When people come to WeThePeoplePolitics.com, they know two things: first, they’re going to get content to read and two, the writers are far from politically apathetic. We care about politics and we care about what’s going on in DC. It’s because of that caring that we write what we write. However, the writers of this site don’t offer a fair judgment of the entire population of the United States. While the people that come to WeThePeoplePolitics.com are interested in politics and care, the majority of the country are completely apathetic. Those months and years between elections, the citizens of the US could care less about what’s going on in Washington DC.
Why do people not care? What’s so difficult to learn a little about what’s going on?
People are lazy. It’s so easy to say things like, “ignorance is bliss” or any of those numerous anecdotes because then someone doesn’t need to go in and learn anything. It’s easy not to follow politics because if they’re not following, they don’t need to do their part to make a change. The reason that politicians are as crooked and corrupt as they are is because no one holds them accountable. The reason no one holds them accountable is because of their own apathy towards politics.
We live in a Democratic country. We have two parties (should have more) that always win (I wish a third would) and the reason for this is because it is easy to just vote Democrat or Republican. Rather than doing research in a third party candidate who might be exactly what someone wants, it is easy to just vote one of the two big parties. The only work required is the few months before the election where each voter sits down and really figures out what is and is not important.
It’s about time this political apathy disappear.
Americans need to take greater pride in what their country does. It is not just President Obama and Congress that are behind the things that happen; if the country does it, the world sees it as an American thing. Torture happened under President Bush. That must mean that Americans like torture. It is important that political apathy stops and that people start to care about the policies that are passed. I’m not suggesting people should spend hours a day reading the news, but be informed. Know that there are options to dealing with the pirates other than just using the military. Know that the money we send in for taxes can be used for something other than a ridiculous amount of government spending.
As long as people are politically apathetic, there is going to be no real change. Caring about politics can’t just happen for those few months after the conventions and before the election. It has to be a year round thing. Learn what you can about the activities of America. Only by knowing what’s going on can, come election time, a person better determine who is right for the job and who is wrong. Get rid of the political apathy.
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About Jacob Cohen Donnelly
Love the article. Below are some of my comments from an earlier blog on political complacency and voting for the lesser of two evils. Exerpt from http://www.mainstreetradical.com
Throughout the day the media and their pundits questioned the motives of the people. “Where were the protesters when Bush was spending too much money?” They have a point; we were complacent. Americans put all our faith in two parties, neither able to navigate the rising tide in a sea of bureaucracy. Though separated by minor principals, each ebbed and flowed in the same political waters. And the spending ship, no matter the party, does not turn on a dime.
We consistently voted, not for principals, but for the ‘lesser of two evils.’ I don’t like her fiscal policy, we told ourselves, but she is strong on the environment. He is a Republican, we would think, so at least he won’t spend as much as the other guy. Not so. Both parties squandered our futures and our freedoms. Both parties took liberties with our liberties. They are both big government. That big Government did what Governments do; it grew by its own nature and by our complacency.
I am politically apathetic because political cooperation solves essentially nothing. The economy is a football thrown around by various parties, at the behest of special interests. This is not going to change, regardless of who is in power.
You’re right, Ian, that the current way things are not going to change. However, where I disagree with you is that you believe political cooperation solves essentially nothing. Remember that you are the individual that elects that person into office. You decide who goes there. I feel that if people got more involved in politics, they’d see a lot more third party candidates that look appealing which might help pull us away from the corporatism that we have become. There are good people who want to do good in politics. We just need to do our part to help them get elected.