It’s hard to care about politics. I know because I’m
a political science student, and there are times when I get bored
out of my mind studying politicians, analysts, pundits, pieces of
legislation, court rulings, executive orders, treaties, secretaries
of state, primaries, caucuses, delegates, districts and vetoes. I
know our nation’s leaders can seem soulless and selfish. I
know the laws manufactured in the Capitol Building can seem like
they are delivered to the public from an impenetrable fortress of
money and power.
But I also know we need to fight through those barriers and
become politically active because today we are responsible for the
mess in California.
The California recall election and surrounding melee are the
results of a social climate in which people just do not care enough
about politics. We allowed problems to build up ““ the dot-com
crash, the energy crisis, the budget crisis ““ and expected
our leaders to fix them. Now, many of us feel our leaders have
failed; but truthfully, most of us are as politically uninformed as
ever.
The array of candidates seeking to replace Gov. Gray Davis is
the product of a society in which people are just ignorant enough
and just complacent enough to allow men they do not respect or
trust to make important decisions on their behalf.
Unfortunately, getting people to care about politics is the only
way to fight declining voter turnout and the malaise that allows
inadequate leaders to come to power in the first place. So,
I’m going to try to convince you that the political process
really is something worth following.
First of all, everything is political.
As UCLA students we have felt the direct impact of the state
budget crisis as we struggle with recent fee increases and a
general decline in funding for education. But the scope of politics
expands far beyond our lives at UCLA. The roads on which we drive
are built and maintained by government agencies. The mail we
receive and send is delivered by a government-run army of postal
carriers. The amount of money we earn is determined not only by our
own ingenuity and effort but also by the federal government’s
control over interest rates, monopolies, subsidies, tax rates and
other tools of economic consequence. The news we are fed, the
movies we watch, and the Internet sites we visit are all subject to
various forms of regulation by the government. Even the cleanliness
of the air we breathe is regulated by people in black suits who
either do or don’t value our environment.
Next time you think of anything that angers or pleases you, I
almost guarantee it can be traced back to politics, which brings me
to my next reason for becoming politically active.
Ralph Nader said, “If you’re not turned on to
politics, politics will turn on you.”
Because everything is political, you have a fantastic
opportunity to get screwed by politicians if you don’t keep
up with what’s going on and hold them accountable. You
don’t have to care about every issue. But once you find
something you’re passionate about, go with it. Don’t be
an armchair critic or advocate. As Theodore Roosevelt would say,
“Don’t fritter about.” Take action! You may not
change the world, but if you don’t try, you can only blame
yourself for your problems.
Lastly, according to Aristotle, being involved in politics is
its own reward because man is naturally a political animal. He
believed man could not realize his full potential without being
politically active.
That argument is a little too vague and philosophical for my
taste, but I do think being political is vital to a good life
““ being political essentially means caring about something
and doing something about it.
As college students, many of us (myself included) waste
inordinate amounts of time in front of a television or a computer.
We watch “Celebrities Uncensored” or “Queer Eye
for the Straight Guy” and play Snood and Internet poker as if
those activities actually help us achieve something. Those things
are fine in moderation, but if entire days, weeks and months begin
slipping away into nothingness, you’re just wasting your life
away.
I personally know I can sleep better at night knowing that I did
something worthwhile with my day instead of drifting from one
meaningless activity to another. Being political is not just good
for society, it’s good for you.
So, next time you’re angry, channel that anger into
something positive. Find the political root of your ills, figure
out how to change it, and get to work. I know I’m ashamed of
myself for letting this state turn into a political joke. You
should be ashamed of yourself, too.
Burke is a fifth-year political science student and former
Viewpoint editor. E-mail him at dburke@media.ucla.edu.