How in the world does one not let this election stuff get to you

[Taoway]

How do I focus on anything else right now? It feels like the world is seriously going down the drain.

 

In the past 3 years I went from having this undeniable faith that the world is waking up. To this sudden harsh awakening that humanity is in shambles and at this point nothing is going to change it. It's definitely not heading in a better direction. The way people treat each other and act and think has gotten visibly worse since let's say 2012.

 

The only moments of content I feel are when I let go of my attachment to this planet and my life. I welcome an asteroid to start it all over.

 

Anyone else feeling confused and conflicted over this mess ?

[joeblast]

it is kind of like watching some odd tv drama - will the career criminal defeat the justice system?  Will the deep state succeed in burying her and keeping their own dirt under wraps? will the unfiltered CEO say anything not politically correct today and rile up all the social justice warriors?  which of the career criminal's offenses will she attempt to pin on the CEO today?  everyone knows the game's up, but somehow the show much continue, there's at least 10 episodes left in the contract and they're not getting out of them, and we only have so much filler shot to go back on...

 

  popcorns

[Miffymog]

The world is absolutely fine if you choose to see it that way. It helps if you worry a little less about that which you cannot change. After that, it is easier to make peace / come to terms with those things you dislike about the world. Then, you can start to see all the good in the world. All over the place, all the time, people are working hard to make their life and others lives better (in spite of the challenges). Choose to see these things, and the world can be a better place.

[dust]

The pessimist looks down and hits his head.

The optimist looks up and loses his footing.

The realist looks forward and adjusts his path accordingly.

(Robert Kirkman)

[bax44]

The pessimist looks down and hits his head.

 

The optimist looks up and loses his footing.

 

The realist looks forward and adjusts his path accordingly.

 

(Robert Kirkman)

 

king ezekiel ftw.

[MooNiNite]

Good Question

 

[MooNiNite]

Ignoring the signs and pretending everything is perfect is a certain degree of ignorance. Just 60 years ago over 60 million people died. Best to observe and adapt accordingly.

[Karl]

Stick your head in the sand but it won't stop the tide.

[RiverSnake]

Watch the new season of South Park. It's epic. 

[redcairo]

There is a state of mind I have only been blessed enough to have a few times, temporarily.

 

And in that state of mind, I understand that everything is exactly how it is supposed to be, how it has chosen to be.

 

That the polluted river and the stunted tree are not accidental and they are having the experience they have every right to have and are learning from it.

 

That in a universe where the soul is aware, nobody is born or dies by "accident."

 

That the energy of the Sun, and of the Earth, is so massive, that our thoughts we can actually do her in are charming humor. There have been better and worse than us before, and where are they now. Right. She is still here.

 

This is a virtual reality holodeck. We chose to buy tickets for the show that is going on during our lifetime. Not because we thought it would be rainbows all the time. But because it was an action-adventure show. That it is.

 

Unfortunately,

 

The rest of the time I just think it's a crazy fuckin' world and it's probably not going to end well for humans.

 

On the bright side,

 

We have at least 28 minutes left of the movie. :-)

 

RC

[Swede]

'Every country has the government it deserves.'

 

Joseph de Maistre

 

 

A classic old quote. But as I can see it, there are two ways to look at it. Yes, we elect the government we elect and have to suffer the consequences. But, what if all we can choose between is pest or cholera? Is it really 'our' fault then? In a way yes, as over time we shape the type of politics and politicians we want by allowing certain behaviors, and not allowing others. But what in the case of a tyrant or dictator? Do we deserve them? Well no, no one deserves oppression, however, again people need to stand up for what is right.

 

Fundamentally though, can a politician be all what we want? Honest, straightforward, dutiful? I think not, as by default a politician has to have an enormous ego and only surrounds themselves with likeminded people who for their own ego's sake rubs the master ego.

 

To the op, in what way do you think the world has visually gotten worse? Have we not always been horrible towards each other in many ways? It is history repeating itself, the eternal cyclic event. But in every disaster there are always people ready to risk it all to help others.

[Marblehead]

'Every country has the government it deserves.'

 

Joseph de Maistre

 

 

 

 

There is much sad truth in that quote.

[redcairo]

Fundamentally though, can a politician be all what we want?

 

Only in a functional system.

 

We have gradually devolved a system where good people are wrecked by it, and gradually, good people have no desire to be part of it any further, and the worst people thrive within it.

 

By worst I do not mean cackling calculating evil overlords. I mean people who simply do not care about the details. They don't do things to destroy our country on purpose; nothing really matters, they just do what gives them leverage or advantage in some way.

 

(I'm suddenly reminded of one of the most upsetting lines in a movie. It was a harrison ford movie I hated, which is rare as I like him. Too much 'personalized' violence. Anyway, these people have kidnapped a family and are preparing to possibly murder them, and the teen girl asks a young man, why do you hate us? And he says, "I don't hate you. I just don't care about you."  True but disturbing, and that is what a lot of society today may amount to. There was a book I never read called "kids without conscience" that I think was on the same subject. That people with bad intent toward others are not what is scariest; people who feel nothing in particular for others are what is actually kinda terrifying.)

 

So you make a system worse until a man gets a single vote on a "legislative package" that contains a ridiculous array of stuff, and he can't choose which, and he's voting against things he wants and for things he doesn't want no matter what decision he makes. You make it a series of complex packages he wouldn't have time to read the detail for if he never slept and had 10x as much time, so he's actually oblivious to a lot of the elements of it anyway. You force him to rely on other entry-level affordable people to do a good majority of his work he couldn't possibly have time for, though he'll pay for having to trust their judgment. His enemies will use against him votes he didn't even want to make, but had to, in order to vote for or against something more important at the time. All of this then sets things up so he has little real way to demonstrate what he stands for vs. dislikes because it's all blurred.

 

In short, anybody who wants to "accomplish something" -- anything really, let alone something GOOD -- is immediately going to be exasperated to the point of helpless frothing rage by such a situation and, if they have any survival skills, are just going to walk away, or never go near it to begin with.

 

If you create a situation where the most dynamic people consider it a boggy sandtrap of failure and misery, you're not going to get very many good people vying for those jobs.

 

You get what's left.

 

When most voting is a choice between the hyena and the tiger, you aren't choosing to live, you're choosing how to die.

 

On the other hand... I remember seeing a quote from a yogi of some sort, that said if he'd known in other lives what he knows now, dying would have been so much more fun.

 

RC

[Karl]

That's why Government that is not delimited to only the protection of rights and justice can't work. We have a choice. If we insists that on welfare programs, protectionism, free healthcare and education, then eventually it will come to this. Essentially morality boils down to the ideals most of our parents taught us. Don't hurt people, Don't lie about people, Don't steal other peoples stuff.

 

 

Anyway RC your post was a tad depressing so I'm cheering myself up with a bit of Incubus:

 

[3bob]

what has been sown is being reaped - could things happen any other way?

[silent thunder]

In a country as large and culturally varied as America, no decisions or policies brought by any politician will be favorable, supported and accepted by a meaningful majority.  There is simply too much variety of perspective and perceived value to achieve real unity on the level of duality, so this current process is utterly natural.  We live in a predatory world system... even the plants. 

 

Look at nature, energies always settle in balance.  How that plays out is based on the interplay of the essential qualities of all elements flowing within the system.

 

Politics is not separate from nature.  What we are observing now, is the current expression of the combination of elements within our system.  We are exactly where we are, because there is no other way we could be... and America exists not unto itself, separate and autonomous.  We are all interlinked inexorably with all other systems within the overall flow of life on this planet, (which is not isolated unto itself either).  We are the expression of our collective reaction to the conditions of the system.

 

The most potent force of change in my life, is shift of perception.  As my perception shifts, so does my reality.

 

To offset the sense of paralysis brought on by observing the seemingly untouchable and nasty process of politics on the national scale, I get more active locally, where my small amount of force, can have an observable affect.

[Orion]

How do you not let it get to you?

 

You unplug from it.

 

American elections are fixed from the start these days. Trump never really stood a chance of getting into power. This has all been about the Clintons and their sick association with the real power running government.

[bax44]

That's why Government that is not delimited to only the protection of rights and justice can't work. We have a choice. If we insists that on welfare programs, protectionism, free healthcare and education, then eventually it will come to this. Essentially morality boils down to the ideals most of our parents taught us. Don't hurt people, Don't lie about people, Don't steal other peoples stuff.

 

 

Anyway RC your post was a tad depressing so I'm cheering myself up with a bit of Incubus:

 

 

Wouldnt have guessed you were an Incubus fan Karl. Nice.

[Karl]

Incubus, Tool, Coheed and Cambria, Porcupine Tree, Opeth......:-)

[Kar3n]

Incubus, Tool, Coheed and Cambria, Porcupine Tree, Opeth......:-)

 

Who'd have thunk it?

 

[Karl]

Who'd have thunk it?

 

Always been a prog fan, though my music collection is pretty extensive running from Classical, country (not C and W), Sinatra, Jazz right through punk, hardcore and black/math metal. Yet always it's prog I end up listening to. I want to listen to more classical, but it seems unsuited to my brain even though I like it.

[doc benway]

How do I focus on anything else right now? It feels like the world is seriously going down the drain.

 

In the past 3 years I went from having this undeniable faith that the world is waking up. To this sudden harsh awakening that humanity is in shambles and at this point nothing is going to change it. It's definitely not heading in a better direction. The way people treat each other and act and think has gotten visibly worse since let's say 2012.

 

The only moments of content I feel are when I let go of my attachment to this planet and my life. I welcome an asteroid to start it all over.

 

Anyone else feeling confused and conflicted over this mess ?

 

Of course, I think most people are confused, conflicted, or both.

 

When you say that the way people act and treat each other has deteriorated, you are mostly referring to what the profit-driven media industry and other confused and conflicted people are sharing through social and mainstream media. On an individual level, things are far different. I can't say if things are getting better or worse over all but the one, and only, thing I can do is to be the embodiment of the change I want to see in my limited sphere of influence. If each and every one of us see and live that, there is hope. More importantly, it helps to ease the feelings of fear and helplessness.

 

I strive to open my heart to others, whether or not they look, act, and believe as I do.

I listen and try to understand rather than speak and try to change them.

I have adopted kindness as my religion and civility as my political identity.

I cultivate joy in helping others on their path, not mine.

 

These things have helped to support my letting go of attachment which, as you have experienced and pointed out, will help you as you are helping others. For me, this is the way forward.

 

Peace and blessings to you

[CloudHands]

USA is a teenage country in a world full of toys in few decades or centuries it will have much less testosterone... cryogenic is the solution. Geologic is the vision.

[joeblast]

The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out, without regard to the prevailing superstitions or taboos.  Almost inevitably, he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, and intolerable.

H L Mencken

[thelerner]

It's good to have a sense of humor, and a sense of history.

 

When Reagan was elected there were end of the world parties throughout Europe.  A little tongue in cheek, but he was considered a wreckless short sighted 'cowboy' who'd wreak havoc on the world stage.  Things have been similar (unfortunately true w/ Bush II) with most other modern presidents.

 

Dire predictions of disaster turn out, for the most part, empty.  The worst hype about the 'other' candidate is untrue.  Also the ship of state moves and turns slowly.  Policies take years to be shaped and voted on, even longer to take affect.   The US government is still a system of checks and balances.  And odds are it will continue to be a 'mixed' government with Republicans having 1 or both houses of congress and (probably) a Democrat in the White House.