Apathy will be the death of us all.

[coloradodem2005]

I was talking to my aunt. She has become an apathetic American. She feels that both the Dems and the Repukes are trying to get power over the country. Mainly they are not interested in the good of the people but their own power. She also said that the only decent modern president was Jimmy Carter, who because of him being a good honest man. This is all true. But guess where all of the major power grabs have come from in the last 10 to 20 years. The Republicans. The fundie takeover of the party, impeachment of Clinton, the 2000 election, the Patriot Act, the California Recall, the right wing news networks. This came about in part because of the perception that the Dems and Republicans both suck. The Dems have their problems, and they do things because they are interested in power, but it is the Repukes that have stabbed America in the back more times than the Dems. And it happened because people stopped caring. And if we continue to not care we will never have a good decent smart man be successful as President of the United States, whether that President is Democrat or Republican.

[POed_Ex_Repub]

1. Most people are too busy to listen to anything but sound bites

Either they are doing the work of three people, or are looking for work full time. Doesn't leave much time to research the news. Most people believe what they are told by the media. After all, why would CNN lie? Unfortunately, politicians count on this. I think it may be the whole Bushco strategy...

[Feanorcurufinwe]

2. In 1992, I could understand someone thinking there was no difference

between D and R. But how could you look at what's happened since then and still believe that?

[leftofthedial]

3. who cares?

[AndyTiedye]

8. Bush Has Taken Suckitude to A Whole New Level

beyond anything most people dreamed possible in our worst nightmares.

[INTELBYTES]

4. I run into that alll the time at work.

In fact the guy that I work with in my shop could give a rats ass about politics. He's a music freak and that's his whole life. I've tried to get him a least interested in the issues, even going so far as to giving him Al Frankens book. Nothing works. I'm up for ideas if anyone has any!

[Kanary]

5. Yes, and yet....

any suggestion that education be more about a well-informed citizenry than financial gain gets met with scorn.

I don't think it's going to get any better anytime soon, so...... I'm against all the efforts of making registering and voting "easier". If people can't make the effort to vote without it being made ridiculously easy, then they sure as heck aren't going to make the effort to inform themselves about the issues and candidates.

Yeah, apathy will be the death of us... along with a few other things....

Kanary

[wuushew]

7. Are you advocating making voting harder?

Because that is a sure fire way of losing elections.

[ramapo]

6. The End of Politics

Apathy has always been a problem but it gets worse every year. Most people feel that politics has little connection with their lives, that the individual has no power to affect anything.

That is true but the power comes from numbers. Just imagine the difference if we had 70-80%+ participation. Probably never happen and I think the politicians like it that way (at least the Repubs).

For the most part, the US is a reactive society. Nothing happens until there is a serious event. The latest mad-cow frenzy is a perfect example.

Apathy may kill us given the hugh environmental problems that get worse and worse. But until people start dropping dead (not dying slowly from air pollution) or losing their waterfront real estate, these problems won't be taken as seriously as they should be.

Anyway, read "The End of Politics" by Carl Boggs. He has two main points. 1. People have become more isolated and escapist 2. Rise of corporate governance and a ruling class have basically caused people to give up and withdraw from the political sphere.