If we were more civically engaged as a population it would not have gotten this bad.
Yes and no. Yes, if everyone fought tirelessly for years to force our politicians to actually represent us then our system could be much better. But, our system is so deeply and unfathomably undemocratic / corrupt that it is cruel and unfair to put all the blame on the people. Humans are finite creatures so pouring more of our life into politics takes it from other aspects of our life. If everyone is over worked and exhausted then they often don’t have time for politics.
You’re not wrong, the ‘fight like hell’ approach would have worked if we applied it in the 1900’s-1930’s. In America, at least. Back before the cult of wealth was properly established and the average Joe still gave a shit about the poor and the needy.
Today, you can really only expect coordinated civic participation to be able to fix small local problems. Which is still absolutely necessary if we’re going to fix larger issues, because our neighbors will believe in the thing they see as putting food on their table and a roof over their head.
Even just working at the individual-to-individual level is still worthwhile. Bringing one person into the fold, protecting one person from harm at the hands of our economy, or at this point even just dragging one person out of fascism, makes an admirable comrade.
Things really got fucked when the same folks who brought us the great depression signed the Permanent Apportionment Act that permanently capped the number of representatives at 435. Representation has shifted from 1 representative per 280k people to 1 per 760k.
Yes and no. Yes, if everyone fought tirelessly for years to force our politicians to actually represent us then our system could be much better. But, our system is so deeply and unfathomably undemocratic / corrupt that it is cruel and unfair to put all the blame on the people. Humans are finite creatures so pouring more of our life into politics takes it from other aspects of our life. If everyone is over worked and exhausted then they often don’t have time for politics.
You’re not wrong, the ‘fight like hell’ approach would have worked if we applied it in the 1900’s-1930’s. In America, at least. Back before the cult of wealth was properly established and the average Joe still gave a shit about the poor and the needy.
Today, you can really only expect coordinated civic participation to be able to fix small local problems. Which is still absolutely necessary if we’re going to fix larger issues, because our neighbors will believe in the thing they see as putting food on their table and a roof over their head.
Even just working at the individual-to-individual level is still worthwhile. Bringing one person into the fold, protecting one person from harm at the hands of our economy, or at this point even just dragging one person out of fascism, makes an admirable comrade.
Things really got fucked when the same folks who brought us the great depression signed the Permanent Apportionment Act that permanently capped the number of representatives at 435. Representation has shifted from 1 representative per 280k people to 1 per 760k.