Selfish And Dumb

There are a lot of people who just don't really give a shit about politics, and it's a huge problem. On one hand, I kind of understand why it happens. There are a lot of people who never had it instilled in them that they actually have a lot of say about who governs them, and how it's not only their civic duty, it's pretty much basic survival. It's probably the single most important aspect of their lives, and the lives of all their fellow human beings, but they just choose to ignore it. Some do because of things like the preceding statement. It makes them feel overwhelmed by it all, or it frightens them to think that they might not make the right choice or they might not understand the issues, so they just get defensive and decide that they're too busy or too cool to care. That's unfortunate, because basic politics is very simple, and voting is as well. Some people were raised by parents who didn't care about politics, so they don't care just to emulate them. Some were raised by parents who really cared about politics, so they don't care just to spite them. There are a bunch of other weird and convoluted reasons, but the crux of the problem is that the majority of people who don't bother with it are just selfish or dumb. These are the people who claim that they are just too busy to worry about politics, while they waste their time on their fragile egos and reality TV, and whatever diversion allows them to excuse their shallow and vapid existence. Whatever the reason, it's a huge problem, and here's why: In the past couple of weeks, even people who don't care about politics were outraged, because this administration really fucked up, and now the whole country is paying for it. Granted, that same selfish and dumb thing entered into it, and a lot of them were more annoyed at having to stay home and how they couldn't get toilet paper, rather than the fact that lots of people were going to die. Still, they took notice that something was really wrong, and they were at least engaged in what was happening and looking for someone to hold accountable. Fast forward a week or so, and I see a bunch of them losing interest again. They've already settled into their new reality, and are returning to their selfish and dumb attitude of "I don't like to think about politics and it doesn't matter who's in charge, both sides are bad." They are already checking out again; willfully ignoring their anger and frustration because it makes them feel uncomfortable and it seems like a bother. Who really cares about all this stuff we can't do anything about anyway? I just want to be happy! Most people confuse happiness with being blissfully ignorant, and will tell themselves anything to achieve it. The problem is, as they once again roll over and accept it, they enable tyrants and corruption to flourish. They are dooming themselves and the rest of us yet again. It has a ripple effect. It is very discouraging to the people who are trying to fix the world. It makes their job so much more difficult because the very people they are trying to protect and make a better world for are basically spitting in their faces. If you're a parent to a petulant teenager, you should understand that feeling. You can't motivate people who are actively working to ignore or spite you. On top of that, even when they do get motivated, it peters out very quickly as they return to their selfish and dumb ways. And I get that repeatedly calling them selfish and dumb isn't going to win us a lot of fans, but what does it really matter anyway? Any of the ways we've tried to engage or inspire them doesn't really work. No matter how much you get them riled up or invested, the selfish and dumb seeps right back in and extinguishes it. People just don't care unless it's directly messing with their lives, and even then, it has a very short shelf life before the apathy returns. So they get tired of having to think about the cause and effect aspect of their life choices, and the people who are trying to fix the world get worn down spinning their wheels in the selfish and dumb swamp that has seeped across America. So I'm laying the blame at their doorstep. If you can't be bothered to care about the very forces destroying our way of life, forces you have a say in controlling, then all the misery and death and corruption lie at your selfish and dumb feet. If you can't stay angry and engaged at a president who lies constantly, who holds you in contempt, whose policies are destroying the environment, putting children in cages, stealing trillions of your dollars, punishing the poor and vulnerable, screwing over veterans, women, minorities, and a whole bunch of other people, who uses his position for personal gain and puts ratings before his country, and is now condemning a huge number of Americans to die horrible deaths with his gross incompetence in this pandemic… well, selfish and dumb barely scratches the surface.