The disgust stems from a heightened awareness of the general corruptness and disastrous leadership of our government that pushes us to ask why more people don't care more to do something about it. This past primary vote is a prime example. With more voters caring to pitch in their two cents about who will become the next American Idol versus who will run for their parties in November, it is fair to conclude that this general apathy can lead to atrophy. That is, if you don't exercise your rights, you may loose full functionality as they are slowly sucked away by nefarious bills (patriot act), signing statements (of all stripe), and down right illegal, and unconstitutional acts committed by sitting presidents (NSA wiretapping of American people with out a single warrant).
Here's my email reply to a fellow blogger that prompted this prior paragraph.
To me, it's completely astonishing that not more people care about how the W, Rove and Co is tearing the world apart while tearing us a new asshole with no new toilets to collect the crap they are spewing...it's the streets that end up filthy for it, but we tend to like to wallow in the crap instead of clean it up. It's human nature to want to take the easy way...like lightning. The fastest and easiest path down to the ground at the tallest target is the way to go - Zap, and it's done. If the American people don't have to the will to get out of their armchairs to change a channel, what makes you think they will want to lift a finger to stop the criminals in charge? It's too much work, and the result is not fixed and the odds are against us. But we do have to remember Margaret Meed: Never underestimate the power of a small group of likeminded individuals to change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has.
3 comments:
Hey, Windspike, here I am emerging from being distracted from blogging for days and days 8^) I'm glad this was the topic that I came back to, because I think about this alot, too. More specifically, I think about how my own actions (or lack thereof) can be interpreted as apathy, when they're really not. The truth is, I feel overwhelmed by a sense of futility. The republicans cheated their way into the presidency in 2000 and again in 2004, and most people either laugh that off as a crackpot conspiracy theory, or don't care. But more importantly, I fully expect them to do it again. That's why they're usually so smug - they know they'll cheat their way into dominance again in 2008. If I sound defeatist, well, it's because I am... the 21st century brought us the end of our right to elect our president. I'm think voting is becoming a quaint, old-fashioned concept that will be recalled with Mayberry-esque fondness by those who remember. I wish I was apathetic... it would be a lot easier.
Yeah, I agree with Shea to a degree...hell you both know how I feel on this subject. But I'm just not ready to crawl under a rock yet...soon maybe, but not yet.
With more voters caring to pitch in their two cents about who will become the next American Idol versus who will run for their parties in November, it is fair to conclude that this general apathy can lead to atrophy.
Left bloggers outnumber Right bloggers five to one. If there's apathy anywhere it's on the Right. (How many times is enough? 'Bush is a God!')
The difference between American Idol and the pols is that American Idol answers the phone. Prior to Iraq II, the present mess, pols mail ran about 1000:1 against invading. They didn't listen. The public's apathy has been trained into them by a bunch of smart asses. Of course, if the November election fails to throw the bastards out, consider this my preemptive apology, you were right, it's the public that's the problem not the pols.
''Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.'' - H. L. Mencken
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