Posted by
Virginia Daddy on Friday, April 11, 2008 3:20:47 PM
OK, here is a quick piece on why people get so bent out of shape over politics. In short, because politics defines who they are. Politics is more than a side show, or something to look for for leadership, it is now more for identity. More and more invest their lives to a single point of view or political goal. This has caused a mass change in how people view debate, it is no longer an exchange of ideas, but it is a critique on who people are.
On a level, this is not new. Politics has been nasty before, perhaps nastier than it is now. However, one key difference exists between one hundred years ago (and beyond) and now: the amount of people involved. This difference manifests itself in a few ways. First of all, the business of politics is bigger than it has ever been. With the advent of CNN, the internet, and a growing number of political publications, those venues to learn and discuss and follow politics continues to grow (not to forget the growing size of the government). Second, more and more people have access to political ideals as a direct result of the first. With more information out there, people are apt to have more opinions. Third, as the first two grow, a final trend exists: the simplification of the ideas. Sound bites. themes, pundits, etc all emphasize a small portion of what actually goes on. Fourth, you have politicians twisting these tools for a specific and narrow purpose, largely for their own personal gain.
What we end up with is more people getting less of the truth. And with the twisting of the truth, and the subsequent "buying on" by the population, you have a mass of people not able to discern the difference, and people who invest all they have into an idea they think they like. The final result is that you have uneducated, ignorant, and naive, people who sincerely believe a given political idea. They are unwilling to explore honestly the other side, because they have invested so much into the one side.
This is to our detriment, and will eventuall topple over. What that destruction will look like, I am not sure, but before we see ay change, people need to see the error of their ways. Hope it happens soon...