loseyourname said:
That's a tad bit pretentious. So a member of a society cannot contribute in any way but by freeloading unless she is interested in and involved in political activity? Come on. I'm sure there are plenty of other things Gale does that are valuable to her peers and to the larger community. Are most of us freeloading right now by enjoying the fruits of the computer revolution, even though we contributed nothing to it and did nothing to choose its leaders?
Man is certainly a political animal, but man also evolved in small bands of people that saw each other on a near daily basis and were mostly closely related. Caring about and hoping to have any significant impact on the large, impersonal bureaucracies of imagined communities that sprawl across entire continents is anything but natural. Go ahead and do it, but I can understand perfectly well when others do not.
Though the OP was by Gale, I was responding to all the posts and to the topic in general--no offense intended to her.
Did I say people must make politics their passion? No, I said people should at least watch or read the news on occasion so that they have some idea of what is going on around them. Especially those who vote, and we all should vote.
People spend a lot of time following celebrities, or favorite TV programs, or video games that they become experts at--now poker is all the rage. Sports is the best example of all. Not only are there people who devote hours following their favorite sport/team and knowing every statistic, but often it has been a higher priority than education in our schools and universities. This is a sign of an empire that has become spoiled and complacent. These things are only forms of entertainment, and should be treated as such.
Prison inmates complain of boredom and the need for mental stimulation. Many earn college degrees while in prison. With this in mind, I can't believe our society is dumbing down because there is nothing to eat stupid people anymore. I have a theory that entertainment provides artificial mental stimulation that distract humans from their innate desire to learn. Most kids don't read anymore--not even for pleasure. They aren't engaged at a very early stage in more meaningful topics, which eventually are viewed as too complicated and boring. It's no wonder we aren't producing more scientists, doctors, engineers, etc.
I for one am not interested in wasting my time discussing office gossip, sports, or the latest reality TV program each day at lunch. What will any of it mean in the future? Will it prepare our children for good paying jobs? Will it help achieve peace in the world? Will it slow/reverse global warming? And so forth and so forth?
We've addressed the topic of politics not being "politically correct" before. I admit that I am careful who I reveal my political opinions to. Gale is right that it can result in hard feelings. I believe this has become more the case with recent polarization, which in large part is a result of a divide and conquer Rovian strategy of BushCo. It's unfortunate, because debate is a fundamental element of democracy. I watched a program the other evening about Robert Oppenheimer, and how this brilliant scientist was humiliated by our government for speaking out against nuclear proliferation. This kind of suppression cannot be accepted. We must always encourage freedom of speech and exchange of ideas.
As for "freeloading," I provided a couple of examples of how people can make a difference as individuals. But the list is endless, so surely there is something for everyone, and individuals
can make a difference. People don't have to be an activist, but they should be aware and at least vote intelligently. Otherwise, yes, they are freeloading.
