Inspired by Lies...

I have been dwelling on this issue for quite some time because as the November 2008 election draws near and I find myself much more interested in the wonders of politics (ugh). I’ve always been interested in the political process and the corruptions in the system (we all know it’s not perfect). The government can, and will, deliberately have America believing one thing when the premise behind plans are actually something totally different. In the realm of politics this idea has always been around and in some cases is very necessary as citizen’s lives do not need to be complicated with everything that is going on in the world. But i feel that this crucial period in America’s history will be a defining moment in the direction and the level of government distortion. I can only hope and pray that whichever candidate is chosen will be able to lead us away from wasteful earmarks, pork barrel spending, lobbyist and other forms of government self-interest.

This idea of having a corrupt, inadequate government on any level has inspired me to position myself in a way that I can actually make a difference. To get educated and to understand how best to impact the policies that may be affecting me on a regional level at the very least. If politics are not a serious priority for an individual, I feel the next step is simply to stay engaged in the laws and policies of the land so if there are any questions or concerns one will be able to voice an opinion.

While I don’t plan on being on the inside of federal government, I will always stay dedicated to maintaining a full, objective view of politics and continue to question the government. I feel that American politics is rarely blessed with individuals who have not been phased by power and money because these things inevitably play a large role in politics at all levels. So we owe it to ourselves to question the policies of government entities and think as independents. I will also stay inspired to question the information we find in the vast majority of the media. It’s amazing how calculating and divisive some propaganda can be. The context in which information is portrayed to convey a specific message can be so misleading that we take away a completely different message than intended. We see examples of this demonstrated all the time when the media only share small portions of a larger message that will often present misleading information. Freedom of speech has always been on the public’s side. One thing we often fail to use though, is freedom of thought.

Progressing with Politics

It's going to be hard for me not to write on and on for hours about this topic because there's so much I have to say regarding my thoughts on politics. I really could write a novel-sized entry but I'm going to do my best to cut this short and stay focused on the topic of this post which may actually have some people mislead. I'm not going to get into the politics that we see everyday in the media about democrats and republicans. I'm sure I will address that issue at a later date anyway before the date of the election on November 4th. Instead, I wanted to focus on the politics we are more apt to face in our everyday lives like in our careers, our communities and and relationships.

According to the trusty internet source wikipedia, politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. ... politics has been observed in all human group interactions, including corporate, academic, and religious institutions. Politics consists of "social relations involving authority or power"^[1] and refers to the regulation of a political unit, ^[2] and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy.^[3]

The main ideas that I got from this excerpt were that politics has been observed in "all human interactions" and that it consist of "social relations involving authority or power". I love that we have the ability to play such significant roles in group, social relationships without having the highest, most powerful position. Granted, one would need to appeal to the group of people he/she is playing politics with, most anyone can be a proponent of political influence based on the approach and execution of their political methods.

For example, a group of random student assigned to a project will go through a phase of assessing each other with underlying political judgments in which case we should have as much control over as possible. It may not always be to our advantage to act like we do in front of our best friends and family if we're attempting to appeal to a different group for any certain reason. There's a time and a place for everything; including politics. One more example. A newcomer to a group of activist in a small town would have the opportunity to strategically play politics to fast track the achievement of his/her goals.

This is not to say we should become chameleons changing every time we create relationships or get involved in any organization, but to reinforce this concept that we already know about and employ in our own lives. Job interviews require it. Business gatherings require it. Family functions may even require it. I have been inspired to stay engaged in the course of my life and the extent of my achievements through being a proponent of progression through a successful understanding of when and where politics should be used day by day. To me, this idea is both challenging, enjoyable and inspiring!