Category: Politics

What Should We Be Paying Attention To?

Sometimes it seems like there is too much news for our limited attention span. When that happens, which stories should we focus on?

On the international stage, there are many ongoing stories that would seem to deserve our attention. There are two significant wars that threaten to turn into world engulfing conflicts, in Asia and in the Middle East.

In addition, there is the ongoing climate crisis. As global temperatures continue to rise, weather events grow stronger and more frequent. More people are displaced from their homes than in any other time in human history.

Domestically in the United States, there are also too many stories to try to follow. Which is more important, ignoring due process or blatant political corruption? Announced tariffs threatening a global trade war or unmarked police forces kidnapping people? Threats to judges and law firms or people around the world going hungry or getting sick because of cancelled contracts and staffing shortages? People suffering from natural disasters being ignored or a significant uptick in airplane accidents threatening flying safety?

The current administration is employing a tactic called “flooding the zone.” This means pursuing multiple actions in a short period of time, so that media, courts, and the public attention span all have trouble keeping up. It is a deliberate strategy designed to sow confusion and apathy.

So what to do? When there are multiple balls being thrown at the same time, how do we decide which one to swing at? What should we be paying attention to?

Related questions: What deserves your attention? Should we pay attention to the news? How do you set priorities? What unimportant things do you focus on too much?

What Makes Something A Human Right?

Politicians and philosophers sometimes talk about a human right, a right we humans have merely due to our existence. But what makes that so?

The U.S. Constitution details a few of these rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. At other times, individual rights like housing, health care, fresh air and clean water, and others have been mentioned.

The idea is that these are inalienable rights, that is, rights that confer on us as soon as we are born. They do not have to do with our status, our job, our family, or any other external factor. We have them because all people have them, regardless of race, gender, class, country of origin, or any other factor.

Of course, this is an ideal, or an aspiration. As a society, we believe individuals should have these things. But of course, there have been many times in many places throughout history where human beings have not had these rights.

Including the in the United States. Despite what the U.S. Constitution says, historically rights were not given evenly to people based on race and gender. That has evolved and changed over time. But today there are efforts underway to remove some of these rights for some accused of criminal behavior, or others who have questionable immigration status.

Fundamentally, it begs the question: what makes something a human right? Why did life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness make the cut, and others didn’t? Is health care a human right? How do we decide? And if we can have differing opinions, and if we, as a society can change our mind about it, is it a right that we are born with?

Related questions: Is health care a human right? Does nature have rights? Do animals have rights? Personal rights or public safety?

What Can I Do?

When events are chaotic, or things change very rapidly, oftentimes people ask the question: “What can I do?”

It is only natural to want to take control of a situation that feels out of control. In order to do that, we want to take action, even if it is not clear what that action should be.

Take a moment to consider what action is appropriate. It may also help to consider what is possible. Where those two things overlap, meaningful steps can be taken.

For example, let’s consider someone who is having trouble at work. Feeling it necessary to do something, they might, say, perform a deep clean of their home. Cleaning feels like progress, and while having a clean home is a good thing, it doesn’t have any impact on the actual problem. The action is possible, but not appropriate.

A lot of people are feeling helpless or powerless right now. In reality, each person has more power and more control than they realize.

So how do you tap into that? What can I do in order to make a difference? How can we overcome the despair that tells us the situation is out of our hands?

Related questions: How much power does an individual have? How can you help? How can we turn ideas into actions? How can we turn sadness into constructive action?

What Is The Proper Level Of Engagement In National Politics?

National politics happens to get the major headlines, from the president to Congress to the Supreme Court. Should they?

Who gets elected president is a big deal. The presidential race, including primaries, debates, and a lengthy campaign season, is covered extensively by national and local media. And yet, individual voters have almost no influence on the president.

The situation is similar in Congress. A resident of a state can call their senator or congressperson, but even if that call is successful, the politician is just one of a large group.

It would seem that a person would be much more likely to make a difference at the state or local level than they would at the national one. In a town environment, one resident is a much larger percentage of the constituency. As a result, they wield much more influence. In addition, the issues at the local level often have a more direct impact on someone’s day-to-day life.

And yet, it is at the national level that most of the attention is directed. Many major media outlets have someone – or even a team – dedicated to covering the president. You may well know members of Congress, even those that don’t represent your district or state.

Overall, how much should we pay attention to events and people that are beyond our control? How important is it to follow what transpires over which you have little input? Is that being an “informed citizen” or are you spending your attention on something that doesn’t deserve it?

What is the proper level of engagement in national politics?

Related questions: Politics: local or national? What deserves your attention? Are you politically active? What is important?

What Role Does Fear Play In Your Life?

Fear is a powerful emotion that we all feel at many points in our lives. How do you react when faced with something you fear?

Fear can take many different shapes. You might be afraid for yourself, or fear for the safety of others. There is the gut-wrenching terror accompanying sudden physical danger, or the overwhelming sense of dread over some future danger.

Whatever the nature of the fear, harnessing it can be an effective tool for controlling people. Scared people will do almost anything to feel less afraid, including abandoning strongly held principles and beliefs, or selling out a neighbor or colleague.

Part of the reason for that is that people do not make the best decisions when they are afraid. When someone is in fight or flight mode, carefully evaluating all possibilities becomes less important. As a result, if you let fear dominate your other emotions, bad choices may result. You might easily miss an option that would be more effective or desired.

But fear does not always have to be a bad thing. There is a valid reason for it — it helps you learn what to avoid or minimize. You can also choose to be motivated to prepare contingency plans because you are afraid of doing the wrong thing. In turn, that preparation can help to lessen the fear.

What are you afraid of, and how does that fear shape your life? Can you think of times when being afraid has made a bad situation worse? Or alternately, have you ever channeled your fear in a positive way?

Related questions: Why are people afraid of death? Have you ever been afraid for your life? How does technology influence your emotions? Why does social media often bring out the worst in us?