A very useful definition of politics would be the struggle of individuals and groups over how to distribute resources, powers, privileges, protections and obligations among themselves. By this definition, one can escape politics by tuning out. Youre directly affected in millions and millions of ways by political action happening every day, all around you. Some of this struggle is institutionalized in this bullshit thing we call democratic representation where two groups of rich, white dudes compete over who can provide the nation with the best consolation prizes for not having a system of government that is more inclusive, better at providing for the basic needs of its people and working to create a future where we marshal our considerable power and assets to actually leave a better world for a children than we inherited. But its not the two-party electoral system that is flawed, per se, but the fact that it has dramatically bracketed our political imagination around the same 2 or 3 issues that come up over and over again. Saying a word like jobs over and over again is not visionary. Abstract principles are not policy. The only way things will change is if we can realize just how short-sighted weve become in what we allow the term politics to mean.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 07:12:30 +0000
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