Someone on reddit (yes I know) put it well so I’ll just copy pasta-
If you pay attention to any of the teaching subreddits you’ll see a common refrain. When students aren’t paying attention it is deemed the teacher’s fault by administration and parents because the teacher should be able to make the class fun or interesting. Those in power don’t hold the students responsible for learning - it is the teacher’s job not only to teach but to make the students want to learn.
It is strikingly similar to the way many people talk about civics. It is the Democrats’ job not only to govern, but to make voters want to vote. But, that is not how it is supposed to work. Everyone has the responsibility to vote. It is only the candidate’s job to convince you to vote for them while you are at the polls.
The idea that a candidate has to make you want to vote in the first place is absolute nonsense. It’s a civic responsibility. People are just too lazy. A student who doesn’t take advantage of the opportunity to get an education is shooting themself in the foot. A citizen who doesn’t take the opportunity to participate in an election is shooting themself in the foot.
People shouldn’t wait to be inspired to go vote. They should do it as a matter of course.
Yes, they have gone all in on authoritarianism. Their platform doesn’t demand compromise because it is effectively whatever the guy at the top says. When you have a fascist-loving shallow minded fools on one side and effectively the sane remainder collecting all the rest in the other side, your voter engagement issues are inherently going to be highly asymmetrical.
Okay, but please explain to me how you intend for students to magically become more willing to learn, or citizens more willing to vote. You fight the battles you can, you don’t just blame the world or people for being the way that they are. Sure, as an individual, you can do better. Maybe eben influence those around you. Now what about the millions of others who have to change their behavior in order to enact change on the country-wide scale? To fight at that scale you have to be in a position of power, and the only people who are in those positions of power in the US who aren’t republicans are democrats. The responsibility lies with the democrats to do whatever it takes to improve voter turnout or fix problems because nobody else has the means and isn’t a republican (and good luck trying to convince them to be less shit). Blaming the people just makes them pissed at you and gets you nowhere.
The fuck it is.
Someone on reddit (yes I know) put it well so I’ll just copy pasta-
Funny that the Republicans don’t seem to have this problem
Yes, they have gone all in on authoritarianism. Their platform doesn’t demand compromise because it is effectively whatever the guy at the top says. When you have a fascist-loving shallow minded fools on one side and effectively the sane remainder collecting all the rest in the other side, your voter engagement issues are inherently going to be highly asymmetrical.
Okay, but please explain to me how you intend for students to magically become more willing to learn, or citizens more willing to vote. You fight the battles you can, you don’t just blame the world or people for being the way that they are. Sure, as an individual, you can do better. Maybe eben influence those around you. Now what about the millions of others who have to change their behavior in order to enact change on the country-wide scale? To fight at that scale you have to be in a position of power, and the only people who are in those positions of power in the US who aren’t republicans are democrats. The responsibility lies with the democrats to do whatever it takes to improve voter turnout or fix problems because nobody else has the means and isn’t a republican (and good luck trying to convince them to be less shit). Blaming the people just makes them pissed at you and gets you nowhere.