Cave DwellersThere is a species of the American homo sapiens that come out to play once every four years. With ears so small, they can't hear anything more than what scientists now call the "confirmation frequency", and with mouths so large, they physically cannot shut. They live in caves, yelling out from the inside about whatever they want to yell about. Once every four years, an earthquake shakes their ground. Most times, this earthquake doesn't loosen the rocks in the mountain enough to scare these dwellers out. But in the year 2015, an earthquake so tremendous hit, that it caused copious numbers of this population out in to the light. Frantic, naked, and afraid, they quickly grabbed what was near them to cover themselves up, some not even willing to look around to search for their own clothes. They feared for their lives, and as they turned around they saw their caves falling apart. They needed to find the source of this catastrophe, and destroy it for all eternity. The curious thing about this species, is that they are very similar in the way they act, and yet choose not to see it that way. Some managed to carve holes in their abode to let some light in, and some even managed to tan. Some learned the art of being articulate, others learned how to narrow their hearing. In the end, through all their efforts, they chose to be different by external means, and internally, they operated the same. They did not listen, they only talked. They did not discuss, they only argued. There was no compromise, only what was right and what was wrong. And they all searched for one thing: A fix all solution to their never ending list of problems. And this solution was easiest to find once every four years. For the rest of the time, their caves would suffice. Placing the BlameWho do you support? Do you feel the Bern or do you want to make America great again? Do you want a moderate? Are you afraid of Clinton? Who ever it is, where ever you stand, the real question is this: how willing are you to listen? Every election cycle, we look to the skies, and search for a person to descend from the heavens to fix our broken country. Trust me, it isn't Jesus we're looking for. Our dissatisfaction with today's politics lies in the simple fact that we look to politics to solve our needs. It must be the people holding the white house hostage who are destroying our country. That black president was a mistake. That white man before him was stupid too. WE WANT REAGAN. Politics are always going to be a generation behind. Let's be real, what the upcoming Americans want will never be satisfied with who is in power at that time. We should honestly fill congress with babies and let them grow in to their position. The president should be no older than 16 years old. Frankly, I hate the argument "you can't complain if you don't vote". Because the only thing voters do is complain. Congress this, congress that, president this, president that. Yay first amendment. The Cycle of Self AffirmationThis species that I mentioned above have this peculiar ability to talk without moving their lips. The theory is that there is so much noise in their heads, it leaks out of their ajar mouths. But this sound is quickly recirculated back through their small ears so any outside noise never gets a chance to enter. Another interesting power this species has is to brush the surface of everything, but to actively avoid going in depth on any topic they chose to be passionate about. They think that reading headlines is enough, that once they read the Wall Street Journal or the Huffington post, a post on Facebook is enough to draw the line between what, and more importantly, who, is right and wrong. Don't we have our own voice?Let the animals be animals, let the show be entertainment. Why do we not talk about the issues? Instead we let one person be the face of our beliefs. Again, elections and voting is a crucial part of being an American, but so is having our own opinions straight. Not just posting articles or reading the headlines, which is essentially what all news articles have become. It's about finding what you, as an individual, really believe to be the best for our country, the approach you most identify with. That means challenging what you believe to be right, questioning yourself, and forcing actual conversations with people who will never agree with you, shutting the hell up, and listening.
The collapse of modern day political culture is nothing more than us not willing to listen to the other side and have a civil conversation. The collapse of political culture hinges on the fact that it has become more important to have the first word than the educated word. We don't do our homework, read research papers, explore databases, and ask challenging questions because then we'll have to wait for our opinion to surface. Instead, every four years, we listen to a handful of people make a bunch of statements, we pick one of those people, and then write and rehearse their beliefs and make them our own. But when the election cycle passes, and a year goes by, we stop speaking out, because what can we do now? We have to wait another 3 years to change anything. The wrong person got elected, they weren't who they said they were going to be, they were the wrong person for the job. Back in to our caves we go.
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AUTHORA financial analyst by day...dreaming of being a college student again ARCHIVES
December 2017
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