I’m frustrated.
I’m frustrated with the political climate in this country.
I’m frustrated with the feeling that every event eventually breaks down to a battle of US v/s THEM. It’s Republicans v/s Democrats. It’s Conservatives v/s Liberals. It’s FOX News v/s Rachel Maddow.
I’m frustrated because I don’t believe this is the true political attitude of this country as a whole. I think it’s just the climate that has been generated by the most vocal of the extremists on both sides.
I’m frustrated because I feel like valuable voices and ideas are being ignored by entire political groups simply because there’s an “R” or a “D” after their name.
I’m frustrated because I feel like all of the politicians have been pushed into these extreme stances by the fear of losing elections by not appealing to their “base”.
I’m frustrated because this is perpetuated by gerrymandering district lines designed to keep those very vocal extremists politically relevant when the majority of the country shuns their extremism.
I’m frustrated because all of this dueling dichotomy is keeping anything from every getting done at any level of government.
I’m frustrated because conservatives get shunned if they find themselves defending something that can help the poor and liberals get shunned if they want to see a cuts in certain programs to make budgets balance.
I’m frustrated because Facebook has given people an audience they can’t see face-to-face. So they don’t realize that their photo/meme depicting all Obama supporters as Nazi’s upsets me. They don’t see the anger in their conservative’s neighbor’s face at their comment, “What do you expect? They’re a Republican.” They don’t see the hurt in their left-leaning coworker’s eyes when they blame all of the country’s problems on the people who voted for Obama. They don’t see the irritated eyeroll when someone claims that everyone who watches Fox News is an idiot.
I’m frustrated because it’s not going to get better. Every day the voices are more extreme and the moderates are either overshadowed, or forced into camps on either end where they don’t even belong.
I’m frustrated because it doesn’t matter whose president is in office, they can’t get anything done because no one ever wants to give in on anything for fear of alienating their constituents.
I have no idea what to do. What to change. All I know is that nothing is going to ever get done in this new climate, and that loss of hope is aggressively depressing.
I have nothing real to add other than I agree 100%.
Sing it, Sister! I know this is going to sound petty–but that’s my mood, so here goes: One of the things this Congress couldn’t get done is to re-authorize something that allowed people who use mass transit to take as much money pre-tax as those that drive and park for work. Why is one permanent and the other not? Heck if I know, but I’m being taxed on the money I spend for bus fare. I live in the great Los Angeles region and I work in downtown L.A. Using mass transit is HARD here (well, except not as much working in DTLA–if I worked in Burbank–that would be almost a mass transit impossibility.) See? I told you it was petty. 🙂
I also heartily throw the media in for sharing the blame, the 24 hr media circus helps to keep politicians’ backs to the wall and make everything black/white. Politics is being able to operate in the grey area of COMPROMISE. I feel the media is 50% of the problem (and I mean all media not liberal or conservative)
I, too, get frustrated over all the posts on my facebook feed blasting one side or the other. I avoid political conversations because you’re either right or you’re wrong – it’s rare that you can have a genuine conversation with someone discussing opposing views. I have no qualms if someone has a different view than me, I just ask you respect my views. I don’t mind if someone explains why they have their view – maybe it’ll help me become better informed or do more research. But don’t chastise me for my views. I don’t chastise you or think less of you for your views so I just ask you don’t do the same (this is a general you – not pointed at you, Zoot!)
I, too, get frustrated by the political stanse in this country. You either have to be so far left or so far right. However someone like me? Who is kind of in the middle and agrees with views from both sides? I can’t easily align with either side; I have to pick the one with the closest views as mine. Our Congressmen and women or officials cannot be in the middle or they, like you said, will not be re-elected and that’s a big fear.
I get upset when people post comments bashing either side, especially because those memes and pictures people post can be so, so hurtful. I don’t think there’s any chance of changing all this because it’s the world we live in. But it’s so, so frustrating. Like you said.
*Goes back to ignoring politics and blocking people on facebook who posts hurtful political statements regardless of side*
I agree. It mskes me sad that we seem to have no leaders, just politicians. I waas just in Sakhalin Island, Russia for work. My new friends and I decided we should all get rid of the politicians and we’d all be just fine.