I'm concerned by threads concerned about threads concerning concern trolls

[omega minimo]

It's so confusing. The irony, the agony, the ectasy.... I can't keep it straight. There's an etiquette for "concern" that makes it OK (or not) to express concern?

Here's what I know fer sure:

There are thousands of thousands of thousands of young people-- say, under 40-- who don't vote.

And no one goes after them.

They are not stupid. They know what the larger forces at work in this world are-- and they think the Powers That Be will do what they want, not count the votes, voting is a waste of time, better things to do, they don't believe in the System, the System doesn't work, two wings of the same corporate party, it's too big, has nothing to do with what they think would work (although they don't know and can't really say what that would be), it is on its way down and they're gonna watch it crash and burn and .................................................... I met one today, an acquaintance who said he has never voted and couldn't help me understand how anyone would throw away their right to vote.

It concerns me that they don't vote. The apathy is underwhelming.

It concerns me that they're of no concern to Democrats.

It concerns me that there are Americans who think they can sit back and watch while the shit hits the fan.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

1. Well I am concerned that you are concerned

Signed,


Concerned

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. I'm concerned that not enough people are concerned enough

to f*cking go VOTE! Damn, it's like 1 hour out of your day every 2 years!

(may not apply in Florida or Ohio. Check your local listings)

[Freedom_from_Chains]

4. ROTFLMAO

Thanks, got a great laugh from that one.

[dogday]

11. I am concerned that we are using the word "concerned"

way too much in one thread.... :shrug:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

2. *cough* young single women *cough*

Largest mostly ignored and mostly non-voting demo that would go Dem if we gave a fuck about them.

[omega minimo]

5. the ones I've met are male

A lot of women don't vote. Don't know if it's for the same jaded *cough* Spoiled Brat *cough* reasons

[mrreowwr_kittty]

6. They don't vote, I think, because

They are treated like Sex and the City airheads. Probably some single women fit into the spoiled brat category but I don't think most of us do. Remember that the biggest fear most women admit to is that of being homeless and destitute. Unfortunately it's not far from the truth but most women don't trust politicians to do anything about it. If our politicians would stop the Apple Pie Soccer/Security Mom Nuclear Family worship for 2 seconds and acknowledge that most women will be un-partnered for a subtantial portion of our lives and create messages around protecting Social Security and providing universal health coverage based on that we would get a lot more of these women to the polls.

[omega minimo]

7. Yes. And the friend I was talking to today expressed the

"THEY (and the System) are irrelevant to me" attitude........

The thing that's hard for over-40 folks to understand is how younger folks will give up the right to vote. Throw it away.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

8. But we CAN get it back!

Young people are always at the forefront of every important political movement. The current polls show them favoring Democrats and liberal causes 2 to 1. And I swear if one single politician got up on the dais at the Democratic Convention and addressed the millions of single, childless, DINKs in the land we would win by a landslide!

[raccoon]

16. I never heard that, but it's my greatest fear.

"Remember that the biggest fear most women admit to is that of being homeless and destitute. "

I'm a middle-aged single woman.

"If our politicians would stop the Apple Pie Soccer/Security Mom Nuclear Family worship for 2 seconds and acknowledge that most women will be un-partnered for a subtantial portion of our lives "

Agree, wish our politicians would reach out more to single women.

[AndyTiedye]

9. That's Not Apathy, That's Despair!

the Powers That Be will do what they want, not count the votes, voting is a waste of time, better things to do, they don't believe in the System, the System doesn't work, two wings of the same corporate party, it's too big, has nothing to do with what they think would work

That's not apathy, that's despair. There's a difference between not caring and losing hope.

[omega minimo]

15. There's a bizarre confidence about not voting and not caring enough

to even despair. Maybe they cover "losing hope" with this voluntary disempowerment. They seem to think they can sit back and watch everything go down the tubes and start over. Without thinking through what that might actually be like.

[emulatorloo]

10. Well the problem w people who don't vote, is that they don't want to

At least all the ones I have ever encountered -- they can't be bothered, it isn't important, it doesn't matter, or it is a badge of honor.

And if they don't want to, there is really not much you can do to get them to do it.

I persuaded a non-voter to vote in 04, and I have not heard the end of how he was called up for jury duty because he registered to vote.

[mmonk]

12. Well I'm concerned about concerned threads about concerned

trolls, and concerned trolls, etc. etc.. Pay no attention. Just get out the vote. That's the only thing to be concerned with at this point.

[omega minimo]

14. How do you get someone like that to vote?

"Just get out the vote. That's the only thing to be concerned with at this point."

There's a LOT of them

[sweetheart]

13. voila, might those nonvoting thousands be trolls?

Isn't that the very definition of a troll, someone who's just wasting time, supporting
stupid politics by staying ambivalently disengaged and hoping someone else with a real
life who earns real money somewhere in a real job, covers for them.

Maybe the people in that group are terribly cynical and will appear like trolls when
they try to discuss, for the terrible crime of being stewed in propaganda since birth,
most of us are programmed with narratives of self destruction, that people live themselves
like the nation does, grossly out of balance in the bank account, moral and fiscal.

Winning over a troll, as with 'the stright story' ex freeper, is the ultimate win for a
medium like this, taking a cynical person and setting them straight with goodwill.
This takes patience, and methinks those nonvoting persons, are the trolls.
They are the ones who are afraid to engage for fear of having to admit the lie
their lives have become in the corporate prison state.

[omega minimo]

17. Maybe you're right sweetheart, i was reluctant to call them

"spoiled brats." I thought "troll" meant they care enough to go online and annoy people......

As usual, your wonderful descriptions:

"supporting stupid politics by staying ambivalently disengaged and hoping someone else...covers for them....
when they try to discuss, for the terrible crime of being stewed in propaganda since birth,
most of us are programmed with narratives of self destruction, that people live themselves
like the nation does, grossly out of balance in the bank account, moral and fiscal....
They are the ones who are afraid to engage for fear of having to admit the lie
their lives have become in the corporate prison state."


With a couple differences-- they CLAIM they don't "hope someone else covers for them.." they think it just doesn't matter at all.

And they fully acknowledge the "lie their lives have become in the corporate prison state" and they use it as a reason to check out.

[sweetheart]

18. how many are really that cynical

Another possibility indeed, is that those persons are not cynical at all,
and that they find the political process utterly distasteful by the gratuitous
corporatism and lying, and eschew a percieved imposition or burden to involve
in government by and for corporations.

Maybe, rather than the people being cynical and the system innocently asking
for their votes, perhaps its the reverse, with some persons just never able
to distort themselves in to respecting such an antidemocratic system.