most of us are stupid when it comes to politics
Okay, I'll be the first to admit I know nothing about politics, especially foreign politics. I could not tell you what country yasir arafat is from, or what his deal is. good guy? bad guy? he's just a guy to me, one of the dozens of people whose names i recognize yet couldn't tell you a damn thing about. This is pathetic. I should know about the world around me. But the truth is I don't really care. This might sound immature, heartless, ignorant, etc. And it is, but I'm being honest. My heart goes out to the people in the middle east who are suffering the wrath of tyranny, ancient prejudices, and everything else. But i don't even care enough to learn about it.
i can't tell you anything much about our own national government or our state's government. I can't name one senator from california and I don't know who the mayor of LA is.
yet yesterday i felt it was my duty to vote. but maybe it was my duty to stay home, as i'm beginning to think so many other people should have. i'm guessing that a large number of those people who voted for arnold schwarzenegger had about as much of an idea about politics as I do, maybe less. I feel like there should be some kind of qualifying quiz you have to take before they let you vote. some kind of way to make sure you're not a moron. i would have been booted outright. some would say such a test isn't fair. but if you're going to vote without an idea of what the hell is going on in your government, then it's just as bad as not voting because you think your vote doesn't matter.
this all just occurred to me as i listened to a coworker explain why she voted for arnold. "i think he seems really smart and he's a good businessman. i like him because he's an immigrant to this country like my father, and immigrants value the things they get here more than [people who grew up here]."
now, she has told me why she's a republican before. or rather, she has preached to me for an hour as i make no eye contact and stare at my computer while she goes on about how it's STUPID to be a democrat. She's an idiot. but the only difference between her idiocy and mine is that i realize it.
her points about liking arnold appear to be solid. yes, he is a successful businessman. yes, he did come to this country from another country (however, his lifestyle as the son of a police chief in Austria was probably not as hardship-laden as her father's life of milking cows in mexico). But i'm 100% positive that if i asked her why arnold seemed better than mcclintock she wouldn't have an answer. i'm sure if i asked her about any of arnold's policies she wouldn't know about them. how does she feel about arnold not wanting to give rights to illegal immigrants? i'm sure those immigrants came here to enjoy the american dream just like her father...
i guess i'm just complaining. i feel guilty for my own lack of interest and knowledge in society and i'm pissed at everyone who's like me but acts like they have real convictions they came up with themselves and not off 20/20.
i can't tell you anything much about our own national government or our state's government. I can't name one senator from california and I don't know who the mayor of LA is.
yet yesterday i felt it was my duty to vote. but maybe it was my duty to stay home, as i'm beginning to think so many other people should have. i'm guessing that a large number of those people who voted for arnold schwarzenegger had about as much of an idea about politics as I do, maybe less. I feel like there should be some kind of qualifying quiz you have to take before they let you vote. some kind of way to make sure you're not a moron. i would have been booted outright. some would say such a test isn't fair. but if you're going to vote without an idea of what the hell is going on in your government, then it's just as bad as not voting because you think your vote doesn't matter.
this all just occurred to me as i listened to a coworker explain why she voted for arnold. "i think he seems really smart and he's a good businessman. i like him because he's an immigrant to this country like my father, and immigrants value the things they get here more than [people who grew up here]."
now, she has told me why she's a republican before. or rather, she has preached to me for an hour as i make no eye contact and stare at my computer while she goes on about how it's STUPID to be a democrat. She's an idiot. but the only difference between her idiocy and mine is that i realize it.
her points about liking arnold appear to be solid. yes, he is a successful businessman. yes, he did come to this country from another country (however, his lifestyle as the son of a police chief in Austria was probably not as hardship-laden as her father's life of milking cows in mexico). But i'm 100% positive that if i asked her why arnold seemed better than mcclintock she wouldn't have an answer. i'm sure if i asked her about any of arnold's policies she wouldn't know about them. how does she feel about arnold not wanting to give rights to illegal immigrants? i'm sure those immigrants came here to enjoy the american dream just like her father...
i guess i'm just complaining. i feel guilty for my own lack of interest and knowledge in society and i'm pissed at everyone who's like me but acts like they have real convictions they came up with themselves and not off 20/20.