Do you care??

                                

Mike Barnicle, a frequent guest on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, said this morning that he thinks the biggest problem with our U.S. society is “apathy” … or what I always sarcastically refer to as people being “At the Mall©.”  In other words, people in general have more mundane interests versus those nasty politics.

But I think Barnicle is absolutely right.  Our population is rather ignorant of and apathetic to the U.S.’s political state of affairs, the greater worldly state of affairs, and governmental operations in general.  My guess is that at least half the adult population (over 18) would fail a general civics/politics test.  I have no hard stats to back that up, but just a gut feeling from watching and listening.  So, when I hear a politician say “the people are smart,” I cringe. I know it’s just pandering and isn’t, can’t be, the unvarnished truth.  The general public is not politically smart, but rather more self-absorbed within their limited bubbles.  That’s been my observation anyway. 

What’s even more remarkable to some of us is, the something they can know about (i.e., the here and now) is trumped, in many cases, by the something they can’t know about (i.e., the there and later).  I refer to religions now.  God, et al., seemingly takes up more of their attention-span than politics.  Don’t get me wrong, I understand the appeal of religions.  They are a believed way, though unknown, to self-preserve, which normally would take up most everyone’s attention priority. 

I don’t know, maybe politics is just too frustrating or even too complicated for people to get.  It does seem like this far, far away “thing,” many times removed from their everyday lives.  So why worry about it or waste their time on it?  “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)."

Now the questions:

-Do you agree that the U.S. has an apathy problem, when it comes to politics?  If yes,

-Do you think politicians take advantage of the nation’s apathy (to advance their own agendas while apathetic people are not looking)?  “While cat’s away, mice will play Syndrome.”

Discuss. 

Thanks for posting and recommending.