Govts consist of who the people elect, in democracies. If the people elect a bunch of grifters, for example, then you got some things you’re complaining about.
The overall point is that expecting individual citizenry to solve these sustainability issues is rarely going to work, because individuals typically think of themselves first.
That’s true in systems not rigged to make it so only certain types of people can be elected and that 1 vote isn’t equal across the country.
The land of the free for example, have that in smaller states 1 vote can equal 3 votes, and that it’s so expensive to run for office that the only ones that can afford either had to make a LOT of backroom deals, be independently wealthy, or both (in the case of Trump)
I’d argue that a lot of what you mention has gotten the way that it did over the decades because of the very slackness and inattention I’m talking about from the voting base. I.e., you can’t make terrible voting decisions for ~55yrs and expect your democracy to automatically resist the corrupting influences of capitalism. In fact, you can pretty much expect the reverse.
That to me is one of the most self-defeating mindsets one can possibly have when it comes to understanding and empowering qualities of education and smart voting-- that the whole system’s a fraud, and therefore not worth attempting to participate in and defend.
At that point you might as well be a traditional Russian peasant, with absolutely no agency, completely at the mercy of those in power. You might as well be saying-- “yeah! Give me dictatorship, because a democracy is too complex to handle.”
This to me is the very picture of how a citizen of democracy fails to perform their basic duties to their state.
Voting however, won’t fix a problem caused by a broken electoral system.
When the entire system is rotten so that no matter who you vote for they won’t represent the people, then the most you can do with voting it’s try to keep the ABSOLUTE BASTARDS KILLING THEIR OWN PEOPLE THROUGH NEGLIGENCE(GOP) out and keep the still bastards, but not trying to kill their own citizens, just doing war against other nations in.
As example, the previous election, USA had Dems going “this is a complicated issue” about Israel/Palestine and GOP going “HELL YEAH WAR WAR WAR” about it. But none of the parties went “this genocide shouldn’t receive support from the USA”
Just one side going “I won’t stop selling them weapons, but won’t send in troops” and the other going “I won’t stop selling them weapons, and will send in troops”
Govts consist of who the people elect, in democracies. If the people elect a bunch of grifters, for example, then you got some things you’re complaining about.
The overall point is that expecting individual citizenry to solve these sustainability issues is rarely going to work, because individuals typically think of themselves first.
That’s true in systems not rigged to make it so only certain types of people can be elected and that 1 vote isn’t equal across the country.
The land of the free for example, have that in smaller states 1 vote can equal 3 votes, and that it’s so expensive to run for office that the only ones that can afford either had to make a LOT of backroom deals, be independently wealthy, or both (in the case of Trump)
I’d argue that a lot of what you mention has gotten the way that it did over the decades because of the very slackness and inattention I’m talking about from the voting base. I.e., you can’t make terrible voting decisions for ~55yrs and expect your democracy to automatically resist the corrupting influences of capitalism. In fact, you can pretty much expect the reverse.
Nah, it’s been rotten at the core from the very start, just the fester is coming to the surface now
That to me is one of the most self-defeating mindsets one can possibly have when it comes to understanding and empowering qualities of education and smart voting-- that the whole system’s a fraud, and therefore not worth attempting to participate in and defend.
At that point you might as well be a traditional Russian peasant, with absolutely no agency, completely at the mercy of those in power. You might as well be saying-- “yeah! Give me dictatorship, because a democracy is too complex to handle.”
This to me is the very picture of how a citizen of democracy fails to perform their basic duties to their state.
You can see that a system is broken and still work to fix it, they’re not dichotomous.
It’s not defeatism, it’s realism.
And no, the answer isn’t to bend over and take it, it’s to get FUCKING LIVID ABOUT IT, and kick up a stink. Protests, Activism, Action, Art.
That’s better!
Voting however, won’t fix a problem caused by a broken electoral system.
When the entire system is rotten so that no matter who you vote for they won’t represent the people, then the most you can do with voting it’s try to keep the ABSOLUTE BASTARDS KILLING THEIR OWN PEOPLE THROUGH NEGLIGENCE(GOP) out and keep the still bastards, but not trying to kill their own citizens, just doing war against other nations in.
As example, the previous election, USA had Dems going “this is a complicated issue” about Israel/Palestine and GOP going “HELL YEAH WAR WAR WAR” about it. But none of the parties went “this genocide shouldn’t receive support from the USA”
Just one side going “I won’t stop selling them weapons, but won’t send in troops” and the other going “I won’t stop selling them weapons, and will send in troops”
It’s all complicated, and I’m all out of debate on this one.
My main point still stands-- that expecting individuals to solve systemic issues like this was always going to be insufficient. Cheers.