Why Ignoring or Dissing Politics Is Stupidly Self-Destructive

For decades, I’ve noticed a strong trend in the US: tens of millions of Americans claim they ‘don’t do politics’ or simply ignore it altogether. These folks seem to believe that our government and society function on autopilot, and their participation isn’t needed.

They couldn’t be more wrong — and in this essay, I’ll explain exactly why they’re so wrong.

What is the purpose of organized society?

Australia’s democracy generally works far better than our American system. Although it is technically a ‘constitutional monarchy,’ in practice it is a democracy — and is much more effective than the US version. Why? One major reason, to quote Britannica online, is this:

“All citizens at least 18 years of age are eligible to vote. Voting itself is compulsory [emphasis mine]… and nearly all citizens cast ballots in elections. A small fine can be imposed for not voting.”

Imagine that: voting is compulsory! And you can even be fined for not voting! Of course, such an ‘oppressive’ plan would never fly in the US. But, my question is: what do the Aussies know that we don’t know — or won’t admit?

To answer this question, however, we have to step back and look at the overall purpose of society and government. To me, it’s indisputable that modern societies and governments, to be effective, must support a viable, equitable ‘social contract’ and do everything possible to heighten and support the common good.

Yet, in many ways, the US was founded on the idea of freedom from all such ‘rules,’ limits, and constraints. We broke away from monarchy, sure, but in its place, we wanted minimal government and maximized individual ‘freedom.’ In the process, there was — and IS — hardly any emphasis on freedom for such things as community service, full social participation, sharing, and cooperation.

Instead, we’ve deeply believed in — and are now saddled with — an utterly individualistic and self-centered system that promotes greedy separateness and isolation, via the ‘wonders’ of unrestrained capitalism. (Interestingly, the term ‘capitalism’ derives from the Latin ‘caput’ or head, meaning both heads of cattle, as a measure of wealth, and the ‘separate,’ self-centered person.)

We’re capitalist but NOT democratic

Thus, it’s plausible to describe the US as a heavily capitalist society — but not a true or functioning democracy. Since the American Revolution, the crucial ideas of the common good and social progress for all somehow got lost… or intentionally crushed. Intense competition replaced most social cooperation, and society’s rules and laws increasingly favored the wealthy and ruthless.

In this way, Americans simply forgot that the prime purpose of any humane society is to maximize the well-being of its citizens. All of them. And it’s no exaggeration to say that, having forgotten this essential truth about society and government, the stage was set for our current, dire American dysfunction and the accelerating shitshow that is ‘modern America.’

The simple truth seems to be: if we don’t envision and build a society that works for everyone and truly supports the common good, then we inevitably and necessarily end up with… the exact sort of crappy, inhumane, unfair, and dangerous horror show that we are now stuck in.

The truth is: a society by definition is a social entity, and needs to act like one if it is to survive and thrive. Yet the US has been busy denying this basic truth about societies, and by extension, their governmental systems. All along, our government has been set up to serve the needs of the wealthy, well-connected, and ruthless — all in the name of ‘freedom,’ which actually translates to ‘freedom for capitalists, industrialists, and financiers.’ The other half of this (grim) picture is: lowly wage-slavery and stagnation for everyone else.

Why so many Americans disengage from politics

I’m sorry to say it, but the US system of ‘government’ and social organization is both pathetic and cruel. It is a pain-filled non-society that doesn’t even deserve the title ‘society.’ When we apply this broader understanding of the US system, it’s easy to see exactly why our social participation and voting rates are incredibly low (usually around 45–60%). There’s almost no public incentive to be involved and little to gain — under our current system(s) — if we are.

This takes us back to the theme expressed in my title: ignoring or dissing politics is stupidly self-destructive. What I’ve shown so far, however, is that there are very good reasons why most Americans are so cynical or disengaged from politics. It’s mainly because our current politics are disengaged from real life, discourage community and sharing, and effectively breed contempt and cynicism.

Yet, over time, such cynical non-participation and under-involvement breed something far worse: a dysfunctional, collapsing society that robs its citizens of security, happiness, and a shared common good. Today’s US is very far along the road to total social and political collapse, presided over by a greedy, vengeful, bullying man-child who only cares about himself and his wealthy ‘friends’ (he actually has no true friends).

It’s time for a second American revolution

What’s needed now is a second American revolution: one that restores the common good and active social participation to their rightful place as pillars and foundations of both society and a workable government. We may not see such a radical social transformation in the near future, but it is essential and eventually has to happen.

That is, it has to happen IF we truly choose ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ along with ‘liberty and justice for all.’ Until now, the ‘for all’ part has been sorely missing. MIA. As have the basic ideas of social sharing, cooperation, and the common good.

Until now, the US has tried, valiantly at times, to mimic a functional, humane society. But it hasn’t worked, overall (and today, we’re backsliding fast). We’re still the same antisocial, overly-individualistic, unfair social system that we’ve been all along — by design. And if we ignore politics, tune out, and stop seeking beneficial social change, we’ll just keep getting the same awful results we’ve always hated and complained about.

In reality, everything in our collective human lives and organized society IS politics. It’s all around us and is truly all-encompassing — for the social forms, laws, and structures we create matter greatly. They matter. And they can be a force for great good, sharing, and healing or a potent force for disintegration and endless misery.

Ultimately, ‘we the people’ are responsible for our own society and how it works — or doesn’t work. Our choices (or lack of active involvement) help determine the kind of society we live in.

Life in society can be inspiring, and it can also be… absolutely awful, even hellish. Our choice.

That’s why ignoring or dissing politics is stupidly self-destructive.