For the politically inclined....
So, I consider myself a fairly well informed about current events, important policies, politicians. I have a wide range of places where I get my information and try my hardest to refer to accurate, fair, and unbiased information. I think critically when deciding who to vote for and always try to vote with my principals and values in mind and try to vote with the future in mind, not temporary issues.
Therefore, I get extremely annoyed when I hear someone say "I heard so and so is going to cut such and such" or so and so is going to use your tax dollars to do such an such horrible thing
( examples would be Obama exempting Muslims from healthcare reform, death panels on health reform) or other things that are rumors, misleading, false, not from credible sources. Sometimes its seems like people would rather be ignorant than be empowered with factual information from which to form their own opinion and be able to use that to make a difference. I feel like so many people would rather listen to commentators and pundits and be told how they should feel about something, rather trusting their own judgment and that cannot possibly help our country move forward in the right direction.
What can be done? I can go on about this topic if others are interested just would like to there's others who give a damn about the state of the country in this respect.
Well... hmmm... i guess we could move to some place where people aren't apathetic idiots...
Please excuse me, i'm a little frustrated with americans right now! sigh. :-/
Hear costa rica's nice...
Don't believe everything you hear.
People believe whatever supports the position they like most. There are so many "facts" out there that people can pick whatever one they want. For example, if someone stopped and considered it, would that person really believe Obama spends $200 million a day when traveling? Of course not, but if you already don't like Obama you'll use the number anyway.
The lack of critical thinking is also what makes the Tea Party a success. They may have a good idea mixed in there, but the average Tea Partier isn't exactly a critical thinker. Or, as they would write it, "uh critterical thunkr".
Don't believe everything you hear.
Canada? Italy? Thailand? Iceland? I'm open to suggestions...
Don't believe everything you hear.
Canada? Italy? Thailand? Iceland? I'm open to suggestions...
Lol, I was referring to ledzeppelin and their dilemma with all the bad information they was getting, I bet Costa Rica is nice too ;D. I probably would do Peru first though.
True, with most political claims/statements one must take them with a grain of sea salt (someone give me a pity laugh for that poor attempt at humor). That said, where do you guys look for info on politicians/politics that is a little more realistic and not biased one way or the other? Does such a place exist or am I creating my own little Utopia (psssst... I'd go for Iceland!)?
Well... hmmm... i guess we could move to some place where people aren't apathetic idiots...
Please excuse me, i'm a little frustrated with americans right now! sigh. :-/
Hear costa rica's nice...
I'm frustrated with the 50% of registered voters that didn't vote. The young (what's with people my age), minorities and many Democrats just sat this one out. I personally know of a few people that stayed home, but are still complaining. No wonder our political make-up is so skewed.
Only the old, ultra conservatives actually showed up this time around. Is that whom everyone wants to speak for them?
DL-- you've called to mind one of my favorite quotes, from 'Thelma & Louise':
"You get what you settle for."
The average American is willing to settle for some *fucked up shit*! So they don't show up. So they can't be bothered to even *know* what propositions are on the ballot. So they reward politicians who run Jerry Springer campaigns. So they vote based on sound bytes & 15-second primetime ads...
Peru, Iceland... hmmm... anyone know what quarantine rules they have for incoming pets, there? no reason, just curious... ::)
One of my pet peeves is when you hear conservatives telling liberals, "Move to Canada." I get why that might have been a timely statement fifty years ago, but now it's just tiresome. Why is it that if I don't like the direction of my country, I would move out of it? A college US History professor said something that really resonated with me.
People earlier in the century who were disillusioned about the direction the United States, like Fitzgerald and Hemingway, left the US for Paris - and people revere them. During the mid part of the century, the disillusioned people stayed and worked to create the change they wanted to see - and people spit on them. My professor has more respect for the civil rights people and hippies who worked to transform the country than for people who abandoned it.
She's probably the reason I have the job I do - be the change I want to see 'n all.
One of my pet peeves is when you hear conservatives telling liberals, "Move to Canada." I get why that might have been a timely statement fifty years ago, but now it's just tiresome. Why is it that if I don't like the direction of my country, I would move out of it? A college US History professor said something that really resonated with me.
People earlier in the century who were disillusioned about the direction the United States, like Fitzgerald and Hemingway, left the US for Paris - and people revere them. During the mid part of the century, the disillusioned people stayed and worked to create the change they wanted to see - and people spit on them. My professor has more respect for the civil rights people and hippies who worked to transform the country than for people who abandoned it.
She's probably the reason I have the job I do - be the change I want to see 'n all.
True... all good points. A rich fantasy life is just what I need, in order not to go around accosting people with accusations (well founded, mind you!) of rampant stupidity... in my mind, i move to Iceland regularly! but... then i go work the phones for whatever pro-reason anti-stupidity candidate, and my passport remains unstamped/ my dogs un-quarantined... how long can i stand it, before reality catches up to fantasy?! only time will tell... but i agree with your professor: much harder (& much more worthwhile!) to stay, and try to avert the rape, than to run & say later 'i didn't see NOTHIN', officer!'...
(sigh)
HH--I'm with you on this one. All the crap that people have been saying about CA lately makes me sick. I would rather live in a ditch than leave my home state. We need workers not quitters and complainers.
HCMama--I wouldn't look too hard into moving to Iceland, Peru, France or even Canada. Its not all peaches and cream everywhere else. The US is weathering this recession better and has less political turmoil than the rest of the world - if you can believe that.
I do agree with the all too common apathetic behavior. They send a pamphlet to your house with all the information on canadiates and propositions for goodness sake. Organizations have websites that present every argument and position for national all the way down to local elections. You can even vote by mail in most states. There's really no good excuse not to vote.
I would say just refuse to listen to gossip, immature name calling, and ridiculouis debates yell it loud and clear to the people around you and to the businesses that are able to inflluence people. Write their heads stating that.
Another would be if you wish to try to change something I'd say the newspapers endorsing politicians should never be.
Their job is to report the news they should never be endorsing anything much less a politician Gasp.
Also our government needs direction. Our government has been running our country as a business it needs to run the country as a government.
To my belief a government should never compete with businesses in the country.
Property taxes is just a way to make you lose your home. That system needs to be changed. Everything starts with the home or apartment which means when someone gets a new home/apartment what do they need? Stuff for the home right? Which creates jobs/employment.
The government needs a stable income to support itself. It doesn'' have that.
The government needs to support the schools not for people to be paying 3,000, 5,000 8,000, 10,000 dollars enie miny moe they say in property taxes. They need to be supporting our nations institutions instead of leaving it up to chance.
This also creates caste systems you can even say soley based on this even.
It also needs to ensure justice at all levels in society. I'm not seeing that.
The healthcare system needs to be changed here. You cannot have people paying 400 or 800 dollars a month in order to go to the doctor. When a person is healthy it benefits everyone. The government is paying medical bills through it's social programs so why not make it for everyone? There's no difference.
I get a bit disappointed in what people actually believe. Some of which if someone with half a brain stopped to think wouldn't believe.
An example is the rumor that the Obama trip to Asia was going to cost $200 million a day. Any logical person with stop and think about that, and think it too outrageous to consider.
Death squads? Serious?? People actually believed that?
My dad sent me an email that Obama, whom is Muslim, brought in 2,000 Muslim terrorists and gave them citazenship. How someone can possibly remotely believe this to be true is beyond me.
That people can't sift through the crap is very discouraging to me.
I used to donate to NPR, but their coverage of the health care debate was so poor I stopped. When Obama was on his trip, they talked about the $200 million a day without properly bashing the idea. Before I trusted NPR to be more balanced than other news organizations, but I think they're becoming The Little Fox That Could.
So, I consider myself a fairly well informed about current events, important policies, politicians
It is possible to consider oneself very well informed and still not be. Most people still exist in a rather tight government-influenced bubble. It took many years of full-time study for me to evolve from a "left-winger" / "democrat" / "green" to a libertarian / free market capitalist.
Hear costa rica's nice...
It does have the "most successful libertarian party in the world", but it's still a tiny minority. In overall freedom rankings it's rather far from the top...
the average Tea Partier isn't exactly a critical thinker
I agree, but they come significantly closer to being critical thinkers than the American mainstream.
I'm frustrated with the 50% of registered voters that didn't vote.
I'm frustrated with those that did.
One of my pet peeves is when you hear conservatives telling liberals, "Move to Canada."
Canada ranks pretty high in terms of economic and overall freedom. The most socialistic thing about Canada is the health-care, and they can afford it because they have USA to pay for their security burden and much of the medical R&D. The American socialists (who are unworthy of the term "liberal" or "progressive" - they might as well call themselves "super cool studs with long wongs") should move to Venezuela or North Korea instead.