Apathy is a strategy
It's the GE. I will be apathetic. Yes, I will be a self-silencing apathetic youth. Note diction: "self-silencing". I am not what the media always complain of as the apathetic youth. I am an apathetic youth with self-imposed silence. I will not speak up. I will out talk back. I will not converse/discuss.
Commonest reason for apathy: fear.
No, it's not the era of HItler. There's no dictator or Nazi here. It's (just) classical conditioning at work. I have been brought up in culture where asking provocative (the REAL ones, not those that have no kick -.-) questions is tantamount to something illegal called 'dissent'. Will I risk myself, my family, my livelihood? No. Silence = smart.
Be it in support or in opposition, it is important to note how your right to choice (in voting) is no real choice.
I am not critiquing whether or not there is democracy, because (and I digress) Democracy is a political discourse/idea(l)/construct that is debatable and essentially arbitrary (w.r.t. its supposed traits/features that define it as its namesake).
I am saying that in life, choices are really about making decisions that are too complicatedly vested in various oppositional p.o.v and motivations that choices have become about choosing what goes best in a world of imperfection.
Society is inherently ugly. So is politics. So is humanity. How can morality be debated in politics when there's a whole never-ending chain of possible accusations/allegations to be made if you decide to go down that route?
Back to the point on 'what goes best in a world of imperfection': what is termed 'best' in an imperfect world is obviously (as the logic of the phrase goes) an imperfect 'best' too. People often imagine that the term 'best' indicates all the supposed good things that this word connotes and denotes. However, such isn't the case. I know I'm talking in a long around about manner. The bottomline is elections or not, any decision is always a choice made on the premise of knowing that the choice ultimately made by you is NOT the perfect or completely supported/wanted one.
Commonest reason for apathy: fear.
No, it's not the era of HItler. There's no dictator or Nazi here. It's (just) classical conditioning at work. I have been brought up in culture where asking provocative (the REAL ones, not those that have no kick -.-) questions is tantamount to something illegal called 'dissent'. Will I risk myself, my family, my livelihood? No. Silence = smart.
Be it in support or in opposition, it is important to note how your right to choice (in voting) is no real choice.
I am not critiquing whether or not there is democracy, because (and I digress) Democracy is a political discourse/idea(l)/construct that is debatable and essentially arbitrary (w.r.t. its supposed traits/features that define it as its namesake).
I am saying that in life, choices are really about making decisions that are too complicatedly vested in various oppositional p.o.v and motivations that choices have become about choosing what goes best in a world of imperfection.
Society is inherently ugly. So is politics. So is humanity. How can morality be debated in politics when there's a whole never-ending chain of possible accusations/allegations to be made if you decide to go down that route?
Back to the point on 'what goes best in a world of imperfection': what is termed 'best' in an imperfect world is obviously (as the logic of the phrase goes) an imperfect 'best' too. People often imagine that the term 'best' indicates all the supposed good things that this word connotes and denotes. However, such isn't the case. I know I'm talking in a long around about manner. The bottomline is elections or not, any decision is always a choice made on the premise of knowing that the choice ultimately made by you is NOT the perfect or completely supported/wanted one.