In this post, that is one in a series, I look at the recent social media meme of “I’m so sick of politics” and examine some of the reasons and responses why it is such a recurrent theme during the height of the campaign in a critical election that will determine whether the trajectory of United States moving toward a corporatist state and away from a capitalist state continues at the exponentially increasing rate it has taken over the last several decades or whether the human protections and family and community safeguards put in place during the 20th Century will stand throughout the third century of The United States of America.
In the first installment in this series of posts I talked about my own background and the how and why I became a political animal at a rather early age. In today’s post I look at the cognitive dissonance that may be engendering the pervasive “leave me out of it” attitude expressed by so many on social media and my own attempts, often unsuccessful, to be calm and accepting of others opinions and beliefs.
Again, I have to be straight up about my belief that the “family atomics,” to use an analogy from Frank Herbert’s Dune, have maneuvered events including elections and political appointments over the last few decades to position key players in power positions throughout the legislature, judiciary, and executive branches of government so that individuals and families behind some of the largest multintional corporations can exercise undo influence over the course of America “Democracy.” I won’t go into detail here, but there are many reputable sources of information about these manipulations which are easy to access should you want to look at the data.
But as a facebook friend just said “informed rationality is the most productive manner to address justifiable concerns.”
It bothers me that so many people just want to turn off any political discussion until after the elections in November. A democratic state cannot survive without an informed and involved citizenry. The concept of civic responsibility needs to be brought back into mainstream thought and discussion. So that is problem one, and I can certainly be kind and just talk about volunteer work, community involvement beyond family or church, and the need for awareness of current events. No problem there. But the next sticky subject is far more complex, both in the motivational reason for others and in control over my reactions to others.
Conservatism and Progressivism as political motivations are being confused with Republican and Democrtic organizations or parties that have almost nothing to do with motivation. Political thought has almost nothing to do with partisan action. The questions we should be asking have almost nothing to do with the issues that the political machines put forward, spin, and relentlessly stir to the top.
We need to ask,
- “What are you trying to conserve?”
- “What do you want to have progress?”
If platitudes and generalities are the answers, then we need to call a foul. Values, debt reduction, and strength are not answers. Our country was founded on ideals. Values are implicit in our guiding documents, we do not need to specify further constraints on those values. Our spiritual values can and should guide individual action, but collective action must focus on areas of agreement to solve specific problems. The largest questions will always find answers only in individual human hearts.
I stumbled over information about an event that is to take place shortly after the Fall elections. The name attracted me. Sister Giant. It is a call to action for the blending of the spiritual with the political because no matter what the results of the election might be, there will be a need for women’s action to transform our country. The conference organizers are taking on the understandable quandary that many women confront when facing the political.
Yet there are understandable reasons for the lack of female participation in our electoral politics, not the least of which is that the entire political system is contrary to everything a feminine heart stands for. It lacks inclusion. It lacks poetry. It doesn’t nurture. It doesn’t love. And without those things, the feminine psyche disconnects.
Most women understand that where we put our attention is where there will be growth. Attention, visualization, and energy all feed their focus. It is time for, as the Sister Giant materils say, “Women, nonviolence, and birthing a new American politics.” There are many paths to having women actively shape this new American politics and this particular conference is but one of these many, many paths.
So the response the next time a friend says, “I’m so sick of politics,” could be, “So what are we going to do about that?” It is worth the try.
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AGREED!!!