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So, I was at work and had to go to sort of an impromtu lunch with a bunch of Senior Management folks. Although the lunch as a whole was pretty good, there was one part that really made me laugh. It reminded me pretty strongly of my thoughts on Politics and Religion (here).
There were 8 of us all sitting around a round table that was meant for six, so we were all very close to one another. All these people have known each other for quite some time. They were in a pretty spunky mood and the cuts and jabs were flying fast and furious. It was one of those conversations where I personally had a hard time following all the inside jokes that were going on. There was a lot of jabs, parries, back and forth, etc.
Then the really interesting part came when one Sr. Manager said: "Ok, next topic. What do you think about Obama and McCain. George, we'll start with you."
What was interesting about this was that in the midst of this conversation, that question wasn't even meant to be answered. It was strictly used to make George feel awkward and put him in a position and watch him squirm.
I just find it incredibly interesting that Politics has become so awkward and so taboo to talk about seriously in public, that the topic itself is used as a tool for social shame. I'm sure all these people think about it and have an opinion, but it's just not something that is discussed seriously.
Is it just me, or is that not a good thing? Why is it that Politics has become so taboo that it absolutely cannot be talked about, except in special circumstances?
I think that's just a shame. And if it's so taboo, doesn't it feed into people's desire to just totally dis-engage with politics? Wouldn't our country be a better place if more people engaged with politics? If we seriously cared enough about it to be able to talk about it, wouldn't that raise the general level of awareness and informness of people? That can only be a good thing.
It's just so sad to me that politics is so divisive and so taboo. I think it just plays into the hands of those who want to manipulate the system and hope nobody notices.
I, for one, want to try to change that.
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Why Is There a Left?
1 day ago
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3 comments:
I agree that polotics is a taboo or can be awkward, especially with co-workers...nathan has really challenged me to follow the debates and politics this year. i admit i have never followed them so closely, but i feel much more educated on the topics and viewpoints of the candidates.
Good for you! (and for Nathan :-)) I'm a strong believer in being informed on political issues because I think the political issues do, in fact, impact our lives and it's our right and our duty to be informed and to speak into those issues.
check out the link on my blog (candidate calculator) - you may want to share w/ others...i really like it!
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