This going to be a very ranty and rare political post, but I’m very frustrated right now, regarding the recent wiretapping issue and the low-information that people generally seem to subsist on.
I’m listening to the radio right now (NPR, if anyone cares) and they’re covering the recent wiretapping controversy. Notice I said “recent” controversy. And here’s the controversial statement:
I have serious doubts about the effectiveness of our democracy.
Why? The answer is simple: This is exactly the same controversy as the one that broke a few years ago, relatively early during George W. Bush’s second term. It’s exactly the same. Yet people are acting like this is something new that nobody knew about until now.
So, why do I know about it? Again, a simple answer: I actually bothered to read up on it when it broke before. I read the articles. I read Shadow Factory. And it’s rather sad when I’m answering all the questions that the interviewers are putting to their interviewees before the interviewee answers them , and because all I did was read the information that was out there and remember it.
And it makes me question our society. When the average person is so low-information and has such a short memory that they act like this is anything new, I get very worried, sometimes to the point where I want to go live isolated on an island somewhere and let the rest of the world eat itself. Okay, maybe that’s harsh, but still it’s frustrating.
A common thing I hear is “I don’t watch the news because it’s too depressing,” and that makes me mad and worried. It’s life. If people aren’t going to pay attention to what’s going on out there, then I worry about them voting. I’m not calling for stripping people of the right to vote. Nothing of the kind. This is more a call-to-arms to be informed and remember. Read books and current events. Pay attention!
This is getting ridiculous people. I don’t mean to sound conceded, but I have to speak up about what I see as a serious problem.
Okay, rant over.
SheldonNylander.com 