Why am I so tired of this political drama? Every day there is something new and some new political spin depending on which side you support. I make a real effort not to discuss politics with friends and relatives. I just don’t think it’s important enough to risk the relationship.
I wonder if this is what happened in Nazi Germany or Stalin’s Russia. People just got so tired of the ongoing crisis that they just said the hell with it. Something I read recently wondered how a supposed Christian nation like Germany could allow the persecution and atrocities it did. This was especially true since the Nazi party was a minority party. Only 5-10% of the population was ever card-carrying members. Yet no one really organized enough followers to stop them. I know that during that time Germany was going thru financial crises related to the depression and the aftermath of the war. The Nazis provided wonderful political theater, but somewhere people must have questioned where it was all going. Maybe there really were many and maybe they just stopped caring and let the dice roll. It’s fairly easy to criticize them now and say, “Why did you let this happen?”
Supposedly after the discovery of one of the concentration camps by American forces, the US commanding general rounded up citizens from a nearby town and forced them to come and see what had been going on. Their universal answer was “We didn’t know”. I wonder if they were just simply overwhelmed with the constant drama and just got to the point of not caring.
I think part of this for me is that I cant understand how anyone can believe some of the “fake info” coming out of the party in power. There are constant lies and exaggerations. Supposedly only 30% of the population believes every word that is said and refuses to accept any differing views no matter how much scientific or factual data is presented. Almost no effort is ever made to correct. When they are confronted they make every effort to discount the questioner or change the subject. When my sons were young every time I tried to discipline or correct my youngest son, his defense was always to try and get me to turn on his older brother. This really seems to be what’s going on now.
Maybe the real answer is to try and focus on the positives. This has the potential to be a really spectacular fall. Our family is awaiting the birth of a new grandchild. Our grandson is pretty focused on what happens when he loses a tooth and suddenly finds money under his pillow the next morning. The ongoing wonder in a child’s life doesn’t depend on daily political drama. Every day is a new day with the possibility of wonderful new adventures. This sounds so nice and some days I really can appreciate all of it. However then the reality of this time seeps thru again.
I remember when the president was elected. I didn’t vote for him and was upset that he won, but I was willing to give him a chance. I remember talking about this with my friends and saying “I’m willing to give him a chance if he will only just shut up”.
Of course that hasn’t happened.
I don’t know if it ever will. Somehow in the midst of this I have to keep trying to find some joy and wonder, but I don’t want to just let everything slide. I think the only thing I can do is to try and stay politically aware enough so I can never say, “I just didn’t knew what was going on”. I am not ready to storm the walls or burn down the winter palace. I am ready to keep reading and trying to understand what is going on.
I’m willing to hold my family and love them and laugh with my friends. I am not ready to close my eyes just yet. Maybe if we all try to at least keep our eyes open, we can be ready when the time for real change comes.