Ferguson, in a way, brings home to me how emasculated we are as a nation.
I grew up in the post-boomer era, where it seemed as though our parents had been there and done that. They did the large protests, they had movements, there were so many organizations you could be involved with that it has since degenerated into a mass of confusion.
We appeared to reach the limits of mass protests, and even though things aren't perfect it doesn't seem worth it to take a day off work and go to a rally somewhere. Heck, most people can't afford to do that anyway - that sort of thing is for young and idealistic college students, the sorts of people who have that kind of time.
There are big issues going on in the world today. In the United States, as well. Rising inequality, the doors of opportunity slamming in some people's faces. Technology. Terrorism. Degrading infrastructure. The growth of bureaucracy and the loss of control/influence within the faceless forces of our day. Polarization. Centrifugal and centripetal forces tugging us this way and that. Multi-culturalism. Loss of identity. The war on drugs. The growth of the prison industry. Racism, still. People feeling threatened and scared and afraid.
But what can we do about it? What rallying force is there?
Most of the movements that try to capitalize on this fall somewhat - flat. They may start out promising, but eventually lose their way. Occupy Wall Street. The Tea Party. Our news is a joke. Focusing more on stupid things, irrelevant things. Things that don't really matter and don't really address these issues.
It's hard to get people fired up enough to do more than click 'Like' on Facebook, or sign some sort of online petition.
We live in a democracy. We are able to vote for our leaders. Yet we have horrible participation rates, and even when we do vote it seems like the game is rigged against us.
I don't like the cynicism I see today. Yet it's hard not to feel it myself. Especially when there is so much good advice out there. Articles like this, if you want to discuss national security and foreign involvement.
So why does it seem like all the good ideas fail to gain traction? Why do we consistently seem forced to choose between horrible ideas?
I know, intellectually, some of the reasons why. I was a political science student. Got a master's degree in Public Affairs. I can point to the systemic factors. The reasons it's so hard for a third party to gain credibility. The reasons why parties are forced to cater to their (more extreme) base. The nature of human fallacy, and the insidious way that self-interest can appear justified and in keeping with national interest. The way people choose information that is in keeping with their worldview, and reject that which isn't.
I know all this. And I still feel - disappointed. Sad. Upset.
It's a bit like watching the steps that will lead to a train wreck, and not being able to stop it. I don't know when the train wreck will come. Heck, given the natural lifespan of nations it's probably inevitable. Eventually. (Though I'd like to see us make the sorts of choices that will postpone it a few centuries.)
So what can we do to make a difference? Really?
I grew up in the post-boomer era, where it seemed as though our parents had been there and done that. They did the large protests, they had movements, there were so many organizations you could be involved with that it has since degenerated into a mass of confusion.
We appeared to reach the limits of mass protests, and even though things aren't perfect it doesn't seem worth it to take a day off work and go to a rally somewhere. Heck, most people can't afford to do that anyway - that sort of thing is for young and idealistic college students, the sorts of people who have that kind of time.
There are big issues going on in the world today. In the United States, as well. Rising inequality, the doors of opportunity slamming in some people's faces. Technology. Terrorism. Degrading infrastructure. The growth of bureaucracy and the loss of control/influence within the faceless forces of our day. Polarization. Centrifugal and centripetal forces tugging us this way and that. Multi-culturalism. Loss of identity. The war on drugs. The growth of the prison industry. Racism, still. People feeling threatened and scared and afraid.
But what can we do about it? What rallying force is there?
Most of the movements that try to capitalize on this fall somewhat - flat. They may start out promising, but eventually lose their way. Occupy Wall Street. The Tea Party. Our news is a joke. Focusing more on stupid things, irrelevant things. Things that don't really matter and don't really address these issues.
It's hard to get people fired up enough to do more than click 'Like' on Facebook, or sign some sort of online petition.
We live in a democracy. We are able to vote for our leaders. Yet we have horrible participation rates, and even when we do vote it seems like the game is rigged against us.
I don't like the cynicism I see today. Yet it's hard not to feel it myself. Especially when there is so much good advice out there. Articles like this, if you want to discuss national security and foreign involvement.
So why does it seem like all the good ideas fail to gain traction? Why do we consistently seem forced to choose between horrible ideas?
I know, intellectually, some of the reasons why. I was a political science student. Got a master's degree in Public Affairs. I can point to the systemic factors. The reasons it's so hard for a third party to gain credibility. The reasons why parties are forced to cater to their (more extreme) base. The nature of human fallacy, and the insidious way that self-interest can appear justified and in keeping with national interest. The way people choose information that is in keeping with their worldview, and reject that which isn't.
I know all this. And I still feel - disappointed. Sad. Upset.
It's a bit like watching the steps that will lead to a train wreck, and not being able to stop it. I don't know when the train wreck will come. Heck, given the natural lifespan of nations it's probably inevitable. Eventually. (Though I'd like to see us make the sorts of choices that will postpone it a few centuries.)
So what can we do to make a difference? Really?
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