How do you engage in politics, healthily?

[Mike D]

how do you, how does 'one', engage in politics without it effecting you/one adversely?

I never post on the politics forum as i fear it will end in rage, but i am extremely interested in politics.

2021 was a real test though, the wild politicisation of the pandemic, the conduct of MPs & the PM, Brexit stuff, inflation and on and on.......

Is it wise to just bury your head in the sand and get on with what you can control? my wife says i'm happiest when i'm in my most 'ignorant' phases, i.e. on the news websites a lot less or not at all. But at the same time, the idea of being ignorant to the issues in our country and the world is a terrible thought. Is there a way to just let it go, realise you are powerless but enjoy the debate? or is it better to take affirmative action and join campaigns etc and feel/make that difference?

thoughts from the BM hive mind would be interesting.

We are in difficult times with wave a right wing populism sweeping the globe Trump, Johnson, Erdogen, Bolsanaro, Orban and of course Putin.

Divide and rule in particular is on turbo boosters in the UK. The latest about pork bareling is frightening. Telling MP's unless they tow the party line a school won't be built.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

We are in difficult times with wave a right wing populism sweeping the globe Trump, Johnson, Erdogen, Bolsanaro, Orban and of course Putin.

Divide and rule in particular is on turbo boosters in the UK. The latest about pork bareling is frightening. Telling MP's unless they tow the party line a school won't be built.

In the USA - it's reached the point that the Right listens and believes only to Right-leaning broadcasts; and those broadcasts simply spout opinions and untruths. As a result, the truth doesn't really matter that much - the Right won't listen to the truth, the Left is predisposed to thing poorly of the Right even in the rare cases where Left-leaning broadcasts prove false; and the undecided Middle - are a thin slice of the population.

In the USA it boils down to this - how do you engage with someone who almost entirely opposes your viewpoint and who moreover is a zealot to the extent that any argument whatsoever that you represent will be rejected? In short, there is no political engagement in the USA by-in-large.

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

In the USA - it's reached the point that the Right listens and believes only to Right-leaning broadcasts; and those broadcasts simply spout opinions and untruths. As a result, the truth doesn't really matter that much - the Right won't listen to the truth, the Left is predisposed to thing poorly of the Right even in the rare cases where Left-leaning broadcasts prove false; and the undecided Middle - are a thin slice of the population.

In the USA it boils down to this - how do you engage with someone who almost entirely opposes your viewpoint and who moreover is a zealot to the extent that any argument whatsoever that you represent will be rejected? In short, there is no political engagement in the USA by-in-large.

Advertising on news should be stopped. Entertainment News should be stopped. Across the board, all mediums. No making money off news. For the good of the country tbh.

 

[kippaxed54]

how do you, how does 'one', engage in politics without it effecting you/one adversely?

I never post on the politics forum as i fear it will end in rage, but i am extremely interested in politics.

2021 was a real test though, the wild politicisation of the pandemic, the conduct of MPs & the PM, Brexit stuff, inflation and on and on.......

Is it wise to just bury your head in the sand and get on with what you can control? my wife says i'm happiest when i'm in my most 'ignorant' phases, i.e. on the news websites a lot less or not at all. But at the same time, the idea of being ignorant to the issues in our country and the world is a terrible thought. Is there a way to just let it go, realise you are powerless but enjoy the debate? or is it better to take affirmative action and join campaigns etc and feel/make that difference?

thoughts from the BM hive mind would be interesting.

There's lots of routes, but the first one is (IMHO) is to realise that engaging in politics isn't the same as 'engaging in Party Politics'. As an example, I'm a member of a political party - but also do litter picks to clean up my community, I'm a member of my church where we support some poorer folks, I've been a school governor and currently help kids online to engage in current affairs through a charity. i'd say all these are possible without the political party tag. The litter picks are managed by a national charity who are involved in trying to change policies - so if you're interested in a particular area of policy then join an organisation which roughly aligns with your interests and get stuck in!

If you do want the breadth of issues that a political party covers then choose which one you're closest to and join. You dont need to agree with everything they stand for but if you want to change it then be prepared to come under challenge, and this challenge can indeed affect you adversely - but rarely in my experience with rage.

I don't think that remaining ignorant (or passive) is a better state than being involved - and would encourage you to get involved. Local issues/campaigns and even local Government offer a lot of fulfilment (I've been a Cllr and loved it) - not easy, but then in my view most things which are worthwhile are difficult anyway.

 

[Mike D]

In the USA - it's reached the point that the Right listens and believes only to Right-leaning broadcasts; and those broadcasts simply spout opinions and untruths. As a result, the truth doesn't really matter that much - the Right won't listen to the truth, the Left is predisposed to thing poorly of the Right even in the rare cases where Left-leaning broadcasts prove false; and the undecided Middle - are a thin slice of the population.

In the USA it boils down to this - how do you engage with someone who almost entirely opposes your viewpoint and who moreover is a zealot to the extent that any argument whatsoever that you represent will be rejected? In short, there is no political engagement in the USA by-in-large.

Trump had 4 years to realy poisom the well and

In the USA - it's reached the point that the Right listens and believes only to Right-leaning broadcasts; and those broadcasts simply spout opinions and untruths. As a result, the truth doesn't really matter that much - the Right won't listen to the truth, the Left is predisposed to thing poorly of the Right even in the rare cases where Left-leaning broadcasts prove false; and the undecided Middle - are a thin slice of the population.

In the USA it boils down to this - how do you engage with someone who almost entirely opposes your viewpoint and who moreover is a zealot to the extent that any argument whatsoever that you represent will be rejected? In short, there is no political engagement in the USA by-in-large.

Just watching some of the newx reels on yoitube. The man is tptal bat shit vrazy issuing executive prders for the miltary to seize voting machines..Sending im the National Guard to states he lost.
Proper full on banana republic despot leadèr stuff.
Our own mini Trump is crackers but really dont think hes quite there with his mentor yet.. But like the US this has some way to gobyet before ita over..

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

In the USA - it's reached the point that the Right listens and believes only to Right-leaning broadcasts; and those broadcasts simply spout opinions and untruths. As a result, the truth doesn't really matter that much - the Right won't listen to the truth, the Left is predisposed to thing poorly of the Right even in the rare cases where Left-leaning broadcasts prove false; and the undecided Middle - are a thin slice of the population.

In the USA it boils down to this - how do you engage with someone who almost entirely opposes your viewpoint and who moreover is a zealot to the extent that any argument whatsoever that you represent will be rejected? In short, there is no political engagement in the USA by-in-large.

Being in the middle or receptive, open or tolerant to other views is over. It's all about picking a side and shouting

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Being in the middle or receptive, open or tolerant to other views is over. It's all about picking a side and shouting

I’d suggest (1) “being in the middle”’and “being open or tolerant to other views” aren’t the same thing; and (2) those on either side regularly think they either are or should be the same thing.

 

[Blue Mist]

Being in the middle or receptive, open or tolerant to other views is over. It's all about picking a side and shouting

NO ITS NOT, YOU'RE WRONG

 

[Brightwell’s left peg]

Political debate nowadays is akin to fleas arguing over the direction the dog is walking in. A significant portion of the voting population probably couldn’t spell debate, yet democracy really only works for the benefit of the country when coupled with an educated voting population.

These days the policies of each party are almost immaterial. Long term decisions for the long term benefit of the country don’t get made if they might be unpopular at the next election.

Short term-ism and Celebrity over substance wins votes now.

 

[KPXBLN]

Living in Germany has helped me to have a more detached atttitude to politics in recent years. Partly because things are more stable here, but more because I switch off a bit easier. I sort of don’t take it personally - Germany has loads of dickheads with shit politics, but they’re less recognisably a ‘type’ to me so I can let it go more easily. Not saying this is a replicable or even a healthy strategy though.