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Why don't more Americans care about what's going on in the US?

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raccoon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 02:30 PM
Original message
Why don't more Americans care about what's going on in the US?
We've heard this question asked again and again here on DU, probably in real life too. I've asked it often enough myself.

I've come to believe that most people, no matter what century, no matter what nation, aren't interested in politics on any level, unless it's something that directly bites them on the ass--or threatens to.

It never seems to occur to these people that, today it's this group, but tomorrow it could be ME... :banghead:

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nadinbrzezinski Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 02:32 PM
Response to Original message
1. Human nature
as long as it does not affect you personally... you answered your own question

Also people are busy, wiht two and three jobs putting food on table
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waiting for hope Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 02:35 PM
Response to Reply #1
4. I think the people with two
or three jobs are more concerned with politics because it has and will continue to affect them personally - the ones I encounter are in their 20's, more interested in clubbing and the like.
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waiting for hope Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 02:33 PM
Response to Original message
2. Check this out....
One of my co-workers couldn't believe that flags were flown at half mast yesterday - he thought it was kinda strange that we were doing that for Saddam's death....:banghead: in spades.
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NMDemDist2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 02:35 PM
Response to Original message
3. i think it's getting out there. My hubby has an astronomer friend in the
midwest who is a police officer. He had some personal issues going on in 2003 but is now waking up. He tells DH that he's hearing the Republicans can't get back into the white house, the people he knows all say the Rupukes are toast in '08

and police tend to be quite conservative in general so if the cops in the Minn/St.paul think the repukes are screwed it is very telling

he (the cop) knows I am a news junkie and calls my hubby often to get our take on the news. in fact he called us last night to recommend we watch the re-broadcast of the Frontline show "the Dark Side" then called today to discuss it

hubby gave him an earful about Plamegate and Bandar Bush

:evilgrin:
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Bitwit1234 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 02:36 PM
Response to Original message
5. My 45 year old son is one of those
He gets upset if I so much an mention politics.....but he is constantly talking about this sport figure, that sport team and any and every celeberaty and American Idol.
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jgraz Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 02:36 PM
Response to Original message
6. Many people just feel it's hopeless
That's the prevailing attitude I've seen in NoCal (especially Silicon Valley). Most people hate what's happening to this country, but they don't see any way that they can change it. I've had many friends tell me that the only thing they focus on is becoming rich so they can finally have a say in what goes on in politics.

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The2ndWheel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 02:39 PM
Response to Original message
7. We're a small scale species
Living in a large scale world. Just a regional people, living in a lonely world. We took the midnight train....

Sorry.

Anyway, we're trying to be something we're not.
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ixion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 02:41 PM
Response to Reply #7
10. well put. I agree
we function much better at the community level. We are, at heart, a tribal people.

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blues90 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 02:58 PM
Response to Reply #10
12.  That's what I think too
I live in Hollywood CA and years ago there were alot less people and some sort of a community feel but this has long since died .

I miss a small town community atmosphere where you know your neighbors and shop owners .

I don't know if this still exists since all of these chain stores and fast food places have pretty much spread out to make all states look the same and all towns are somewhat sterilized .

I have seen some very small towns on tv specials that still lokk like the past good old days but they are very small towns way out in the sticks , don't know if I could handle that .

I guess I just miss the old days and don;t fit into the youth age in LA since I am now 57 and don't belong here .

Oh well things change and seems like not for the better with all their efforts toward some sort of illusion of a global environment where all people should simply become a robot and move in lock step . Horrid stuff really .
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raccoon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-04-07 09:35 AM
Response to Reply #7
15. Are those song lyrics? nt
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The2ndWheel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-04-07 09:43 AM
Response to Reply #15
16. Kind of
I typed the first two lines, it reminded me of that one Journey song, and I figured I'd try to keep it going.
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ixion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 02:40 PM
Response to Original message
8. I think it's that, and some other things
I think you're right. Most people don't care for politics. I know I sure don't. People are interested in living their lives, which is why they don't do anything about anything until it critical. I don't know about you, but I spend the vast majority of MY time doing things either for money or because it's mandatory. Very little of MY time is actually mine. It's a survival instinct, IMO.

But maybe greater than that is the inaccessibility of politics to the average person. If you're not wealthy, well-connected or speaking for millions, you effectively have no voice, very little chance of actually implementing something that will do some good.

I was involved in politics on the local/college level many years back. I got out of it because, as far as I could see, it had very little to do with making things better, and very much to do with holding the status quo, and assuring whoever was in power, and all their buddies, had job security. I became disillusioned over time, and had to move on.

Just my two cents.
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napi21 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 02:40 PM
Response to Original message
9. You'reabsolutely right! If it doesn't affect a person very personally,
they've always just ignored the problems. There really is a lot of truth to the statement "...When they came for me there was no one left to fight."

I just finishedLou Dobbs' book "Outsourcing America". He talks about how everyone ignored it when textile jobs were all sent overseas, then it was mfg. jobs, then high tech, but now it'sa lot of medical jobs like interpreting MRI's and Xrays, and is legal assistants jobs and entry level lawyers. My guess is that the medical & legal profession will start to fight thisnow, but I wonder if it's not too late?
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omega minimo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 02:47 PM
Response to Original message
11. Fear
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Az Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 03:03 PM
Response to Original message
13. Confusion, information overload, noise, conflicting messages
and a host of other factors has rendered We The People lost and incapable of fathoming what needs to be done here. It is much easier for them to pass judgement on other nations far removed. But the marketting and spinning of the GOP has rendered the people numb as to what the heck needs doing here.
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Initech Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-03-07 03:05 PM
Response to Original message
14. Bill Hicks summed it up best:
"I like what the puppet on the right says. No, the puppet on the left is more to my liking. Hey look, there's one guy holding up both puppets! Shut up! Go back to bed, America, your government is in control. Here's Love Connection, watch this and get fat and stupid!"
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