Politics of Politics

10-28-2020

First, go and vote, then come back and read this blog. Because you may change your mind after reading this. And honestly, I don’t want to change your mind. That can be done only over a beverage of your choice.

Are you afraid of speaking your mind about politics openly? Me too. Yes, I am afraid of speaking about politics, policies, and the future of our lives with anyone who might have differing views, and I am sure others who hold different opinions from mine feel the same about me. I am sure most of us are playing politics of politics among our friends and family. Are we so divided and opinionated about our future that we cannot discuss it among our friends and family? 

If you are not on one or the other side of the current socio-political spectrum, you are either a saint or mentally challenged. Having strong views against one or the other party and candidate is a new normal.

I remember until about 5 years ago, I could talk about politics openly, but in the last 5 years, the political discussion has turned 180 degrees, where we are afraid of talking about any controversial issue, afraid the other party will attack me so brutally that it may hurt my ego or my body. How and why did we become like this? 

Disclaimer: I am no saint either; I am highly opinionated, but I was born that way. I have tackled people (emotionally speaking, but never physically), which might have hurt some egos. 

I was among the majority of voters of this country, where people were mostly centrist, and I thought that was what kept this democracy afloat. But in the last 5 years, the centrists have gone quiet, underground, or shifted to the far left or right. I used to vote for candidates based on their views and policies, but somewhere I have gotten so angry with one group of politicians that my political sensibilities have left me. And I am sure people on the other side of the spectrum feel the same way. But why has it happened?

I feel it has a lot to do with the political shift in the leadership of both parties, and they have influenced their followers and their followers have influenced their family and friends by providing a one-sided view of issues at the helm. But more damaging has been the social media, FB, WhatsApp, Twitter, etc., which, in their drive to catch your attention and generate higher revenue, have intentionally presented only what we want to hear and see. They hide the information that does not match our ideology or viewpoint. This is where artificial intelligence (AI) has failed humanity. But humans created AI, so who do you blame? (See my other blog on Social Divide on the topic of AI)

I believe it is every person’s individual responsibility to develop their intelligence to save humanity from self-destruction. People have to think whether their views are only self-serving or serve both the current generation and future generations. Until we take the view as a human race in its entirety, we surely are going to destroy humanity. We as humans have to stop focusing on just tomorrow or the next 4 years; our responsibility goes much beyond one election, one party, one person. This can happen only when we look at both sides of a coin and find what is good on each side, for our survival over the next four years, and also for the next 100 years. Will my children and grandchildren live happily in the environment that we are creating for them? I don’t believe in rights and wrongs as taught in schools or by religions, but I believe in individual responsibility, accountability, and the mission of our lives, that is to live on this earth happily without hurting others, and that includes nature; leave this earth a better place to live than what I received. 

Are you ready to play your role with 100% consciousness, accountability, and responsibility? I know I am. Let’s meet again in the middle and help humanity survive.

So go and vote to keep this social system somewhat in order.