Ah. So you don't live in America. Explains it. And if you knew anything about American politics and actually lived here, you'd get where I'm coming from.
I suppose you're right. All we have to do is band together and realize we're strong as one. Together we can lose our jobs, our homes and our families, possibly our lives (yes, it could get that bad. If you think our government wouldn't call for police action if there was a mass protest, you are very, very wrong). At least we'd be making a point, right? I don't understand why people don't just destroy their lives for the greater good.
It gives me "the creeps" when someone standing from a distance feels justified and righteous to shout "You're not trying hard enough!" but not have to be the one under the stress.
I can't help but think that you are very, very young if you're using the spiel "but it's a democracy! You must have power!" You need to look up what a true democracy is and compare it to the workings of the American government. You will find, shockingly, two systems that don't even remotely resemble one another. We have similarities like voting, but that's pretty much where it ends. We vote people in. That's it. We have no control over who runs, we just get them and decide between them. We have no control over what they do once they're in power. They come up with the laws and vote on them. We don't. Our democracy doesn't mean what you think it means. It's a system just as flawed and theoretical as all the rest.
American government lesson: Did you know, that if the majority of the American people don't vote for Presidential candidate A, he/she can still get in? He/She just needs a few key states. Eleven major states can vote for him/her and the other 39 don't, and he/she can STILL win. Tell me how that's democracy, then, when the majority is pushed aside? Actually, this is the truth with anything. The majority of the population can vote against something and STILL win/get passed.
American government lesson 2: I'll give you an example. A very small scale example because I think they work best (after all, if a small branch of the government can't do something right, what the hell makes you think the larger ones can?). There was a protest held by gun toting fanatics protesting schools and their rules against having firearms on campus. They considered it unconstitutional that the schools were preventing people on campus from carrying guns with them in their dorms, walking around campus, and going to classes. The day they came to protest was the day after there was a school shooting (the second one in fact) at Virgina tech. The teachers, the students, and the parents sent letters and did protests against having guns at school. They, logically, considered it unsafe. It didn't matter. These few fanatics (who were also threatening to bring loaded weapons to the protest at the campus) were listened to instead of the much, much, MUCH larger group of people against.
These are not just "a few examples." This kind of stuff happens ALL THE TIME. And even though people DO take responsibility and do what is in their power to fight against or for something, in the end, it doesn't matter.
We don't shrug, darlin'. We fight and lose and get tired of losing.
Re: can of worms, twist key to open
I suppose you're right. All we have to do is band together and realize we're strong as one. Together we can lose our jobs, our homes and our families, possibly our lives (yes, it could get that bad. If you think our government wouldn't call for police action if there was a mass protest, you are very, very wrong). At least we'd be making a point, right? I don't understand why people don't just destroy their lives for the greater good.
It gives me "the creeps" when someone standing from a distance feels justified and righteous to shout "You're not trying hard enough!" but not have to be the one under the stress.
I can't help but think that you are very, very young if you're using the spiel "but it's a democracy! You must have power!" You need to look up what a true democracy is and compare it to the workings of the American government. You will find, shockingly, two systems that don't even remotely resemble one another. We have similarities like voting, but that's pretty much where it ends. We vote people in. That's it. We have no control over who runs, we just get them and decide between them. We have no control over what they do once they're in power. They come up with the laws and vote on them. We don't. Our democracy doesn't mean what you think it means. It's a system just as flawed and theoretical as all the rest.
American government lesson: Did you know, that if the majority of the American people don't vote for Presidential candidate A, he/she can still get in? He/She just needs a few key states. Eleven major states can vote for him/her and the other 39 don't, and he/she can STILL win. Tell me how that's democracy, then, when the majority is pushed aside? Actually, this is the truth with anything. The majority of the population can vote against something and STILL win/get passed.
American government lesson 2: I'll give you an example. A very small scale example because I think they work best (after all, if a small branch of the government can't do something right, what the hell makes you think the larger ones can?). There was a protest held by gun toting fanatics protesting schools and their rules against having firearms on campus. They considered it unconstitutional that the schools were preventing people on campus from carrying guns with them in their dorms, walking around campus, and going to classes. The day they came to protest was the day after there was a school shooting (the second one in fact) at Virgina tech. The teachers, the students, and the parents sent letters and did protests against having guns at school. They, logically, considered it unsafe. It didn't matter. These few fanatics (who were also threatening to bring loaded weapons to the protest at the campus) were listened to instead of the much, much, MUCH larger group of people against.
These are not just "a few examples." This kind of stuff happens ALL THE TIME. And even though people DO take responsibility and do what is in their power to fight against or for something, in the end, it doesn't matter.
We don't shrug, darlin'. We fight and lose and get tired of losing.