Political Column: Political Discussion

Talking politics amongst honest friends my age doesn’t happen often, if at all. Writing a weekly political column may lead you to believe that politics encompasses a lot of my free time and thought, but to that I say: hell no.

That’s why I was so confused talking for two hours about the world’s biggest problems amongst friends last week. We don’t talk about social issues of any sort – ever. We try to avoid it, actually, instead focusing our attention to movies, sports or anything else. Maybe we truly hate politics or maybe we don’t like confronting each other about serious issues.

In a way, it kind of explains why true political discourse is such a rarity for most people. Most people, to be frank, just don’t care but that’s understandable. What’s confusing is people who confidently engage in political discussion, but in the easiest sense. By that, I mean when people make their points and make up their minds based on the most minimal of information.

Collecting a strong, insightful argument about the world’s most prevalent social issues requires a commitment that most people cannot or will not follow through with.

The way the majority of people conduct political discussions is alarmingly simple and usually fails to acknowledge a plethora information. And, as majority rules, so does the market.

Cable news cannot simply survive on the likes pure political junkies alone. It requires casual viewers; these are the ones who make irrational decisions based on emotions and per-meditated beliefs, rather than the calculating and decisive thinker. In effect, cable news has gently drifted to a primitive pattern: simple discussions for simpler viewers.

In a lot of ways, people may rather prefer it this way. As I said before, engaging in politics takes at least some kind of commitment, and most of us do not care enough to give any.

We prefer the short answer and short reasoning to make up our minds. We want a side to choose from and a quick and easy way to do that. Who helps that better than CNN, MSNBC and FOX?

Still, my friends and I, in all likelihood, will probably not have that kind of political discussion again any time soon.