When I was younger, I got deeply involved in local, county, and state politics. I even ran for office once, was treasurer for a congressional campaign, and was on county and state executive committees. I met governors, senators, presidential candidates, and one sitting president. I had a well-informed opinion on any issue you can name, and changed positions on many of them as I got older.
What did I learn? When I got to personally know all these politicians, including their unguarded utterances, I learned they don't give a shit about anything but power and money. Not one really cares about my family or anyone else I care about, except for their vote. Not one.
> I learned they don't give a shit about anything but power and money. Not one really cares about my family or anyone else I care about, except for their vote. Not one.
A million times YES.
I wish people understood this. Then voting would not be pointless. We need to figure out a way to place better people in office and that requires smart voters.
This is also where the more Libertarian ideology could help. How? By stripping government of all but the basic functions they are supposed to perform. Over time our government has grabbed more and more power, money and influence. If we pulled them back to basics and reduced the reach they can have into our individual and business lives things would get better.
Though I respect your real life experiences have caused a rationalized apathy. I personally do not believe that inaction is ever the correct course of action. So, instead of voting what would you suggest? Attempt to grow a fourth party? Encourage watchdog mentality? Make sure politicians fear the people they represent?
What do you suggest? Get fat on potato chips and hope the world falls apart in a humorous way?
It's not apathy, it's a realistic assessment of where my time is best spent. Instead of lying to myself that I have any influence on politics, I focus on providing and caring for my family and friends. This includes spending time and energy on the people around me, my work life, and planning next moves that I have some control over.
I spend very little time on "news" of any sort, only reading headlines a few times a week with a little more effort spent on things that affect my career. I've been living this way since 2000, and I have to say that it has paid off much more than any political involvement I engaged in.
The alternative is to work hard to become a player in the political game, the end result of which is becoming just another asshole politician / lobbyist / activist who is either chronically angry or on the power and money treadmill. There's more to life than that.
The real apathy is believing that you can make the world a better place using the machinery of politics, rather than making it better one person at a time with those you encounter in daily life. The latter is difficult, the former is easy.
I understand it can ethically makes sense, what is more/less difficult and what is more realistic. However, we dont live in a bubble. Groups are provably more powerful than individuals and, if you believe in evolution, an individuals rulers can effect who will and will not breed causing lasting effects over generations.
I can understand that you do not want to be part of something bigger and can rationalize it by focusing on real problems right in front of you. But simply by posting here you have already decided you wanted to give something to everyone else, namely apathy and the belief that nothing will ever change except your immediate surroundings. If you believe that ideas can go viral, you have enabled a large group to surrender. Are you ok with the only people who believe they can change the world to be the ones with ambition and hunger?
Changing the world, your rulers abd your life should never be seen as a hopeless endeavour. Once it has become that, we truly are nothing more than sheep and parrots.
Perhaps a positive move forward for you* would be to work on community projects or small, focused gov't sponsored projects rather than going as high-level as you had before. The assumption being that the more money you involve the more red-tape you get and the more impediments (safeguards) are in place to frustrate you (protect taxpayers)...
* (well, other than continuing disdaining politics and government, which seems to be treating you alright currently)
Um, no. I work with individuals and people in my community to help others. Most issues that people really need help with don't need money so much as someone who will listen to them. That's the essential beginning point. How would it help to involve the government?
Educating the poor up to speed with modern technology doesnt require money? Who wants to keep me alive while I do this service? Who benefits more from this education, my government or me the individual?
What did I learn? When I got to personally know all these politicians, including their unguarded utterances, I learned they don't give a shit about anything but power and money. Not one really cares about my family or anyone else I care about, except for their vote. Not one.
Fuck voting. It's pointless.