Based on nearly every person I've ever met here, there's a general lack of interest in politics unless people are convinced that their personal freedom is at stake. The only time my friends got interested in politics at all was the fervor that surrounded George W. Bush. While I wasn't a supporter, it's irritating to hear issues that people really don't care about get tossed around in conversation only because it allows them to check off another box on the side of their half-assedly adopted cause.
This was all happening while I was coming of age, so I can't really make any comment on the political climate of any time before then. I have noticed, though, that in America there is a large group of politically active people that base all of their opinions off of the rhetoric of political commentators, and they don't treat issues fairly. They're more likely to discuss issues in a way that make people listen, rather than accurately. I have never thought that I would hear as many deplorable accusations of nazism, racism and socialism as I hear lobbed at President Obama (not to mention claims that he is the antichrist--I mean seriously, is this what politics are becoming in America?).
I tend to only hear what other people hear, though, as I'd rather watch factual news over sensationalist political commentary. The only person I know that watches any political commentary is my mother, who is one of those despicable Glenn Beck/Alex Jones-ites who has no problem glossing over any logical gray-areas when there may be terrorists on the other side. Since every one else I know doesn't care, she's all I have to go on when it comes to those shows, as I'm not willing to risk shoving an ice pick up my nose by doing my own research on the subject. I'm sure the left-leaning political commentators are just as bad, as admittedly the anti-Bush rhetoric that I supported during the first stage of my political awareness did get out of hand. Say what you want about the man and his policies, but when you start taking cheap shots it just grinds away at your credibility.
Here is a video of what kinds of monsters these talking heads create. You can actually see them trying to remember what they've been taught about Palin and Obama, rather than their own opinions (which would presumably come off a bit more naturally).
Getting on topic here, there is what is called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that was signed into law in 2010, which will purportedly make it more difficult for insurance companies to refuse pre-existing conditions or to drop policyholders when they get sick, as well as putting more mildly effective restrictions on the ways insurance companies spend their money or charge their policyholders.
The biggest gripe anybody has with this bill is the fact that it will penalize people ($695 per individual) for not purchasing health insurance, which is a step in the right direction to get people covered, but is still entirely wrong for forcing people in the first place. I'm a supporter of socialized health care, even before I was forced to pay anything based on whether or not I have insurance (and still won't have to pay anything til 2014, and that $695 figure from before isn't effective until 2016). I wouldn't mind putting my money towards something that would be as useful as healthcare, since there have been a few times in the last five to six years or so where my fiancee and I have debated whether or not we could afford a doctor's visit for a situation that genuinely warranted one. Plus, I wear glasses and she wears contacts, so it would be nice to get some relief from those costly items.
This was all happening while I was coming of age, so I can't really make any comment on the political climate of any time before then. I have noticed, though, that in America there is a large group of politically active people that base all of their opinions off of the rhetoric of political commentators, and they don't treat issues fairly. They're more likely to discuss issues in a way that make people listen, rather than accurately. I have never thought that I would hear as many deplorable accusations of nazism, racism and socialism as I hear lobbed at President Obama (not to mention claims that he is the antichrist--I mean seriously, is this what politics are becoming in America?).
I tend to only hear what other people hear, though, as I'd rather watch factual news over sensationalist political commentary. The only person I know that watches any political commentary is my mother, who is one of those despicable Glenn Beck/Alex Jones-ites who has no problem glossing over any logical gray-areas when there may be terrorists on the other side. Since every one else I know doesn't care, she's all I have to go on when it comes to those shows, as I'm not willing to risk shoving an ice pick up my nose by doing my own research on the subject. I'm sure the left-leaning political commentators are just as bad, as admittedly the anti-Bush rhetoric that I supported during the first stage of my political awareness did get out of hand. Say what you want about the man and his policies, but when you start taking cheap shots it just grinds away at your credibility.
Here is a video of what kinds of monsters these talking heads create. You can actually see them trying to remember what they've been taught about Palin and Obama, rather than their own opinions (which would presumably come off a bit more naturally).
Getting on topic here, there is what is called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that was signed into law in 2010, which will purportedly make it more difficult for insurance companies to refuse pre-existing conditions or to drop policyholders when they get sick, as well as putting more mildly effective restrictions on the ways insurance companies spend their money or charge their policyholders.
The biggest gripe anybody has with this bill is the fact that it will penalize people ($695 per individual) for not purchasing health insurance, which is a step in the right direction to get people covered, but is still entirely wrong for forcing people in the first place. I'm a supporter of socialized health care, even before I was forced to pay anything based on whether or not I have insurance (and still won't have to pay anything til 2014, and that $695 figure from before isn't effective until 2016). I wouldn't mind putting my money towards something that would be as useful as healthcare, since there have been a few times in the last five to six years or so where my fiancee and I have debated whether or not we could afford a doctor's visit for a situation that genuinely warranted one. Plus, I wear glasses and she wears contacts, so it would be nice to get some relief from those costly items.
