Can you name 3 basketball players? Now name 3 Federal Judges. Do you know the location of your favorite shopping mall? Do you know what # your Federal district is? Name 3 actors. Now name 3 senators. What month does the Superbowl usually land on? What month is the first primary of a presidential election? Can you name 2 of the musicians in your favorite band? Can you name one person on your state's legislature? 16% of Americans (ages 18-45) were able to answer at least ONE of the political questions. 81% were able to answer ALL of the pop culture questions. That's why I never assign fault to the politicians or the bankers or the corporations or whatever you think is the problem - greed is human nature and people in power will always take advantage of those without. It is downright foolish and naive to expect anything else. When the inevitable fall of our country does come, the people will be the only ones to blame.
It all starts at school and at home. Parents don't care more often then not, and schools don't even cover local politics or any politics. Shoot I didn't even take a Politics/US Government class till my senior year of High School, and even then it was just from a state-mandated propaganda text book so I didn't give a shit. But I mean what sounds better to you? A 5 hour long debate on the merits of Austrian Economics vs Keynesian economics and its effects on society, or watching a football game?
I could name more of the political questions than culture questions because idgaf about the VMA's or anything like that
Is there another animal on the planet that qualifies as 'stupid'? Say what you want; I blame this guy. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGvOPeKoh3w]Stupidity - Dumbing down of Society part 1 of 6 - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPWH5TlbloU]The American Dream By The Provocateur Network - YouTube[/ame]
Only two serious parties. Electoral College. Media manipulation. Fear-mongering. Stupid citizenry. It's all a big reality TV show meant to keep us divided and arguing over anything and everything that doesn't really matter to the people in charge. Look at the money that goes into, and comes out of, all of the various issues of "intense debate". Compare that to the money that goes into and comes out of the War on Drugs. Aside from defense spending, no comparison. Many say the two are inextricably related. I believe so.
Sure the people have some blame. They are guilty of having fear, of being scared to act, least the criminals look their way... The couple that sit in their living room, see a rapist attacking a young girl, close the drapes and ignore the crime, out of fear....that couple shares some blame for being afraid to help The rapist is the real criminal though, much like the corporate and government rapist of society today, and many are closing the drapes to ignore those crimes, out of fear...but the real criminals are still the real criminals, you don't make the witnesses, nor the victims, share the blame for what the criminal does... Sure the witnesses could have helped, could shoot the rapist. Sure the victim could have packed a shotgun as protection...but regardless, the victim is never at fault, but your analogy makes the victim and the witnesses share the fault of the criminal, much like saying "she wore a sexy dress, and high heels, she was asking to be raped"
Power doesn't lie in politics so im not sure if knowing 3 federal judges is gonna matter, but I know what your getting at.
I agree that people are naturally greedy but what happened to running for office because you wanted to actually HELP the people that elected you? All the politicians are just running to win not to help mold this country and push it towards a brighter future for the upcoming generations. They don't care about the people, all they care about is their paycheck.
Absolutely not. You must look at the big picture, not in terms of criminal vs a victim. Those who consent to be governed (mere existence in a claimed territory) enter a social contract. That contract is your recognition of a country's laws, political system, and established doctrines in exchange for your permission to be governed. For example, in the US, we know that there is a constitution, we know that our legislators can pass laws which affect our lives, we know that for the system to work properly, the citizens need to be engaged. A rape victim knows not that she is being followed nor that someone plans to do her harm. We have already consented to be governed, but someone on the receiving end of a crime, never consented to that action. That is the crucial difference between a victim and a citizen who simply fails to perform their duty. We are not victims, because the system is right in front of us, ready to be utilized to our liking. The ones who you may call "criminals" are the ones who have taken advantage of our apathy, and have used the system to their gain. That is our fault because we, as a country, let it happen. We already knew the consequences, we already knew that greed is a function of nature and we gladly consented to place our lives in the hands of the system. quite a paradox, isn't it?
What is the significance of knowing your federal district #? Also, what about the 46+? Your stat seems to show the youth is bad or such on some level, but let's see if we've changed at all. Provide the older generations stats.
And now, for a brief musical interlude, while we consider the rape analogy [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mQHr8bAojU]Desenho Aquarela do Brasil - YouTube[/ame]
Honestly, I couldn't care less about politics, yes it affects me but imo it's fucked up beyond repair. Same goes for pop culture, I listen to music, watch movies, ect. but I keep it limited to an every once in a while thing. Instead of focusing on either of these, I'd rather spend my time on the things that really matter, like knowledge, technology, love, helping others, ect.
"In matters of power let no more be heard of the confidence in man but bind them down from mischief by the chains of the constitution." "Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day." "Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed." - Thomas Jefferson
LOL, I had to laugh when i saw a thread titled 'why doues us political system suck' and then two threads lower "we need sarah palin BAD' maybe its the people who are politically involved that are retards that make our political system suck. No offense republicans...