they are uneducated, hostile, or hateful. They do not engage in the voting system, they engage in spectacle. Whether that be by posting random comments like this Index person who is blatantly a Russian or by throwing a hissy fit but not doing anything.
The reason this cycle keeps continuing is because voters do not educate themselves and vote for their best interests. It is just as simple as that. Straight up. It isn’t complex. There isn’t some massive conspiracy. People just do not bother.
I believe you mentioned that propaganda influences people. The same system that educates us, propagandizes us. Why blame those who are miseducated and manipulated? That’s barking up the wrong tree. I get it, I’ve been where you are. It’s frustrating. And it’s difficult to stay focused on the root cause (because of propaganda). Fighting with friends and family, even though you may be right, is fruitless. It’s much better, and more productive, to listen, try to understand where they are misinformed, and try to find common ground. I have influenced many in my life through connecting on an emotional level, and then steering them to constructive conversations of understanding. They want us at each other’s throats.
Yeah, and quick thing, but how do we go about getting rid of those they again?
Oh yeah…
By being an educated voter.
I can be angry at ‘them’ all I want. I am. But I can be equally as frustrated with the infinite amount of fools who buy into that propaganda and think nothing more of it. I am not going to remove blame from idiots simply because they were swayed by propaganda from one side. They are still idiots who didn’t educate themselves, didn’t go further in and entrenched themselves in stupidity. Never thinking for themselves.
I am done with this circular logic of “No, don’t blame the people who aren’t doing the literal ONE FUCKING THING that they have within their power to do! Blame someone else!” Equally as done with this conversation.