Disillusioned with politics

[Smilla]

Certainly it's not even close to being my main reason for ctb but I find myself unable to follow politics in the US anymore because the climate here is so toxic and unbearably fucked up. Sad even.

Does anyone else feel this way? About their own country, not just the US?

 

[Hanger]

Here in central europe it´s the same. I´m sure there will be war in the next years

 

[FTL.Wanderer]

Certainly it's not even close to being my main reason for ctb but I find myself unable to follow politics in the US anymore because the climate here is so toxic and unbearably fucked up. Sad even.

Does anyone else feel this way? About their own country, not just the US?

This is no boast--quite the opposite--and this is just my experience... I've lived and worked on five continents. On the surface, cultures seem different--food, dress, government... But eventually, people appear stunningly similar. Every single government and political system I've ever encountered all suffer from significant corruption. Some hide it better than others. And I totally agree with you that the disillusionment with humanity, government... can be enough to entice someone to ctb.

 

[Ashpac]

I have stopped getting involved as much these days. The world is getting worse and the corruption is shocking, all the way from the bottom to the top. I dread to think what Europe is going to be like in 5 years.

 

[Life sucks]

I follow politics and its fucked up but I won't talk about it here

 

[JayZT]

All I hear about is politics on TV. Two sides promising different things that they never follow up on. I tend to ignore politics these days and won't vote.

 

[ScaredOfLife]

Certainly it's not even close to being my main reason for ctb but I find myself unable to follow politics in the US anymore because the climate here is so toxic and unbearably fucked up. Sad even.

Does anyone else feel this way? About their own country, not just the US?

I suffer from depression and anxiety and the political situation of the U.S. has only worsened my anxiety. I've gotten to the point where I avoid the news.

 

[FTL.Wanderer]

I have stopped getting involved as much these days. The world is getting worse and the corruption is shocking, all the way from the bottom to the top. I dread to think what Europe is going to be like in 5 years.

I teach a class in which one of my students about a month ago insisted life is definitely getting better. I asked him to bring supporting evidence for the rest of us in two weeks. He brought some research articles by physicians, economists, and corporate moguls (like the Gates, Zuckerberg...) that, essentially, on average (1) female education in the developing world is increasing, (2) birth rates (per woman) globally are dropping, (3) national wealth for most nations has been increasing over time, and (4) mortality rates are dropping globally. No consideration of ecological devastation like stunning loss of biodiversity due to human activity, more convoluted political corruption nearly everywhere, significantly increasing popular debt, multi-year multinational increasing suicide rates, worsening homelessness and poverty in the "rich" West, the persistence of inter-group conflict despite the enlightenment of the modern age...

The class is largely European. Most weren't even aware of Germany's & France's call for building a European armed force now that dissenting Great Britain is out of the EU. These otherwise smart, well-traveled professionals become typically angry when their unbridled optimism is even mildly challenged. I've stopped having the conversation, too.

 

[Sternum]

Here in central europe it´s the same. I´m sure there will be war in the next years

My impression of Europe is that mos people agreed that the U.S sucks and globalism is the inevitable, preferred future. I didn't realize there was much conflict. Am I wrong?

 

[Fylobatica]

Never had any faith in politics
It's simply impossible that bureaucrats can solve anything

 

[Dip]

Definitely disillusioned with politics and the people here in Australia. What still amazes me is that despite the two parties proving time and again their promises are almost all lies and they only differ in superficial ways people still get all riled up around election time.

What makes it even more ridiculous is seeing seniors (I'm only 30 myself) still convinced that there is significant difference between the parties (and the interests they serve) despite living through several changes in government.

 

[skitliv]

Its the same bullshit all over the world imo

 

[samhelloall9]

Personally, I'm not, but that's because I've settled for the system rather than try to fix it anymore. I voted third party once, since then, i've now just become lazy and that's fine by me, voting just for the two-major parties, and that's it. i hope australia becomes a decent republic someday.

 

[Fylobatica]

What one candidate does within the time of a four-year presidency, will be almost inevitably dismantled by the next president in line. Why bother?

 

[Dip]

What one candidate does within the time of a four-year presidency, will be almost inevitably dismantled by the next president in line. Why bother?

It seems that democracy is really all about providing the illusion of choice and blowing off steam. It does get tiresome after seeing several elections though (at least for me).

 

[stellabelle]

Certainly it's not even close to being my main reason for ctb but I find myself unable to follow politics in the US anymore because the climate here is so toxic and unbearably fucked up. Sad even.

Does anyone else feel this way? About their own country, not just the US?

I feel the same. I'm so tired of seeing it on the news, or checking news websites and it's flooded with political issues or articles. I can't stand it. We really cannot create change, even if we wanted to.

 

[Chinaski]

Certainly it's not even close to being my main reason for ctb but I find myself unable to follow politics in the US anymore because the climate here is so toxic and unbearably fucked up. Sad even.

Does anyone else feel this way? About their own country, not just the US?

Democratic socialism is now back in vogue, of sorts, after l spent 20 years being shunned by my supposed political allies as they subscribed to racism-friendly rhetoric, the bashing and demonising of the poorest, outsourcing and privatizing of essential public services, austerity policies for the poor and tax breaks for the super rich and dressed it up as pragmatic centrism.

Don't get me wrong, the politics are still bad atm, but for all the talk of Brexit being an actual apocalypse, this is still a time of great optimism for democratic socialists over here.

 

[Misanthrope]

(Incoming unhinged rant.)

To say I am disillusioned would be an understatement. It goes from disillusioned to having the same reaction as if I was watching a Westminster pedophile having their way with a crying four-year-old. While being kept behind clear bulletproof plastic, forced to watch as other MP's take photos on their smartphones that the already hard done taxpayer paid for.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_paedophile_dossier

I have so many integral issues with it. From first past the post systems meaning new parties with fresh ideas more reflective of the youth don't even get a chance to breathe. To gerrymandering to skew outcomes reducing the mathematical weight of your vote into pointlessness. To stuffing the lords full of cronies who barely show up and when they do seem to sleep. To party whips making sure the entire party votes the same way, even if it means local constituents will suffer and thier platforms for selection in the first place get disregarded. To not answering a fucking question, or citing sources. Or acting like they are on the set of a pantomime, with jeering, booing and heckling as standard.

Disgust is a better descriptor. However, even that is not strong enough! What word is there for policies that have driven my best friend to suicide, killed numerous numbers of my former clients? Left existing clients with nowhere to go. Are busy shutting down A&E's and libraries. What word is there for a system that is indirectly killing the disabled and creating a climate of terror? On a scale, they refuse to even measure. Which allows them the convenience of saying there is no correlation and the disabled are engaged in scaremongering. Whose odious policies form my own trigger point for suicide? Even the terminally ill are winding up homeless for fuck sake!

The UN has condemned this government multiple times for its callous disregard of vulnerable demographics.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...ial-rapporteur-benefits-callous-a8636901.html

The governments response was honestly painful to watch, did they address any of the points raised. Laughably no, instead they took issue with the tone and accused the UN of being 'too political.'

Revulsion is not a strong enough word either. Skyrocketing rates of food bank usage. Posed in front of like opening a new one is a good thing! Children coming to school so starved that breakfast clubs are starting to become common and dickens era maladies are returning!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-43611527

https://www.theguardian.com/society...en-disproportionately-need-hospital-treatment

No, I am not disillusioned I am instead at a frothing state of rage. A rage that comes from having worked alongside it and seeing what amounts to a tribalistic playground rife with bigotry and privilege that only serves themselves.

I am left utterly horrified that this is the state of politics and that we accept it as normal. In any other job if your boss asks you a question and you instead talk around the question never answering it. That boss would get sick of you eventually and fire you for someone who can answer a fucking question, and quote some damn figures!

At the end of the day, we are meant to be the boss of these people, they work for us. But the truth of it is we are a mere annoyance who have to be pandered to every 4 years. Empty promises, equally empty hope and no accountability.

 

[LiveSlowDieFast]

One thing that gives me a sense of dread is how utterly powerless you are against politicians, but also against society as a whole. This means you pretty much have to hope with every election that there isn't somebody voted into office who will completely fuck you or people you care about over.

Politicians of the ruling party want to further shit up the mental health system for profits?

Well, I hope that meaningless online petition people made in protest will affect anything, otherwise have fun with even longer waiting lists and an even less humane treatment.

A party that denies climate change got voted into office?

lol, I hope you like 3°C+ or more, the people who voted for that party are mostly 50+ year olds and will be dead soon anyways.

The new ruling party thinks LGBT people are mentally ill and don't consider them to be equal human beings?

Cool, I hope you enjoy watching friends be treated like second-class citizens or worse.

These are all scenarios that in any democracy are very much possible and worst of all, legal. Whenever I bring this up somewhere people are just like "Well, go vote then! Convince people of your views!". What the fuck does that even mean? You cannot outvote others, no matter how insane and inhumane the parties they vote for are. And even then, have they ever tried to discuss politics with someone? It's crazy difficult to convince one person of your views, let alone enough people to make a difference. And even then, there is no guarantee that it would actually work out, and just one election later all progress you've made can pretty much be made null.

I don't get how people get excited over voting, because realistically your vote barely matters. At every point in time you are utterly subjugated to political and societal forces you cannot control.

I dunno, I took political science in college, in addition to attending lectures in law science, and it just made me despair. I could go on and on about what drives me nuts about the political system we find ourselves in, but it would just turn into crazy rambling.

 

[LiveSlowDieFast]

@Misanthrope

Very well put.

 

[Johnnythefox]

(Incoming unhinged rant.)

To say I am disillusioned would be an understatement. It goes from disillusioned to having the same reaction as if I was watching a Westminster pedophile having their way with a crying four-year-old. While being kept behind clear bulletproof plastic, forced to watch as other MP's take photos on their smartphones that the already hard done taxpayer paid for.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_paedophile_dossier

I have so many integral issues with it. From first past the post systems meaning new parties with fresh ideas more reflective of the youth don't even get a chance to breathe. To gerrymandering to skew outcomes reducing the mathematical weight of your vote into pointlessness. To stuffing the lords full of cronies who barely show up and when they do seem to sleep. To party whips making sure the entire party votes the same way, even if it means local constituents will suffer and thier platforms for selection in the first place get disregarded. To not answering a fucking question, or citing sources. Or acting like they are on the set of a pantomime, with jeering, booing and heckling as standard.

Disgust is a better descriptor. However, even that is not strong enough! What word is there for policies that have driven my best friend to suicide, killed numerous numbers of my former clients? Left existing clients with nowhere to go. Are busy shutting down A&E's and libraries. What word is there for a system that is indirectly killing the disabled and creating a climate of terror? On a scale, they refuse to even measure. Which allows them the convenience of saying there is no correlation and the disabled are engaged in scaremongering. Whose odious policies form my own trigger point for suicide? Even the terminally ill are winding up homeless for fuck sake!

The UN has condemned this government multiple times for its callous disregard of vulnerable demographics.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...ial-rapporteur-benefits-callous-a8636901.html

The governments response was honestly painful to watch, did they address any of the points raised. Laughably no, instead they took issue with the tone and accused the UN of being 'too political.'

Revulsion is not a strong enough word either. Skyrocketing rates of food bank usage. Posed in front of like opening a new one is a good thing! Children coming to school so starved that breakfast clubs are starting to become common and dickens era maladies are returning!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-43611527

https://www.theguardian.com/society...en-disproportionately-need-hospital-treatment

No, I am not disillusioned I am instead at a frothing state of rage. A rage that comes from having worked alongside it and seeing what amounts to a tribalistic playground rife with bigotry and privilege that only serves themselves.

I am left utterly horrified that this is the state of politics and that we accept it as normal. In any other job if your boss asks you a question and you instead talk around the question never answering it. That boss would get sick of you eventually and fire you for someone who can answer a fucking question, and quote some damn figures!

At the end of the day, we are meant to be the boss of these people, they work for us. But the truth of it is we are a mere annoyance who have to be pandered to every 4 years. Empty promises, equally empty hope and no accountability.

Very well put, yet again.
You probably know of the theory that Jill Dando was executed, because she was about to blow the lid on the BBC paedophile ring. That certainly makes more sense than the so called official verdict.

 

[LiveSlowDieFast]

I teach a class in which one of my students about a month ago insisted life is definitely getting better. I asked him to bring supporting evidence for the rest of us in two weeks. He brought some research articles by physicians, economists, and corporate moguls (like the Gates, Zuckerberg...) that, essentially, on average (1) female education in the developing world is increasing, (2) birth rates (per woman) globally are dropping, (3) national wealth for most nations has been increasing over time, and (4) mortality rates are dropping globally. No consideration of ecological devastation like stunning loss of biodiversity due to human activity, more convoluted political corruption nearly everywhere, significantly increasing popular debt, multi-year multinational increasing suicide rates, worsening homelessness and poverty in the "rich" West, the persistence of inter-group conflict despite the enlightenment of the modern age...

The class is largely European. Most weren't even aware of Germany's & France's call for building a European armed force now that dissenting Great Britain is out of the EU. These otherwise smart, well-traveled professionals become typically angry when their unbridled optimism is even mildly challenged. I've stopped having the conversation, too.

Sounds like they saw too many TED talks

 

[lost illusions]

Politics are fucked up everywhere. I can't walk outside or do my work without it being in my face. Every song, video, advertisement, now in schools and the lessons being taught, the work force, everywhere.

The sad thing is, we take part in this madness everytime we are a consumer. It doesn't matter if it's fuel to a phone. Politicians are just a fraction of the problem. It's where we invest and we're so divided over petty ass bull shit that one can gather together and build something instead of destroying everything

An artist once said
You can shout and yell
And No one is to going help
When you out taring up a city
That your city help biuld
And how your kids going to learn from mistakes we made in past
When you erasing their shit
Like you want a relapse

Upchurch

 

[Angst Filled Fuck Up]

I have no idea how people can get riled up over politics. How they can watch the same two parties face off and replace one another repeatedly without anything worth a damn changing. It's not like we can even trust political figureheads, regardless of what level they operate at. How can we ever work out their true motivations or what special interests they represent? Yes, we get to see some surface policies changing, but God knows what is really happening behind closed doors. It's just a boring and corrupt magic show to me.

 

[Final Escape]

Certainly it's not even close to being my main reason for ctb but I find myself unable to follow politics in the US anymore because the climate here is so toxic and unbearably fucked up. Sad even.

Does anyone else feel this way? About their own country, not just the US?

I have to be really careful about what to watch or listen to because I will get depressed. I feel like now that I see the big picture of politics and the goals of the state, that's all I really need to know. I might watch a little from time to time or read about stuff but mostly I just can't.

 

[Johnnythefox]

When younger I naively believed that voting would make a difference. I honestly thought there were opposing parties with different ideologies.
As I got older it became more difficult to differentiate between them. When Tory Blair won the election I thought we'd see change! Ha!
That was the beginning of the end of my faith in politics. I have not listened to any politician in years and I believe democracy is an illusion, the system is there to protect the establishment and exists for nothing more.

I'll let "the Arse Yam" my anagram of teereetsar mae have the last word.

 

[Final Escape]

When younger I naively believed that voting would make a difference. I honestly thought there were opposing parties with different ideologies.
As I got older it became more difficult to differentiate between them. When Tory Blair won the election I thought we'd see change! Ha!
That was the beginning of the end of my faith in politics. I have not listened to any politician in years and I believe democracy is an illusion, the system is there to protect the establishment and exists for nothing more.

I'll let "the Arse Yam" my anagram of teereetsar mae have the last word.View attachment 5178

Exactly, the only way any problems can truly be solved is to get rid of the state unfortunately. Individuals behave in their own best interest when we are all free and not controlled and brainwashed by the state. That's what everybody should want. People do not need to be told what is best for them by a government. That's one aspect I really hate. Governments like to treat us like we are infants who don't know what's best for us lol! Governments also limit choice and options in many ways by creating monopolies.

 

[Johnnythefox]

The Arse Yam said one time that there was no magic money tree for a health workers pay rise, and then a £3.1billion warship was rolled out. I find it obscene that people cheer and celebrate the arrival of such an instrument of death.
I was inspired was by John Cooper Clarke to pen this.

 

[gingerplum]

Well, I was a Bernie gal. Pulled my son out of school to go to his rally when he came to town. Hoped against hope he'd get the nomination.

When he didn't, no one was on board with Hillary faster than me. As far as I was concerned, it was an all-hands-on-deck emergency. I volunteered. I made phone calls. My daughter and I spent a day-- in August, in the Florida heat-- canvassing an entire neighborhood making sure everyone there was registered to vote.

The event was sponsored by Planned Parenthood, and I have a picture of my daughter and I with their then CEO, Cecile Richards, daughter of former governor of Texas Ann Richards. I was practically giddy with excitement to meet her.

I wanted this election to be memorable for my daughter, and impactful. I think waking up to the sound of me sobbing on November 9th made an impact.

Nothing infuriated me more than seeing a former friend of mine (the falling out wasn't related to politics, and frankly I'm glad to be rid of her) post something really sanctimonious on her Instagram about "voting her conscience" as a way of trying to validate her voting for a third-party candidate.

Oh, you stupid, self-righteous bitch, I thought. I hope she enjoyed the ideological purity that "statement" vote brought her.

Just as a side rant on the level of this woman's maturity, one day at a soccer game I brought my daughter a fancy "Unicorn" frappachino. The look on this woman's face suggested that she desperately needed to get her hands on one and Instagram herself with it-- you know, like 40 yr-old women do-- and she had, within 2 hours.

She since blocked me and my daughter from all her social media. She's a real gem.

 

[Final Escape]

Well, I was a Bernie gal. Pulled my son out of school to go to his rally when he came to town. Hoped against hope he'd get the nomination.

When he didn't, no one was on board with Hillary faster than me. As far as I was concerned, it was an all-hands-on-deck emergency. I volunteered. I made phone calls. My daughter and I spent a day-- in August, in the Florida heat-- canvassing an entire neighborhood making sure everyone there was registered to vote.

The event was sponsored by Planned Parenthood, and I have a picture of my daughter and I with their then CEO, Cecile Richards, daughter of former governor of Texas Ann Richards. I was practically giddy with excitement to meet her.

I wanted this election to be memorable for my daughter, and impactful. I think waking up to the sound of me sobbing on November 9th made an impact.

Nothing infuriated me more than seeing a former friend of mine (the falling out wasn't related to politics, and frankly I'm glad to be rid of her) post something really sanctimonious on her Instagram about "voting her conscience" as a way of trying to validate her voting for a third-party candidate.

Oh, you stupid, self-righteous bitch, I thought. I hope she enjoyed the ideological purity that "statement" vote brought her.

Just as a side rant on the level of this woman's maturity, one day at a soccer game I brought my daughter a fancy "Unicorn" frappachino. The look on this woman's face suggested that she desperately needed to get her hands on one and Instagram herself with it-- you know, like 40 yr-old women do-- and she had, within 2 hours.

She since blocked me and my daughter from all her social media. She's a real gem.

I'm surprised you are a Bernie, Hillary, and planned parenthood supporter. I'm not saying abortions are not necessary ever, but I would say unrestricted abortion for any reason is harmful to women. Plus they use the fetal tissue to create products that extend life for the wealthy. It alters the relational dynamics between men and women. Basically it promotes promiscuity and prevents marriage. Also promotes single mothers which disadvantages kids who grow up in that situation. It may from the outside look like it's about helping women but the real agenda is much more sinister.