Politics depress me....anyone else.

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The world is what you make it. I've been to something similar to hell and I managed to get out. Like misery that's unexplainably painful while you think you'll stay there 'til you die.

then please try harder to remember those left behind in hell who were stuck there harder than you, for one reason or another.

Some may argue it's easier to control a distressed population than a carefree one, so then maybe there isn't a better way than what they're doing.

But yeah, things are bad. Most news is bad. That's why most of the most successful people never watch or read the news. All it is is negativity and mind pollution. Successful people are too busy working on themselves and their businesses and finances etc to waste time reading or watching news, whether about politics or other things.

Yep, this is pretty much true.

Going along with this idea, lemme show something here: https://www.freemansperspective.com/sto ... -politics/

Now, I know nothing about the site that article is on.... or how I even found it awhile back. I just know that the guy makes alot of good points.


This stuff is a serious waste of time. AND, it's outright toxic.

I have alot of people in my life who are very political. I've watched how they act, what they do, what kinds of situations they get into. I also observe people online doing the same thing. I observe, and I learn.

What I have learned is these things:

1. Politics is INCREDIBLY childish and petty. You know those political "ads"? Have you ever noticed that instead of telling you what the politician can do to help you, the only thing they ACTUALLY do is bash the other guys and tell you how they suck? This is just the beginning of the poison.

2. The two party system is all sorts of stupid. Not for political reasons. I dont even count that. I mean because of psychology. When you see people voting on stuff, talking about stuff... pay close attention to what they say about it. Notice: MOST people, as in, the vast majority by far, DO NOT THINK ABOUT THE ISSUES THEY ARE VOTING ON. No processing goes on in that brain of theirs. They vote one way or another BECAUSE THEIR PARTY DOES. Even if, deep down, they dont agree? They'll do it anyway. Look up a concept called "tribalism" when you have some free time. It goes into the psychology behind this crap, and behind why the two-party system exists in the first place. It's a truly horrific part of the mind, and politics is ENTIRELY designed to capitalize on it.

3. It turns otherwise good people into a bunch of nasty asshats. I've watched my own mother insult and belittle her own brother over freaking Facebook (in other words, where lots of people can read it) because he has an opposing view on some damn issue that wouldnt make a bloody difference anyway. I've watched people get into screaming arguements, I've seen so many insults that I wouldnt even consider saying to someone even in the most blazing of rage.

4. It. Accomplishes. Literally. Nothing. Again, lots of political people in my life. I dont mean politicians, I mean people that talk about it and obsess over voting and blah blah blah. Years and years of this, and you know what it has accomplished? NOTHING. Not even one thing of value has been done. Not one. All these braindead arguements, all these stupid contests of which party is better, NONE of it has done anything positive for anyone.


And that last bit is the real reason I bring this up. Think very, very hard on this: Has taking an interest in politics, taking part in it, EVER even once accomplished something positive in your life, or the lives of those around you? Has it benefited you in any way? Has it enriched ANYTHING for you? Has it even served a practical purpose?

I have never even once met or known someone who could genuinely, truthfully answer "yes" to any of those. I've met some who will try to convince me otherwise, but when assaulted with enough pure logic, they sort of... deflate. It's a rather bizarre phenomenon.

I have, however, met people who have wasted massive amounts of their own time, lost friendships, even lost romantic relationships or jobs because of this idiocy. Or even ruined connections between themselves and THEIR OWN FAMILY. Yet at the very same time, THEY DO NOT SEE THESE THINGS AS PROBLEMS. They think they "won" the arguement/war with the other person. How utterly stupid is that?

And for what? To try to find the "winning" choice in a two-sided arguement where either choice is all sorts of awful, due to politicians being nasty, greedy jerks who care only about themselves? As if making such a choice would make a true difference.

And even the news about it is a waste of time. Now, I'm not saying that ALL news is a waste of time. Reading about things like, say, those nasty hurricanes that rampaged through various areas... it can be important to know about those. Maybe it can encourage you to donate money and help out. But reading about what President What's-his-face or Senator Whocares did or screwed up on a particular day, or which new type of bloody stupid controversy they caused? Nothing. It'll accomplish NOTHING. Completely useless information. Provided it's even truly accurate: Never forget, media outlets are corporate entities, existing to make money. They're not about relaying the truth to you, not any more. They're about giving off enough sensation and spectacle to get you to keep watching, or keep clicking on their articles. This is why the term "clickbait" now exists. So, you cant even TRUST this news, any of it, making it EVEN MORE WORTHLESS.

Frankly, I grow tired of it. Really tired. Particularly when dealing with my mom and stepfather. They freaking wreck themselves with this crap (yet not even one time in all these years has it done a single positive thing), to the point where I've actually considered the idea of staging an "intervention" of sorts, forcing them to dump this crap for good (and yes, I do have a method guaranteed to pull that off if I decide to do it).

I know next to nothing about politics myself. I know the name of the president, I know that there's two parties, I know people argue like hell about it, and that's it. After seeing how people act, how this can ruin their lives and the lives of those around them, there's no way in the darkest pits of the abyss that I'd ever take part in it myself. But I will try to convince anyone that'll listen of just how freaking toxic and pointless it all is.

The depression you state here... that's a good example of some proof for you. You could avoid that easily... but it's up to you to give up the habit.

I used to feel like this. Well it was more like sheer anger, the left wing would make my blood boil. I saw them as the only enemy and wanted them destroyed.

I think it was something that Christopher Hitchens said that made me do something different. He said he had learnt the most from people he disagreed with. (Though to me, he seemed to go backwards from what i know now). So i gave it a go, i went to the library and tried out some of the audio books there. Listening to the "Communism Manifesto" while driving probably wasn't a good idea. But some of it struck home and I especially felt some sympathy with what Marx had said. Then it was Nelson Mandela's book. Before that i saw him as a terrorist and white hater. Listening to his book made me think "this guy has a point". I understood why he hated the white people in South Africa, but still see the outrageous hypocrisy with the way the media treated him.

People should open their minds amd stand to be corrected. Having to change your mind about something can be like having your teeth pulled out without any drugs, but it is good for us.

No, it doesn't depress me. It's more like how I am with sports, just something that doesn't interest me. Pretty much the only sort of political/historical things I do have an interest for is Nazi Germany/Hitler. Outside from that, meh.

@Misery: #3 of what you said is my main issue, not necessarily politics itself.

I once read "The more you know, the less you speak" and I completely agree.

Doing psychology and sociology gave me ridiculously heightened observational skills, so then I became an activist but then I got so depressed I didn't leave my bed. Now I actually try and avoid news and social activism because my Mental Health is more important.

The wind rises

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2bwZ-nUxhU

The world is becoming crazy; it's scary.
I'm scared and depressed and don't know what to do. I only know that I'm powerless and nothing I can do would make any meaningful difference. Sometime I also wonder if I make things slightly worse.

Heaven's Gate jumped the gun surely, but I think in this generation we are close enough to see the whites of the eyes of WW3.

I am exceedingly cautious about getting into anything political for many of the reasons stated here. And there is no question that this particular point in time feels very scary.

But when I have gotten involved - at a local level - I have seen some very good things happen, things I spent a lot of time on, and it was worth it. Two things immediately come to mind. Shortly after I moved to my cabin in the woods, a developer announced plans to build an 8,000 acre private military training base. About five miles from my home. Although we found out about this at the last minute, so to speak, a coalition of rural locals, environmentalists and peace activists came together and fought it down, piece by piece. We developed websites, had meetings, wrote letters to the papers, came to the county commissioner meetings...and we won. It was absolutely worthwhile.

The other case that easily comes to mind is when our governor decided to reduce reimbursement rates to all people working with developmentally disabled in a waiver program by 15% across the board. This is when we were all working at minimal rates anyway. There were email trees, letters, phone calls and demonstrations across the state. The governor backed down and in the 8 years he has been in office now, reimbursement rates have been raised somewhat. Was that worth it? You bet. Because if the caregivers are not paid enough, there is no one to care for those who need it.

Now, on a local level? THERE it is more debatable. But that's more about zoning and small things like htat.... to be honest, I dont even call something like that military base bit "politics". What happens within a single community/area is not "politics" by my definition. And notice, people all over the place dont constantly whine and scream about it. You dont see miniature wars breaking out over something like that... no, because people are too busy fighting over the President.

As for the bit with the governor... if you, personally.... as in JUST you.... had not taken part in this, would it have fallen apart? If your friends had also not taken part, would that have happened?

Again, I've never once asked that question and had that come back with a *genuine* answer of "yes". But, beyond that: How can you be sure that the whole thing ACTUALLY had an effect? Or, I guess I should put it this way: How can you be sure as to the ACTUAL reason why this governor made the decision he ended up making? You cant.

One thing about politics of all levels: It's effects are "fluffed up" to get people to feel like they made a difference, when in reality, behind the scenes money and trickery is what ACTUALLY did it. Dont trust it. Ever.


In my earlier rant though, I'm not talking about local crap, when I rail against politics, and I think most of the people that read my post know it. Things like building placement/installation... no. That's not even within my definition of the word. I'm talking about that two-party crap that affects the nation. The Big Stuff. Because it's not the local bit that people get into screaming arguements about, it's not the local bit that turns them into a bunch of rabid, frothing idiots. It's the national junk, the "literally has no bloody effect but everyone screams about it anyway" stuff that has to deal with the president and other super-major politicians. That's what turns people against each other, that's what utterly wrecks people and destroys their lives as they repeatedly attack something that they aree literally unable to have an effect on.

And THAT stuff, politics on that level, never has and never will accomplish anything. Unless, of course, you're a politician.... but that wouldnt be a good thing, nope.

I wish. Sadly I don’t think ww3 will happen in my lifetime.

Why would you want a full blown world war to happen in your lifetime?

By some people’s accounts we’ve already started ww3 by the count of countries simultaneously at war.

A full blown proper ww3 would likely include the use of nukes, and IMO no one should wish for that. Einstein’s greatest fears and predictions would come true and planet and mankind could be irreversibly damaged.. or at least damaged beyond humanity’s ability to survive here.. depending on how bad we mess things up it could take the earth hundreds of thousands of years to heal. :/

how can you be sure?

China isn’t ready for a war. They might be in 50-100 years but currently their military lacks as does Russia though Russia will be ready sooner then China. China doesn’t have the forces to take Taiwan. They don’t have navy or air power to transport their troops and equipment to other nations, so they can only fight defense battles in China or in neighboring countries. Both China and Russia are interconnected with the west and relie in them to survive and grow.
No ones going fight ww3 over North Korea. No one wants North Korea. No one wants North Korea to collapse either, just wish Kim would accept that and give up dreams of conquering South Korea and then we could all be happy.