I look at it as a matter of both privilege and apathy. I get upset (not visibly, of course) when people say they don’t “like” politics, or blow it off entirely. Politics is not some separate entity, we are living in a society! An inherently political game!
Furthermore, there is no “politics” as just a concept. What part of politics? Literally everything is politics. Climate change and environmental care? Food and agriculture? Economics? Culture, beauty, art? How can someone blow off literally everything? To me its an attempt to shut down conversation and demonstrates they don’t care or have no idea about the atrocities that have occurred/are going to due to the West’s collapse and climate change. Am I out of touch? Being non-undedstanding?
Let me know, thanks
I understand why you would get upset, and yes a detachment from politics can be a result of privilege, benefiting from the status quo, knowing you will be alright regardless, or it can be a consequence of demoralization, despair, having been disillusioned or taught to expect that change is not possible, or of simply not having the time or energy to think about politics while busy just trying to survive day to day.
Most people are not particularly ideological or political, their primary concern is their everyday life, their material wellbeing. The way to get them to see the importance of political struggle is to show them the connection between politics and their material interests, and to show them that a better world is possible if we fight for it together.
Definitely. I understand that, but how exactly do I demonstrate that? How do I make someone who has a distaste for politics or blows off serious things care?
How do I even bring it up?
Listen to them. Don’t preach at people and tell them what they should and shouldn’t care about. Find out what they actually care about. You will find that most ordinary people are largely worried about similar things. Then find ways to address their concerns. This is the hard part. It may not be something you can do alone but only as part of an org, through collective action. On the most basic level, the way that the communists and socialists win the trust of the working class is by actually working to make a tangible difference in their lives, through organizing and solidarity. Actions speak a thousand times louder than words.