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Originally Posted by Andrewl
I didn't say anything of the sort. Im just calling out the significant lack of political participation and real genuine grassroots democratic movements in Canada and the US. (The US used to be good at this).
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I think what you mean is that not enough people choose to offer their brains to the loudmouths and the pundits. Unfortunately there is a culture of narcissism that is being bred through non-direct forms of communication - through music, movies, and the internet when it comes to politics. Because this approach requires less citation of facts, less requirement of common sense and a user unlimited time to answer a question and do not require discussion of two or more sides i'm pretty much convinced based on comparing the cyber world to the real world that the former is responsible for the political lunacy in the latter.
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And what explains this? The only thing i can think of is people have much higher spending power than they used to and as long as they can keep themselves happy with new stuff on a regular basis they really dont want to think about politics.
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Again, this is arrogant. You're assuming that everyone you see shopping at Wal-Mart and a kid with them doesn't have strong political views. Unless you've talked to everyone, I suggest you shut up.
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Why do you think people in this part of the world don't participate in democracy? Is it because we are so good and perfect that we just don't need to?
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People here don't participate? You mean over 100 million people going to the polls isn't participation? You mean political books often being at #1 on the bestsellers isn't participation? You mean asking candidates questions isn't participation? You mean making movies about why you think the president sucks isn't participation?
Get over it, not everybody agrees with you and this fact doesn't mean they're 'not participating.' I'm really sick and tired of this political culture in this country that thinks the media is biased if it doesn't agree with them, the intelligence is flawed or 'propaganda' if it leads to a conclusion they fear, and that people are 'ignorant' and 'blind' if they don't agree with them. We will pay dearly for this behavior and part of having a functional democracy is the ability to debate, not call people names. So, you really are part of the problem, not part of the solution like you might think.
I don't think so when you consider the fact that youth groups are the new way that tyrants consolidate power in 'dictatorships-turned-electoral democracies.' Look at Nashi in Russia or the Bolivarian circles in Venezuela, voter intimidation through violence is outrageous.