This post is in response to the question “How does societal ignorance play a role in a country's fate towards practicing totalitarianism?” By @reagan.sturges
What a perfect term - “societal ignorance.” I believe this is a huge factor in the future direction of our government. A democracy operates on the notion that everyone has a voice. The only problem with this is that when generations are increasingly disengaged with the political world, the democracy is left in the hands of only a few. I am also guilty of this. I have never taken the time to fully understand politics because it has always appeared as such a tense and negative thing. As I am getting older, I am realizing how my outlook and the similar outlook of others is actually hurting us. We are not putting in the effort to be more aware and therefore, able to play a part in our government.
I believe that one way to shift the trend of increasing disengagement among the younger population is to have more unbiased news sources. Everyone is so extreme these days, so it is hard to trust anything in the media or even from the mouth of a friend. If we had a way to hear all sides of a story without spending countless hours cross referencing sources, then we could more easily keep up with what is happening in the world and in our political system. Of course this is only a piece of the puzzle. If we want to avoid totalitarianism, then we must begin to take responsibility by educating and representing ourselves.
Thank you for your great question, Reagan!
