We live in a time where a good percentage of the population views the government as its enemy and feels their interests aren't factored by the people put in power to give them a voice in the legislation that directly affects them.
It's a weird paradox when we feel that our representatives aren't representing us. At the time this article was written, President Trump's approval rating was 40%, which is only 2% off from the highest its ever been. The president should be a champion of the people, and while you can't please everyone, if over 50% of the people you are supposed to be leading despise you, there is undoubtedly a problem.
Politics divides people, and our political system has created the illusion that all ideals fall into two categories, and that despite a lifetime of novel experiences that have shaped you, you must identify yourself as a part of either the elephant or donkey cult. It's ludicrous, and it creates the idea that only certain issues matter, while others are an afterthought.
Of course, this is no mistake and it allows politicians to operate with an egregious amount of power, as less publicized but equally important issues fall by the wayside, drowned out by the protests by the people and rhetoric of the politicians, and they are able to operate without oversight or input from the general populace.
But the president is not the problem, nor are the politicians. In actuality we are.
"WHAT?!" You say as you do a spit take towards the camera. This isn't us, how could it be? It's the corruption and the lies of our self-interested overlords, clearly!
Well not exactly.
Yes, it is indeed us that has allowed this ridiculous man to have the nuclear codes and maintain foreign relations. It's our ambivalence to common sense and refusal to hold up our end of the bargain in the political process. We give these people power, and it's our job to make sure that the people we elect have out best interest in midn. It has become increasingly difficult to wade through all the misdirection and nonsense, but it doesn't make it any less important. As hard as it may be to swallow, a big part off the reason Mr. Trump was elected that nobody talks is the Democrats never lifted a finger to stop him, only raised their voices.
The reason that many Republicans voted for him was that they were so deeply invested in "the good of the party," that they didn't listen to the barely coherent message their candidate brought to the table and refused to consider pushing for an independent or democrat alternative.
We've become obsessed with titles, and in doing so, we've weakened our understanding of the political process. These labels allow people to simply identify as a group rather than taking the time to form their own opinions. The fact that 71% of young people are the same political affiliation as their parents show just how easy it is to fall into a title rather than take the time to really think about the things that are important to you individually. While not the only culprit, this does allow politicians to operate with a fair amount of autonomy and as a result, sometimes we may not feel that the person in office is our official mouthpiece in government.
Until we rededicate ourselves to an active involvement in our own political affairs, the scales will be tipped by those who aren't exactly in tune with what it is that we truly want. The only way we can find the equilibrium that we need to allow everyone to benefit from the system we have in place. Discourse is the basis of our government, disagreement is the beginning of compromise, but disinterest has zero place in our political system.
