On Politics

Let’s pretend this is the intro to one of those self help meetings. Hi, my name is Devon. (Hi, Devon!) And I’ve gone six months without smacking my head against a wall because of someone's political rant. (Yay! *clapping*)

So here’s the deal: politics. We’re all aware that the election is coming up soon. It’s on every tv station, newspaper, coming out of the mouth of every self-claimed, so-called “informed” person (and one or two Google searches, I'm sorry to say, does not make you informed). I used to be a political science minor and avid debate member. I understand how politics is both fascinating and aggressive. But the latter has become a serious problem. It's the reason I no longer enjoy politics. 

Let me elaborate.

In the last few weeks, I’ve heard a lot of comments: about the debates such as the “binders full of women,” how “the 80s called, they want their foreign policy back,” and how we no longer use “bayonets and horses.” (All lines that maybe shouldn’t have been said). Also about random details about each candidate--some relevant, some not. 

However, what bothers me most about the political activism around election time is the ANIMOSITY and NEED TO BE RIGHT when people argue. No, people are not debating, not trying to sway a person to their side. They are simply trying to tear people’s opinions down and assert their own as correct. It seems a little bit fascist, no?

And here I am, sitting here thinking:

1) What’s the point? Someone will win. That someone will be criticized and scorned just as every president before has been. No majority will ever be happy.

2) And some people wonder why world peace is unattainable?

There’s explicit lack of respect when it comes to politics. Oh, people will laugh and joke when they “debate,” but there’s contempt for their opponents/friends in their eyes. What is it about politics that can make you suddenly hold contempt (no matter how fleeting) for a human being that you don't know at all, or for one you care deeply about?

It’s like if I went up to a person for only 5 minutes and interviewed them. “Oh hey, Ben. So you’re a business major, huh? Oh… you like to snowboard as a hobby? That makes you unprofessional. I don’t think you’ll be a good businessman.”

This is what politics have come down to. Petty judgments. If there must be judging, judge on policies.

And even then, just be nice. Please. It’s getting ridiculous. I can’t wait for the election to be over. But then again, we all know that’s just the beginning of another string of repeated events. 

I think I’m just going to move back to Europe.