I think everyone does politics. However, many people just don’t have an opinion on something because they don’t know enough and don’t have the mental capacity to
- Keep up with everything and
- Research enough about a topic to have an educated opinion.
Life is hard enough for many people as it is.
Many Russians are apolitical, too. Not because politics doesn’t affect them. It’s because saying the wrong thing will affect them even more.
You mean like how in the UK a tweet will land you in jail?
This used to be me before I watched DeanWithers on TikTok’s debates. I was apolitical. Now, it is starting to affect me so now I really care.
“I don’t do politics.”
Well baby, politics is going to do you, regardless.
–Nina Turner
I don’t think those who “don’t do politics” are privileged. Many simply easily feel depressed hearing of bad news and literally tune out of the constant news cycle. But as others have pointed out, regardless of the reason for not doing politics, politics eventually do them. Socrates once said that not being engaged in politics is letting inferiors rule over them. And oh boy, the world is experiencing first hand being ruled over by manbabies.
Some people also just get scared at arguing even if its friendly, because it reminds them of their parents and brings up trauma.
I didn’t do politics when I was a younger man. It wasn’t depressing or anything. It just didn’t exist in my world. I didn’t watch TV, listen to the radio. I did the things which I enjoyed and politics was a million miles from that. That did change within a few years though once I caught on.
And that is why I didn’t vote at the time. I didn’t feel “qualified” to vote because I had no idea about any of it. And that is what worries me the most in present time. People who vote without any idea what they’re voting for, or worse, people who are voting on a very narrow topic and nothing else. “Stop the boats” comes to mind.
Either that or worked to the bone and left with no energy to organise.
In some sense, kinda big of him to admit that he’s been privileged and unaffected so far? I feel like many like Dave think they are victims of anti-white anti-straight anti-male agenda or some bs.
he’s not aware that he’s admitting anything. he’s complaining that it’s finally happened
Admitting there’s a problem is the first step in finding a solution and getting your shit together. Maybe there’s hope for him, unlike many with similar views.
“I don’t do politics” for me translates to “Shut up you rightwing asswipe, your inane bitching about irrelevant culture war nonsense bores me.” Or it otherwise means I can’t get a good vibe on you so I’m gonna just bullshit.
“I dont do politics” to me is “I’m somewhere that calling you a racist bigoted cunt might get me fired”
I actually called HR on someone who continually tried to drag me into political discussions. I had to explain to them that I deliberately dont interact with him on that subject for very good reasons and either he gets a warning letter OR I want it in writing that I cant be held responsible for what words I use if dragged into one of those conversations again.
Also that that’s also a common subtext. Though I do know why it happens, I’m a pretty stereotypical Redneck by appearance and by accent so for some reason assholes think I’m like them. The only thing we have in common is violence and some cultural ancestors which is not a good thing for them.
I mean, not everyone wants to discuss politics all the time, and that should be an acceptable position to have.
Just because you don’t espouse your beliefs at every conceivable moment doesn’t mean you don’t have beliefs or don’t participate in the political process.
I live in a red state, and I’d definitely say something similar if a magat tried to strike up a conversation about politics. Most of the time I just don’t have the mental energy to get into a discussion about it.
I mean, not everyone wants to discuss politics all the time, and that should be an acceptable position to have.
This is probably true. I mean, if I started going off about how the workers are entitled to what they produce and fucking Joanne doesn’t do shit, so why does she get a fat salary while we don’t even get paid for thanksgiving, I’d be fired. Wouldn’t even move the needle.
I live in a red state, and I’d definitely say something similar if a magat tried to strike up a conversation about politics. Most of the time I just don’t have the mental energy to get into a discussion about it.
But sometimes the smaller conversations can change people. It takes a lot, and it can be infuriating when they just don’t get it, or relapse after another bender on fox news, but interactions with people they see as in-group change minds.
I had a coworker way back that was a big homophobe, and over the months we worked together I got him from “we should just kill the gays” to “i guess they’re not hurting anyone i just think it’s gross”. I understand that there’s not always energy in the budget for that, though.
Totally agree. And especially when I know it’s just going to upset me and won’t change anyone’s mind. It’s a waste of my energy and happiness to constantly and pointlessly engage. Responding with silence often works pretty well, at least in person.
It should be noted that the comic is very purposefully using a woman of color for a reason. To say you are not political to someone whose entire existence is ruled by politics is to lay bare that you are privileged enough to be apolitical.
BS
You’re assuming we have any actual power, whether POC or not.
You’re assuming we have any actual power,
I did not specify much in my comment. Can you share who the “we” is in your sentence here?
Crazy concept but you can concern yourself with things that you don’t currently have the power to immediately change.
Did you actually read what they wrote, or were you just looking for an excuse to jump down somebody’s throat?
Oh my god, I just realized that you weren’t replying to me, my apologies. While I want to blame the cramped style of the instance I use, I clearly didn’t look close enough myself to see you had replied to the other user.
I’ll go ahead and edit my mistake, sorry again!
Edit: I followed the wrong thread.
I guess we’ll have to wait and find out.
Yep.
It’s common sense that it’s terrible for your mental well-being to obsess over things your have little-to-no-control over.
Politics makes that a bit messier because there’s the idea that we all need to pull together if we want change to happen. But ultimately you’re only 0.0000006% of the vote, and online political discussion is usually just in a echo chambers where no one’s mind is being changed. On the other hand you have a huge amount of control over what you expose yourself to online. If you’re choosing to doom scroll though content that makes you depressed and miserable, I feel like that’s a terrible trade off for how little (if any) difference it’s going to make.
I’ve been on dating apps the last few years and while I always swipe left for Conservative, I also say fuck no to anyone Apolitical.
In these times anyone who supports or is ambivalent to the madness in our country is a shit person that I want nothing to do with.
Take a stand, pick a side or fuck right off.
I can maybe cut a little slack for someone who’s like “I don’t really understand politics or know history, so I don’t feel confident having a strong opinion” if they were curious and honest. We all start ignorant and not everyone had the good fortune to get a quality education.
But the aggressively ignorant and apathetic can fuck right off.
It took me a whole year to educate myself on all the current issues of today which led me to a decision to finally vote. Nevertheless, I don’t look back.
Unless you had an absolutely shit background or a learning disability, not understanding history or politics is a choice they made.
I’m not holding it against them that their brains might not have been developed or focused enough at that age to take in the information, but if you realize you are missing something critical later in life and don’t make moves to rectify it, that’s also a choice
You could also be a genuinely non-intelligent adult who’s naturally vulnerable to the Dunning-Kruger effect.
Or you could be from a local / regional culture in which you’re essentially mistreated for entertaining progressive thoughts, or from shifting away from herd-thinking. Rural areas come to mind with all that.
I agree and the only folks I give a pass to are immigrants, otherwise if US born there’s absolutely no excuse to choose being uneducated or choosing to sit out politics.
In your 20s sure. At my age there’s no excuse other than willfull ignorance and I’m not engaging with that. (I’m also not looking to date, thankfully)
there was this clip of some kind of like dating show/bar event thing? Basically two people speed/blind date on stage and the audience waves green/red flags based on the conversation. Neat concept…
Anyways, man and woman go up and one of the first questions she asks is “who did you vote for?” and dude just shrinks. Does this whole “politics aren’t that important to me” and then “I didn’t vote”. And in the crowd all of the women are raising red flags. Because yea… they know what that signals.
In a later round another womans asks the same thing, and guy is like “that’s a personal thing” and “I don’t feel comfortable talking about it”… red flags going up.
This dipshits KNOW their poltical views are toxic to women. And instead of owning it, they’re trying to pretend to be “apolitical” because no woman will fuck them.
EDIT: I found the clip/vid.
Also, just realized, it’s the same guy. So first lady he’s like “I didn’t vote” and then later is like “okay I voted, but I don’t wanna say”… everyone knows bro… and that you’re still tryna hide/lie about it to get laid is pathetic.
Take a stand, pick a side or fuck right off.
I dunno, everyone says this of the issues about which they care but other ones are too large etc.
For example, do you feel the same way about say, sweatshop clothes? In that we should take a stand,pick a stand or fuck off?
Personally, I feel the 12 year olds making the most of the clothes I see when I walk down the street is much more important than most national issues in my country AND is something where individual action really matters but, it’s also an issue that requires actual sacrifice and work. Much easier to be angry at people online over politics…
I think there’s a difference between “I affirmatively do not care” and “there’s no purely way to be ethical, and that horror has fallen under my personal bar for attention right now”
It’s also significant if you go out of your way to say you’re not making a decision on the issue. That, in and of itself, is often a very significant decision to make.
If you’re not taking sides, you’re siding with whoever is the oppressor.
I used to think I could be neutral. Then someone told me that neutral can easily be manipulated. I settled after a year of educating myself. It’s impossible to be completely unbiased. People who say they don’t care, actually care too much, they whine and grumble about everything and wonder why it gets bad–they don’t do anything about the issues that affect them. It takes a really big leap to get out of the undecided ‘pit’.
This is the stance of someone in for a long road of loneliness. Enjoy.
I move to call this a Sheeran. You’re pulling a Sheeran right now
Oh, that’s what this was getting at. For me, “I don’t do politics” is cause I live in the south and really don’t want to hear the other person’s opinion.
I don’t think it was actually getting at that specific interaction, that was just one of them that recently went very badly for the billionaire ball coddler.
I think it’s looking more broadly at how many of those in privileged positions, including everyday citizens in a country like America, will simply say they aren’t political because they are individualistic, unaffected, and lack empathy. Many “enlightened centrists” pull this schtick because then they don’t have to stand on any principles and “broaden their appeal.” When in reality, just like a corporation, they couldn’t care less and only seek their own personal enrichment.
A lot of times, they actually are very political when it benefits them.
Example:
It could also be “If I told you my actual politics, you’d realise what a vile person I am and leave”.
This is my experience. Also their talking points are easily dismantled with simple questions. So they wont even talk about outside of their echo chambers.
In my experience, privilege is rarely a factor. In fact, the most privileged people seem to be the most involved in politics because that maintains the status quo in their favor.
People who aren’t interested in politics usually say they’re too occupied with struggling to exist to read about different tax structures, the pros and cons of different immigration policies, or deciphering a local politician’s rhetoric. When faced with an immediate problem, such as a hungry child, and a more distant problem, like an unfavorable tax plan, most people will choose to prioritize the more immediate problem.
Yes, politics is the reason why they struggle. But can you really blame someone for placing a priority on day-to-day existence?
I can and I absolutely will.
Well said, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head in between the lines. This has been my take as well, and personal experience.
Exactly.
The moral cowardice I hid from myself for decades of centrism:
You can only be apolitical in a political system that was built for people like you.
If more people that were privileged and weren’t affected by things just shut the fuck up about them we’d be a lot better off. Like there’s no reason most of us should give a shit about gay marriage or what transgender people are doing. We’re not getting gay married or transitioning, we should mind our own business and leave commenting to the experts for whatever legislation is necessary. Instead we have all these conservative mfers throwing tantrums about all these issues and we all have to get involved to counter them just so people can go about their lives the way they want.
