Anyone finding it harder to tolerate so-called political ambivalence?

[belladonna]

I posted this in the Lounge, but wanted to cross-post it here to see if I'm the only one who feels like screaming at these idiots lately. Just for reference, I spent the weekend volunteering, trying to get the word out on this hideous marriage amendment they're trying to sneak through in Virginia this year and I've been doing a slow burn all weekend over the idiotic bullshit I heard out of people :mad:

Ten years ago, when someone told me they just didn't care that much about politics and didn't bother to vote, it still ticked me off but I'd mostly roll my eyes and say something to the effect of "Yeah? Well, don't complain when gas prices go up or your kid's school has it's budget slashed and you have to buy tissues and soap and gawd knows what else every August".

These days? Every time some idiot opens their mouth to tell me that "Getting all worked up about politics is a waste of energy" (Yes, that is a direct quote) or some bullshit about the Dems and Pugs being alike and, geez, it's not like my little ol' vote counts anyway, I just want to go off on a rant and tell them how fucking PISSED I am that people like them have allowed our country be raped by those bastards who currently hold our country hostage.

Honestly, how hard is it to take even 2 or 3 hours a week to at least TRY to educate yourself as to what's going on in our government? To go vote once a year is THAT hard? And what REALLY makes me fume is the fact that these are almost ALWAYS the same assholes that listen to that GAWD AWFUL Lee Greenwood Proud to Be an American BULLSHIT. You're proud to be an American? Oh really? Democracy is a beautiful thing and we should force it on Iraq??? This coming from assholes who don't give a flying fuck about their own democracy and can't be bothered to vote???

Sorry guys, I've been surrounded by stupidity for the last 4 days and just had to get this off my chest somehow before I exploded on some unsuspecting fool Thank gawd I have DU to get the rants out of my system every now and then :

[kurth]

How can anyone be ambivalent about evil

All that is required for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing...

[nam78_two]

1. Thanks for volunteering-your frustration is understandable/nt

[belladonna]

18. What really drives me nuts?

Half these people didn't even KNOW about the marriage amendment until I asked them about it! And once I asked, with most of them anyway, you could almost see that homophobic, deer-in-the-headlights crap run through their tiny little brains immediately. Gawd forbid two guys get married and have the same rights we do, but hey, blow up all of our soldiers in an illegal war and I have no problem with it! Makes me wonder whether to puke on their shoes or just cry at the stupidity of it all.

[nam78_two]

22. ugh

Did you say you are in VA? Good on you for tangling with these lunkheads :toast:!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. I'm A Dem To The Core But There Are Issues I'm Ambivalent About

I have core principles that I would never abandon; a sense of right and wrong if you will. But some times translating your principles into policies is not easily done...

[wtmusic]

3. Most people are naturally lazy

and among those, the ones who are discompassionate...well, you might as well write them off.

[AndyTiedye]

4. Sounds More Like Despair than Ambivalence

[unpossibles]

5. I agree. it makes me want to scream

when I hear people who don't care, especially in light of what has been going on. I would guess that (a) they don't know/care what is going on, and can't imagine how it can make a difference. Some are disenchanted with the Dems or with the idea that no one represents the common person, and when I try to explain that there are only two ways to even hope to change that, they don't want to hear it.

edit: or (b) are just selfish and lazy.

[lvx35]

6. No, You're right, its insane.

Just think of how much comes out of each paycheck for government. 20%? Now I don't make much, buts its still hundreds of dollars a month. Now if that money were for a car, would I not give a shit if the car ran or not? If it were for food, would I give a shit if it were edible? Hell yes! So we should all give a shit about government being okay! Its not rocket science!

[belladonna]

19. Funny, I made that same point tonight

My frustration spilled over tonight at school when two girls were complaining about all those annoying people going around trying to register voters and I'm afraid I lost it and let one of them have it :blush:

[greeneyedboy]

7. at this point, inaction annoys me more than ambivalence.

a lot of people i know are far from ambivalent, yet too stuck in their routines to spend one hour phonebanking or canvassing or writing LTTEs etc.

i try to tell them, in 22 days, how do you want to feel--ecstatic that you helped turn the tide back toward sustainable democracy, or regretful and depressed because you didn't do what you could?

[porphyrian]

8. About half of Americans feel they aren't represented in politics.

And this has been the case for nearly my entire life. The ONLY reason I haven't given up with them, as I haven't felt properly represented in government yet, is my complete fucking hatred of the traitorous assholes in charge right now and my probably-idiotic, stubborn denial that there is no hope of stopping them.

If we want people to participate in politics, we have to make politics include the people in a positive way once again. If people wanted to pick the lesser of two piles of shit, they'd eat at McDonalds.

There is a whole lot of shit to shovel through, and you're one of the people who are actually shovelling. Good job.

[bif]

9. "I'm not sure who I'm going to vote for."

That's the one that really pisses me off. Like here in Michigan. I've heard a lot of people say they don't know who they're going to vote for for governor. Dick Devos is a total right wing asshole. How can you not know who you're going to vote for? Are you a fuckin' moran or something?

[Red Right and BLUE]

14. I'm gettting that from friends in CALIFORNIA.

And they live in the Bay Area for fuck's sake!! I know it sounds high-and-mighty, but sometimes I don't even want to continue to be friends with people who are THIS STUPID! Don't they realize how important it is to vote for someone better, even if you don't like the Dem candidate all that much??

If I did that, though, I wouldn't have any friends left, at this rate!

*stabs eyes out*

[nam78_two]

16. I know people that are planning on voting DeVos

because Granholm (apparently) raised taxes on cigarettes :eyes:...

[Nye Bevan]

10. An amazing number of people just don't care,

aren't interested, and if they vote at all will vote for the candidate with the nicest hair.

You just have to try not to let this get to you too much. Not easy, I admit.

[MANative]

11. It makes me crazy too.

My 70ish parents were visiting last weekend and kept telling me not to get so upset about politics. At one point my mother even said she wasn't planning to vote. I assure you I let her have it. The only thing that seemed to get through to her after her "I'm too old to care." comment was my reply that I've got to live here for maybe 40 more years, and her granddaughters would be feeling the impact of the repub "legacy" for 70. Of course you should care!!!

[applegrove]

12. It matters a great deal that people vote. Yes. Good POST!

[Red Right and BLUE]

13. I've been dealing with anger about that since late 2003.

:hug:

[Zodiak]

15. Thanks....

"And what REALLY makes me fume is the fact that these are almost ALWAYS the same assholes that listen to that GAWD AWFUL Lee Greenwood Proud to Be an American BULLSHIT."


Thanks for that little bit. This was my parents ca. 1980-2003. They thought I was insane with my obsession with politics. I told them everything I knew, and embarrassed them many times in front of right-wing Limbaugh-lovin' relatives.

They have listened to me for years without believing a word...but they listned. Reality caught up to them, and they are more anti-Bush than I am (dad works in a union shop in Texas, which is rare enough, and they are one of the last hold-outs to outsourcing...not for long, though). Moms tell ME things I didn't know about Bush, now.

I'm with you all of the way...that Greenwood song should mean something, and to many of us that know the truth, it is an empty symbol. But don't worry...many have woken up, and many that hear that song and trudge through life without caring about politics will one day make the connection between the spirirt of the song and the reality on the ground.

[belladonna]

21. I hear that song all the time around here

I have what I'm sure is an irrational reaction to hearing it and just start fuming, especially when the asshat standing in line next to me in the store, or wherever I happen to be at the time, starts humming it.

[blue cat]

17. I had a blind date this past weekend with a 47 yo man

and he said that he wasn't interested in politics at all. I told him that 'An Inconvenient Truth' was a good movie, but he said that he didn't want to see it because it was political. He spends his time watching sports and playing video games. I totally lost interest in him, but he probably won't understand why.

[belladonna]

20. I've dated guys like that before, but it never worked out

I just can't respect anyone who has NO intellectual curiosity and no interest in how the government that WE pay for works :shrug: