Why Watch the News?
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A few months ago, I stopped watching all news-related programming (including The Daily Show and The Colbert Report). I did so for the same reason I've stopped watching all Michael Moore films. Not because the views are biased or everyone's lying. I stopped because it was pointless. Knowing about these issues does not help me or the country at all. They just depress me.
I'm not a government person. I will never run for office. Just as some people loathe the thought of studying geology, I loathe the thought of studying politics and everything related to politics. I'm just not interested in the stuff, and I cannot change that. So, because I will never run for office, why should I know about the things Congress does? If I can do nothing at all to change what they are doing, why should I depress myself by listening to the changes being made?
Perhaps an example will make this easier to understand. Some health care bill passed recently, I believe. I don't know the details, nor do I care, because it doesn't affect me. While I may be able to get health insurance now, the details of how or why it passed are not important. I couldn't vote for it or against it. My feelings about the subject are totally moot, because I'm not part of the process. Because I cannot change these things, I sit back and let them happen around me. Not because I'm lazy. Just because I'm tired of being upset over things I cannot change.
Do politics matter if you're not going to hold any sort of political office? Even if you do vote, aren't your choices pretty clear? Does anyone waver between whether pot should or should not be legal, or whether health care should or should not be reformed? What purpose does the news serve, other than to get people to feel more strongly about the things they already believe?
I'm not a government person. I will never run for office. Just as some people loathe the thought of studying geology, I loathe the thought of studying politics and everything related to politics. I'm just not interested in the stuff, and I cannot change that. So, because I will never run for office, why should I know about the things Congress does? If I can do nothing at all to change what they are doing, why should I depress myself by listening to the changes being made?
Perhaps an example will make this easier to understand. Some health care bill passed recently, I believe. I don't know the details, nor do I care, because it doesn't affect me. While I may be able to get health insurance now, the details of how or why it passed are not important. I couldn't vote for it or against it. My feelings about the subject are totally moot, because I'm not part of the process. Because I cannot change these things, I sit back and let them happen around me. Not because I'm lazy. Just because I'm tired of being upset over things I cannot change.
Do politics matter if you're not going to hold any sort of political office? Even if you do vote, aren't your choices pretty clear? Does anyone waver between whether pot should or should not be legal, or whether health care should or should not be reformed? What purpose does the news serve, other than to get people to feel more strongly about the things they already believe?
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Firstly, you've made a load of excellent points. I can relate to them and my feelings are pretty much in league with yours. That's why although I sometimes post in Serious Discussion.. I tend to avoid all of the Political threads. I feel like the whole idea of politics is pretty useless (especially if you're not the ones up top, actually making the decisions). Everyone who discusses politics (whether on Fakku, chans, politic-related forums and more) just throws in their thoughts on issues, only to have someone else argue against them or simply ignore them.
And well, the reason I find it so pointless is because.. when it comes down to it, your opinion doesn't really mean much. It might mean something to you and to some of your peers, but it has no influence (what-so-ever) on what choices are made in government, how bills come into play, etc. To me, the only decent reason for political discussions to take place is to allow those seemingly intelligent individuals to show off what they know, the research they do, dedication to the subject and more. That aside, it's pretty much a colossal waste of time.
Now, to answer some of your questions specifically
Do politics matter if you're not going to hold any sort of political office?
To me, no. Aside from avoiding coming off as ignorant, there's really nothing to gain from keeping up with politics. It's like studying mechanics and cars when you don't care to drive, become a racer, build cars, repair cars, or anything along the lines. It's like knowing it, just to be able to say you do.
Even if you do vote, aren't your choices pretty clear?
This question I'm a little confused about (it's unclear to me), so I won't answer.
Does anyone waver between whether pot should or should not be legal, or whether health care should or should not be reformed?
Waver, as in go back in forth on their thoughts? If that's what you're asking, then in my case the answer is no. I actually don't think of such things enough to have my opinion on them sway back and forth or pay attention to them enough. With pot, that's unimportant to me because I don't smoke it or care to smoke it. I wouldn't mind if it was legalized though (People like it, so I'd vote for it).
As for health care, I try to pay attention to that. It's actually the only politic-related issue that I focus on. Seeing how I'm in college to become a doctor, I should probably know something about healthcare. Lol. My opinion on it doesn't waver, since I don't take a particular stance. I tend to be neutral toward things. Rather than choose a side, I try to look at both and learn from both, allowing me to stay educated.
That goes back to what I said earlier about paying attention to things so that you don't seem ignorant.
What purpose does the news serve, other than to get people to feel more strongly about the things they already believe?
Can't say for sure. Like you, I stopped watching it.
-HentaiElder
p.s. My answer feels a little unclean, like it can be made better, but I think it works.
FPOD could probably answer these things really well for you. He seems to know a load about politics.
And well, the reason I find it so pointless is because.. when it comes down to it, your opinion doesn't really mean much. It might mean something to you and to some of your peers, but it has no influence (what-so-ever) on what choices are made in government, how bills come into play, etc. To me, the only decent reason for political discussions to take place is to allow those seemingly intelligent individuals to show off what they know, the research they do, dedication to the subject and more. That aside, it's pretty much a colossal waste of time.
Now, to answer some of your questions specifically
Do politics matter if you're not going to hold any sort of political office?
To me, no. Aside from avoiding coming off as ignorant, there's really nothing to gain from keeping up with politics. It's like studying mechanics and cars when you don't care to drive, become a racer, build cars, repair cars, or anything along the lines. It's like knowing it, just to be able to say you do.
Even if you do vote, aren't your choices pretty clear?
This question I'm a little confused about (it's unclear to me), so I won't answer.
Does anyone waver between whether pot should or should not be legal, or whether health care should or should not be reformed?
Waver, as in go back in forth on their thoughts? If that's what you're asking, then in my case the answer is no. I actually don't think of such things enough to have my opinion on them sway back and forth or pay attention to them enough. With pot, that's unimportant to me because I don't smoke it or care to smoke it. I wouldn't mind if it was legalized though (People like it, so I'd vote for it).
As for health care, I try to pay attention to that. It's actually the only politic-related issue that I focus on. Seeing how I'm in college to become a doctor, I should probably know something about healthcare. Lol. My opinion on it doesn't waver, since I don't take a particular stance. I tend to be neutral toward things. Rather than choose a side, I try to look at both and learn from both, allowing me to stay educated.
That goes back to what I said earlier about paying attention to things so that you don't seem ignorant.
What purpose does the news serve, other than to get people to feel more strongly about the things they already believe?
Can't say for sure. Like you, I stopped watching it.
-HentaiElder
p.s. My answer feels a little unclean, like it can be made better, but I think it works.
FPOD could probably answer these things really well for you. He seems to know a load about politics.
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Great response as always, HE.
This question I'm a little confused about (it's unclear to me), so I won't answer.
I wasn't quite sure how to explain this myself. What I meant was, do people feel uncertain about which side they vote for? Let's say I smoke pot and want it legalized; it doesn't matter what the anit-pot side says, I am always going to want it legalized. So, would it matter if I did or did not do my research on the issue?
Sort of saying that people never really change their minds. (Most people, not all.) If you're against gun control, you're always going to be against gun control, short of a life-changing experience, which you cannot get from watching the news. So, is it worth watching the news to gain information, if people's minds are going to be made up based on only one or two things?
HentaiElder wrote...
Even if you do vote, aren't your choices pretty clear?This question I'm a little confused about (it's unclear to me), so I won't answer.
I wasn't quite sure how to explain this myself. What I meant was, do people feel uncertain about which side they vote for? Let's say I smoke pot and want it legalized; it doesn't matter what the anit-pot side says, I am always going to want it legalized. So, would it matter if I did or did not do my research on the issue?
Sort of saying that people never really change their minds. (Most people, not all.) If you're against gun control, you're always going to be against gun control, short of a life-changing experience, which you cannot get from watching the news. So, is it worth watching the news to gain information, if people's minds are going to be made up based on only one or two things?
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ShaggyJebus wrote...
Do politics matter if you're not going to hold any sort of political office?Were you dumped or something? How sad. You'd make a good Republican. Well, to answer your questions directly, of course politics matter even if you're not going to hold any sort of political office. You act like politicans can change things on a whim. Politicians never have full power.
ShaggyJebus wrote...
Even if you do vote, aren't your choices pretty clear?Your choices may be clear to a few people, but try letting everyone know and making it actually matter - when you vote.
ShaggyJebus wrote...
Does anyone waver between whether pot should or should not be legal, or whether health care should or should not be reformed?Yes, people waver between whether pot should or should not be legal, and yes, people waver between whether health care should or should not be reformed. Jeez, it's like you've forgotten human nature.
ShaggyJebus wrote...
What purpose does the news serve, other than to get people to feel more strongly about the things they already believe?The news aren't supposed to get people to feel more strongly about the things they believe. They're supposed to deliver facts. But that's just asking for the impossible, so I just filter it out myself.
ShaggyJebus wrote...
Do people feel uncertain about which side they vote for?If you’re smart, then you should be. I consider it a sin to be a blind follower.
ShaggyJebus wrote...
So, would it matter if I did or did not do my research on the issue?Haven't you heard of informed decisions? They're considered priceless diamonds.
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ShaggyJebus wrote...
Let's say I smoke pot and want it legalized; it doesn't matter what the anit-pot side says, I am always going to want it legalized. So, would it matter if I did or did not do my research on the issue?Oh, now I understand. So to answer the question (Even if you do vote, aren't your choices pretty clear? ), yes. My choices pretty much are clear. Once my mind is made up, it's pretty much made up. As you pointed out, there are those cases when something happens to change your opinion. Aside from that though, watching the news isn't really going to change my mind.
In the words of NeoStriker-
"The news... They're supposed to deliver facts. But that's just asking for the impossible, so I just filter it out myself."
The news isn't always factual. There's bias here and there and misinformation. That's even more reason to avoid letting it influence how I think or change my opinion. It's not only pointless (to me), it's also false/misleading here and there.
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Nashrakh
Little White Butterflies Staff
All I can say is this; resigning yourself is the first step to acknowledging that your life is ruled by someone else.
I think it's important to be somewhat interested in politics - not because you can or should do something about it, but for the sake of having your very own opinion and not being one of the mindless hordes who says "dunno lol".
I think it's important to be somewhat interested in politics - not because you can or should do something about it, but for the sake of having your very own opinion and not being one of the mindless hordes who says "dunno lol".
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Brittany
FAKKU Production Mngr
Ever since moving in with Fpod, I've become a little more aware of what's going on around me with the government.
I'm kind of like you Shaggy, I think. Lol, correct me if I'm wrong. But I care about what's going on in my country, but I don't hold a significant opinion that I'll slam my fist down and say no this is wrong or this is right.
The reason I've become more interested in knowing what's going on is the fact that I want to be aware what the country is doing to my life. Even if I can't change the way things are, I want to know what the government has in store for me.
Also, just a personal opinion - but the government loves when the public doesn't know or doesn't understand really on what's going on inside the white house. It's easier to pass things and it's easier to do things that will help them out (financially mostly) rather than us.
I don't spend as much time as Fpod does listening to news talk radio stations, reading articles, picking up magazines, etc. But what I do is simply use my NPR application on my cell phone. It's pretty nice because I can look at top stories, read articles on a fairly (not totally) unbiased news station. I can listen to the articles or I can read them, etc.
I'm kind of like you Shaggy, I think. Lol, correct me if I'm wrong. But I care about what's going on in my country, but I don't hold a significant opinion that I'll slam my fist down and say no this is wrong or this is right.
The reason I've become more interested in knowing what's going on is the fact that I want to be aware what the country is doing to my life. Even if I can't change the way things are, I want to know what the government has in store for me.
Also, just a personal opinion - but the government loves when the public doesn't know or doesn't understand really on what's going on inside the white house. It's easier to pass things and it's easier to do things that will help them out (financially mostly) rather than us.
I don't spend as much time as Fpod does listening to news talk radio stations, reading articles, picking up magazines, etc. But what I do is simply use my NPR application on my cell phone. It's pretty nice because I can look at top stories, read articles on a fairly (not totally) unbiased news station. I can listen to the articles or I can read them, etc.
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I have some times noticed that very important issue was pointed out, but it's not followed up as if they were told not to show it the same I've noticed happing in news papers.
Not much point in watching it.
Not much point in watching it.
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ShaggyJebus wrote...
why should I know about the things Congress does? If I can do nothing at all to change what they are doing, why should I depress myself by listening to the changes being made?Spoiler:
Do politics matter if you're not going to hold any sort of political office
Spoiler:
Even if you do vote, aren't your choices pretty clear?
Spoiler:
Does anyone waver between whether pot should or should not be legal, or whether health care should or should not be reformed?
Spoiler:
:Warning:
This spoiler contains adult language, adult content, psychological nudity. Reader discretion advised.
Spoiler:
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Fiery_penguin_of_doom wrote...
[color=red]:Warning:[/color]
[color=red]This spoiler contains adult language, adult content, psychological nudity. Reader discretion advised.[/color]
Spoiler:
Pretty admirable and powerful set of words there.
Haha, in short, there's your answer as to "Why watch the news?" and "Why keep up with politics?". Sadly, I don't know if it's motivating enough to make one keep up with politics, though it should be.
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For as long as i can remember, 'legit' news has jumped on the first conclusion, or most popular scape goat. for example, the VA tech shooting. i watched an interview of the shooters roommate. one of the first questions was, 'which violent video games did he play?'. the response was, 'none, he mostly just watched the news'. the reporter nearly broke her neck trying to change the subject. it's all about shock and buzzwords. they don't care about something so trivial as the truth.
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I dont tend to watch the news due to the fact that im on here. I do watch it sometimes to see how much of a dick people can be. I mean if you comepletely cut yourself to news and stuff you might get bitten in the butt later on.
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The media is powerful indeed but sometimes the news are just "cooked" even a small house fire will become A Big Village fire. Media tend to always do that. they keep on flavoring these current news
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I honestly don't see the reason why we need this so called "News." They run topics over and over again just to milk it for all its worth ie The Tiger Woods Scandal and the Haiti earthquake. It just seems like idiotic and mindless drivel and the people seem eat that shit up. I stopped watching the News because its NOT FUCKING NEWS its just reruns upon reruns of the same topic a month back.
Ok now I go onto Politics. Face it we need it whether or not we like it. The more we know the less Politicians can mind-fuck us. It just seems pointless not to go into Politics because believe or not your vote might be the vote that helps the right person get into office not the wrong one. All I'm saying is that Politics love it or hate you need it.
Ok now I go onto Politics. Face it we need it whether or not we like it. The more we know the less Politicians can mind-fuck us. It just seems pointless not to go into Politics because believe or not your vote might be the vote that helps the right person get into office not the wrong one. All I'm saying is that Politics love it or hate you need it.
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Fiery_penguin_of_doom wrote...
:Warning: This spoiler contains adult language, adult content, psychological nudity. Reader discretion advised.
Spoiler:
+1. Good shit in here. But as you mentioned, you could be screaming all the truths in the world until your blue in the face, and no one will care cause everyone's too busy with their own entertainments. I bet only 5 people read the whole thing in this spoiler, tops.
But you forgot to mention those who keep up on these happenings and have just given up on convincing the others knowing nothing can be done about it since the majority that's needed will not come to your aid.
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HentaiElder wrote...
Pretty admirable and powerful set of words there.Haha, in short, there's your answer as to "Why watch the news?" and "Why keep up with politics?". Sadly, I don't know if it's motivating enough to make one keep up with politics, though it should be.
If I motivate one person it was worth it. Sadly as PD said, few people will read the entire post or even my rant at the end.
PersonDude wrote...
+1. Good shit in here. But as you mentioned, you could be screaming all the truths in the world until your blue in the face, and no one will care cause everyone's too busy with their own entertainments. I bet only 5 people read the whole thing in this spoiler, tops.But you forgot to mention those who keep up on these happenings and have just given up on convincing the others knowing nothing can be done about it since the majority that's needed will not come to your aid.
It's sad but, it's true. Too many people don't care about who is controlling their own lives. The really depressing part is a portion of those people who don't care still manage to get up and cast a uninformed vote.
@Shaggy; I didn't cover this last night as I couldn't find a place to include it. I know politics are depressing and it makes you feel insignificant or even powerless but, if you don't do something then you won't change anything.
Side Note: This is why I argue against a strong central government and focus more on giving more power to state and local governments. At least these guys are close enough you can visit their office to talk, yell, protest, or throw tomatoes at their windows. They are also close enough to be "on the ground" so they can see and feel the effects of the problems in your area. Instead of living in lofty accommodations far removed from the peasants citizens.
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Fiery_penguin_of_doom wrote...
If you make the decision to ignore what is going on in the body politic then you have no right to complain when things turn sour.This is my thoughts exactly. And this was interesting reading, kudos to you.
--
Just an input: There is a governmental election coming up this fall, and we're going to decide who the hell is going to lead this country(Sweden). I can admit that the bigger parties are not that different in the big picture, but there are tons of lesser topics in which they differ a lot. I can honestly say that I'm really unsure about what to vote since there are things on both sides that I agree and disagree about, but therefore I'm gonna bust my head trying to figure this shit out.
Unlike so many others I have met.
There's tons of people who when I've asked them about political topics just shrugs it off and then say they aren't gonna vote, or that it doesn't matter. The sad thing is that it's these people that tend to bitch the most about what is decided afterwards.
Sadly I'm really not informed about american politics since they have more or less an insignificant impact on my life and can't really ad to the discussion.
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Fiery_penguin_of_doom wrote...
:Warning:
This spoiler contains adult language, adult content, psychological nudity. Reader discretion advised.
Spoiler:
While i agree with most of this, i happen to disagree with the writers stance on health care. While i don't think what was passed was perfect, i think its a step in the right direction. I mean, yes it may not matter to you now, but when you get sick and have no money for things like surgery health insurance become important. I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it
Also, all those government officals that campaigned against a public option? They get health insurance through the government.
And back to the main topic, i think its important to be informed. You don't have to follow every little thing, but i think keeping informed goes a long way
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Black Jesus JC wrote...
While i agree with most of this, i happen to disagree with the writers stance on health care. While i don't think what was passed was perfect, i think its a step in the right direction. I mean, yes it may not matter to you now, but when you get sick and have no money for things like surgery health insurance become important. I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it
Also, all those government officals that campaigned against a public option? They get health insurance through the government.
And back to the main topic, i think its important to be informed. You don't have to follow every little thing, but i think keeping informed goes a long way
Nitpick: I was complaining how we are mandated to buy the product as a requirement to be a legal citizen. The only way to avoid having to spend your money is to renounce your citizenship. Oh and the notion that you can't afford it then the government will take money from other people to buy it for you.
Point of the matter is, "they didn't care about politics" and yet this bill has one of the largest impacts of the lives of every American citizen in the history of our country. If that isn't enough to get them to care for the bill or against the bill then the only thing that will help them is a lobotomy.
Personal politics: If you want insurance I believe you should be able to find cheap insurance that fit exactly what you need instead of those blanket plans where you have to pay for services that you will never use. I just think this was the wrong way to go about the changes. I wanted reform not a goddamn takeover. Notice how hypocritical it was for the Democrats to say these evil, vile insurance companies profit off other peoples misfortunes and yet, the bill makes it a crime to not hand your money over to these vile and evil corporations...
Edit: I hear wonderland makes more logical sense than this place. I should buy a timeshare.
Edit2: To be clear I'm not raging or attacking you JC. We both agree that reform was necessary but, the method is where we diverge. Though I do applaud Obama on the formation of individual health insurance markets where we have more power in the market place rather than huge corporations. Other than that I'd burn the bill and start over.