I believe actions have consequences and I still do. I believe in democracy. This year however has shown me that something is terribly wrong with politics and the world’s culture.
It is 2016. We should have moved on from bigotry of any type but yet it is still prevalent. Only some of us care. Democracy is intended to give the people a voice; all of the people but we live in a culture of he who shouts loudest. It is a culture of wanting everything now, including it seems political action by making knee jerk decisions based on sound bites and rhetoric. Are we really all so lacking in brain cells or disinterested in anything that doesn’t grab our attention or is more in depth than a one minute YouTube moment that we are willing to sell to the highest bidder? The populist culture? Those who incite fear and rage based upon nothing but lies, distortions and fear?
Apparently so.
A friend of mine noted that they saw that if 2016 has told us anything, it is that you can do what you want to who you want and there will never been any serious consequences. I agree and disagree. In the case of the political leaders of the UK and the USA, that certainly seems to be the case, on a personal and political level, however the consequences will hopefully be borne out. My concern is that the consequences for them will simply be failure, after which they will move on, never to be seen again. The consequences for the people they are supposed to act in the interests of however will likely be far reaching and affect generations to come.
Politicians seem to think short term more than ever these days. Win votes. Implement knee jerk policies. Fuck off and leave others to deal with it. These people are supposed to think about the country now and for future generations. To add insult to injury, these are not even part of the me me me generation, they are from older generations, but have completely bought into short term gains. They are selfish, the antipathy of politics. They have lost all integrity.
I blame the culture of reality tv, disinterest in anything more than superficial etc ad infinitum. I can’t even switch the radio on or watch the news right now, it’s no longer funny.
I’m all for democracy but culture as it is now dictates that the democratic process is about sound bites and popularity, with some appeal to those with the loudest voices and worst opinions (sadly opinions, not facts) and it won’t even make anyone wake up to what is happening … politicians have become too introspective and have lost sight of the bigger picture. They talk about the will of the people except the people were not given fair opportunity to exercise their voting rights, or maybe more accurately and seemingly forgotten, privileges. They were not provided with facts, or policies and the problem is deciding whether the politicians decided that the people aren’t capable enough to understand or if they really aren’t. We have become a culture of politics by memes. And politicians caricatures.
I still believe actions have consequences though and all we can each do in the wake of Brexit and Trump is try our best to do things with love and compassion and make the world a better place, they may be small things but still significant. Small acts to show people who have not bought into the BS that we are not bigots, misogynists, racist, sexist, hateful, ageist, small minded etc.
Smile at a stranger, help a neighbour, play with your dog, appreciate this beautiful planet, recycle more, breathe, support causes, be grateful, show love and compassion and kindness to all, look outwards. Whatever floats your boat. Kill them all with kindness. It might not change politics, or get you elected as the leader of a country or change the world but little by little it just also might.
I am not going to make it 