My 2 Canadian pesos

[Tecate]

One of the things that I have been struggling with lately is the absolute bs that we as a people have been indoctrinated into.

Yes it has been ingrained into us from the beginning, you are from “here”, therefore you only have a focus on your own interests.

Does another country’s political system affect you? How?

In this forum the world is very much US-Centric and I understand that. Is that truly how the rest of the world sees it? I wonder, I see it as a distraction from the real issues of the day.

We need to ensure a food security system, we need to protect our children and our environment, and we need to look after each other globally. Doing this only in Canada, the US and Mexico doesn’t mean a pinch of raccoon shit to the planet’s survival. Not that I believe that we as humans are capable of really changing Mother Earth.

My complaint is the amount of time and energy we spend on deciding which of the two party system (1984 anyone?) politics that we know is wrong…

I don’t have an answer, other than term limits, citizen terms and a recall program.

I’m sorry, meh

My 2 pesos…


Tecate

[FlyersFan]

Does another country’s political system affect you? How?

What I find odd .... people on ATS/DI who aren't from America watch our political rallies and listen to our political speeches .. and they actively campaign for/against American politicians while they are on the discussion forum.   

I doubt anyone in the USA watches hours and hours of political speech after political speech, of foreign politicians.  And I doubt anyone here watches foreign political rallies either.

Maybe some people in government who have it their job to keep up with those kinds of things.  Maybe a few college professors here or there who teach world history or something.   But the average person?   No.

[UltraBudgie]

It is fun to talk to Americans and how they react when you tell them you are not paying attention to their drama and don't think any of it really matters. They are very wrapped up in their "reality show" and confuse it with actual news. I suppose that's deliberate.

[Maxmars]

It is fun to talk to Americans and how they react when you tell them you are not paying attention to their drama and don't think any of it really matters. They are very wrapped up in their "reality show" and confuse it with actual news. I suppose that's deliberate.

It is deliberate.

Generations of embedded indoctrination in media have left their mark.  (Also, constant war creates a polarizing predilection in the common dialog.)

None of it is 'accidental.'  It is a thing 'nurtured' to be exploited.

One of the main challenges I face as a moderator from time to time, takes the form of refusing my own "free speech privilege" to avoid pointing out how a great chunk of the "topics of the moment" are empty vessels... especially when it becomes a 'team sport' or a 'We love to hate this or that person or thing' exercise.

Having travelled a bit, I learned that it is, for most intents and purposes, not substantially different anywhere else where political celebrities are at play... this dystopian state of affairs is all about politicians and the political class, not the people.

[UltraBudgie]

It is deliberate.

Generations of embedded indoctrination in media have left their mark.  (Also, constant war creates a polarizing predilection in the common dialog.)

None of it is 'accidental.'  It is a thing 'nurtured' to be exploited.

One of the main challenges I face as a moderator from time to time, takes the form of refusing my own "free speech privilege" to avoid pointing out how a great chunk of the "topics of the moment" are empty vessels... especially when it becomes a 'team sport' or a 'We love to hate this or that person or thing' exercise.

Having travelled a bit, I learned that it is, for most intents and purposes, not substantially different anywhere else where political celebrities are at play... this dystopian state of affairs is all about politicians and the political class, not the people.

And it is not a bad thing, the "empty vessel" effect you refer to. Many of those who decry political posturing as useless non-issues aren't necessarily being "objective", but rather merely have their own personal shibboleths they feel are more important, like global warming, nuclear armegeddon, or mass extinction. You know, silly things.

Okay well maybe that was a bit trolly, but perhaps food for thought too.

Asking someone how they feel about particular politicians in the modern age is sort of like asking them who their favorite Marvel character is. It says more about them than the actual character, and in that sense is very useful, as a basis for interpersonal understanding and empathy.

[Creaky]

What I find odd .... people on ATS/DI who aren't from America watch our political rallies and listen to our political speeches .. and they actively campaign for/against American politicians while they are on the discussion forum.   

I doubt anyone in the USA watches hours and hours of political speech after political speech, of foreign politicians.  And I doubt anyone here watches foreign political rallies either.

Maybe some people in government who have it their job to keep up with those kinds of things.  Maybe a few college professors here or there who teach world history or something.   But the average person?   No.

Fascinating watching a century old empire collapse and it’s amazing how fast it’s happened 
That and the hours watched, it’s a circus and it’s clowns choosing clowns.
if it wasn’t so serious a matter, be funny but -
when the US fails, so do we
Our government are not smart enough to join BRICS
Trump will lose, if not on election day, not long after

Spent most of my life listening to Americans talking about their republic, their freedom, their guns and it’s now all coming to an end

How did you lose it?

[UltraBudgie]

Spent most of my life listening to Americans talking about their republic, their freedom, their guns and it’s now all coming to an end

How did you lose it?

I'm gonna guess, either by getting people so afraid of imagined oppression that they choose fascism, or by convincing them that their freedoms have already been so infringed that they believe it, and become too afraid to actually exercise them.

Oh wait -- Russia and China!

[Maxmars]

Creaky

You are entitled to your interpretations... But don't feel offended that I can't say I agree on this:

I think the imagery of 'falling apart' is a cliché.  Not that it's meant to be, but there has never been a time or place occupied with human beings which hasn't been said to be "falling apart."  It's a constant echo everywhere.  I bet you can find that sentiment where you live too.

"Clowns choosing clowns" contextually speaking, so true as to sting.

I know many hold high hopes and ideal regarding BRICS... but I suspect you will all be very disappointed as to what that turns out to be.  Just another flavor of elite "club."

I've never been interested in "winning" politically... my interest is in living completely.

UltraBudgie

It's encouraging to understand your consideration that the "empty vessel" idea is rightly an "effect."

When trying to understand effects, it always leads me to an observation about disharmony.

Here people are, loving their candidate, considering their opponent vile... and yet... never resolving that they can only ever do what their parties allow them to do.
It is the party that 'decides'... yet many voters seem to believe that they are voting for a 'person.'  There's something disharmonious about that belief.

[UltraBudgie]

Here people are, loving their candidate, considering their opponent vile... and yet... never resolving that they can only ever do what their parties allow them to do.
It is the party that 'decides'... yet many voters seem to believe that they are voting for a 'person.'  There's something disharmonious about that belief.

"L'État, c'est moi" -- Louis XIV
"Je suis l'État" -- George W. Bush
"Je suis un beignet?" -- Joseph Biden
"Thank you for asking me about the economy. Here is an bizarre unrelated anecdotic about France." -- Kamala Harris
"Cheese-eating surrender monkeys!" -- Donald Trump


Edit to add: Just being silly. But that's a good point. I've actually heard Democrats say, for example, that President Biden is the leader of their party. Haha. How detached from reality do you have to be to believe that? It's like believing that Trump is a political outsider. Probably Bob down in numbers is running the whole show. Oh well, we'll never know, and perhaps be happier for it.

[jaded]

One of the things that I have been struggling with lately is the absolute bs that we as a people have been indoctrinated into.

Yes it has been ingrained into us from the beginning, you are from “here”, therefore you only have a focus on your own interests.

Does another country’s political system affect you? How?

Food insecurity in Canada's Northern Territories
Greenlands taking away the ability of Indiginous to mine their own rubies & other minerals (hoping Greenland can finally break away from Denmark)
Finland & Norway's crazed over regulation of the reindeer herders
Watching Sweden struggle with their immigrant issues
Kinda keeping tabs on China's investments in Africa/Eastern Afghanistan
Check in on Mongolia from time to time

Not every US poster is wrapped up in the insanity here. To be fair my interests are mostly in the circumpolar news, but the huge Maple Syrup heist an the RCMP smuggling cheese from the US were both landmark WTF's. I totally don't understand parliamentary systems but that's never going to stop me from making fun of Trudeau.