Until people get pissed off enough to start being politically active and not just passive participants in the process. When the “high bar” is merely “showing up to vote after glancing over the candidates” what do people expect?
Get involved in local politics. Volunteer for candidates that reflect your actual ideals – or run for a local office yourself. Actually talk to other voters about issues, form coalitions to do something about it. Annoy the shit out of your elected officials and hold them accountable. Be loud, be pissed off, and use that energy to do something other than complain on social media about it.
Anyone that actually wants change needs to realize it requires being and active participant in politics. The problem is most people don’t because it’s frequently frustrating, disheartening, and exhausting work just for minor change. It’s a thankless slog towards a better future on top of just trying to survive.
I understand the sentiment but most people just don’t have the time or energy for that. I’m a busy person, got a young one around that needs my help every day - and I need to be able to help put people into office that reflect my ideals without actively being involved. That shouldn’t be a large ask.
And we should be able to do that. But we Americans love to complain about the current state of affairs, yet we put more energy into complaining than we do actually voting. Our voter turnout for presidential elections is already way behind other countries, our mid terms are worse, our general elections the remaining odd years are worse still, and oh my God… The primaries…
The primaries are where we can actually redefine the political parties and fill them with new earnest candidates. Possibly the most important of all the elections, that’s where we have virtually non-existent turnout.
Until people get pissed off enough to start being politically active and not just passive participants in the process. When the “high bar” is merely “showing up to vote after glancing over the candidates” what do people expect?
Get involved in local politics. Volunteer for candidates that reflect your actual ideals – or run for a local office yourself. Actually talk to other voters about issues, form coalitions to do something about it. Annoy the shit out of your elected officials and hold them accountable. Be loud, be pissed off, and use that energy to do something other than complain on social media about it.
Anyone that actually wants change needs to realize it requires being and active participant in politics. The problem is most people don’t because it’s frequently frustrating, disheartening, and exhausting work just for minor change. It’s a thankless slog towards a better future on top of just trying to survive.
I understand the sentiment but most people just don’t have the time or energy for that. I’m a busy person, got a young one around that needs my help every day - and I need to be able to help put people into office that reflect my ideals without actively being involved. That shouldn’t be a large ask.
And we should be able to do that. But we Americans love to complain about the current state of affairs, yet we put more energy into complaining than we do actually voting. Our voter turnout for presidential elections is already way behind other countries, our mid terms are worse, our general elections the remaining odd years are worse still, and oh my God… The primaries…
The primaries are where we can actually redefine the political parties and fill them with new earnest candidates. Possibly the most important of all the elections, that’s where we have virtually non-existent turnout.
Our government is exactly what we made out of it.