However, while a majority may rule in a democracy, a majority in our democracy don't care. There is a disturbing political apathy in our political system. A system which hundreds of thousands of Americans have died defending in past and current conflicts. A system which millions around the world crave to be a part of. A system which has been the dominant factor in the formation of our foreign policy and the role that we have chosen to play in the international realm.
Yet many Americans could care less. In fact, lately it seems as though the most interest that the American people have in politics is which TV show the upcoming State of the Union address will conflict with ("American Idol" not "Lost," names which could both serve as ironic social commentaries depending on which side of the aisle you affiliate yourself with).
People have often called the last few decades the dawn of the "information age." But I wonder if there is too much information. Americans obsess over the day to day actions of Hollywood celebrities, reality TV shows, and viral YouTube videos. They immerse themselves in information overloads on Twitter and Facebook. And they neglect the important political decisions and events that directly and indirectly affect them.
Even those who wish to inform themselves about the happenings of Washington are bombarded by the cable news stations of MSNBC and Fox News which present such biased views that they border on propaganda. At the same time, the masses of Tea Partiers rally against President Obama, the federal government and reforms that will almost undoubtedly make most of their lives better.
Perhaps I am wrong in thinking that Americans of the past cared more than we do today. Perhaps it is the naiveté of a child of the information age or the cynicism of an American who believes that he cares more than most. However, the images in my head of families gathered around the radio to listen to Roosevelt's Fireside Chats, Bobby Kennedy being held around the waist in his car as thousands reached and grabbed in the attempt just to touch him, or millions of Americans lined along the train tracks to view the train carrying Lincoln's casket, lead me to believe that something has changed.
With this publication, I will explore the happenings of politics in the United States and the effects on this country, its people, and the rest of the world. I will attempt to reveal details of people and events which I think are important in today's political landscape. I will investigate what has caused the politically apathetic trend. I will try to determine what can be done using the products of the information age to reinvigorate a passionate (and educated) interest in politics to the American people.
There is a problem in the American political system today, and only We, The People, can fix it.
I couldn't agree more. But, I would say Americans care a lot, about themselves. A big issue is that many people in this country are focused on "Me, Myself and I" verses "We, The People." Many issues only become real problems to people when they themselves are directly affected. By no means is this strictly an "American" characteristic, but through my travels (and I've traveled a lot), many individuals I've encountered seem to think it's something we are particularly good at. Personally, it's hard to come to our defense when many Americans go abroad and demonstrate that they have no inkling of knowledge when it comes to current events in the U.S. let alone anywhere else in the world.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason why the majority of America appears to not care about what's going on in our government is the fact that we live in such a "fast-food" generation where everybody wants their information served to them as quickly and easy to understand as possible. Because, like you said, there are so many biased publications that feed us our news, there is always conflicting information which dilutes everything being presented to the general public. To the general public, there's no direct line of sight between the decisions that the government makes, and how it directly effects the majority of America (not one clear enough for the average IQ American to see anyways).
ReplyDeleteTo start, I love your post's title... I happen to love that song. The essence of your post also calls to mind the Buffalo Springfield song, "For What It's Worth" - both appeal to the public's role in American political change. I think it is important to consider the relationship between the government's (or its leaders') intended messages to the public, the media's relation of this message to the public, and the resulting various dominant domestic opinions and consequent support (or lack thereof) of a policy, candidate, issue, or party.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to hearing more from you on the problems in America's political system, and how we ('The People') can fix them.