I know people, some of them friends, who can’t go 24 hours without posting about politics on social media, our present cauldron of troubles having overtaken their entire lives to the exclusion of practically everything else. They feel some deep and primal need to make sure that the entire world knows of their hatred for one side or the other…like anyone alive still might be unsure of their position. I mean, they’ve been telling us every day for years now. I think we get it.
However annoying they can be I must admit that I do envy them their certainty. These rabid partisans might be super cringy but they are totally convinced of the righteousness of their cause. My trouble with politics is that basically I don’t give a shit. Some of you are appalled at the level of my disinterest. Others will find it impossible to understand—“How can you be so nonchalant about the most dangerous moment of our lives?” Still others will write off my lack of interest as some kind of proof of privilege of one kind or another. Whatever.
I suppose what’s at the root of my apathy is the fact that I can’t trust the story tellers, the various media companies who report the news to me. Each of them have agendas. None of them are in the business of reporting facts, but rather the framing of facts to suit their preferred narratives. Consequently none of them can be trusted.
But it’s not just that. There’s also the undeniable truth that is irrefutable if you have been consuming news for the last 50 plus years and that is this—nothing, and I mean NOTHING is as bad as we are told it will be. I challenge each and everyone of you reading this post to read the reporting of practically every potential “crisis” reported on in this country and show me one that has ever been as bad or even worse than advertised. Good luck. There’s a simple explanation for this. Measured, serious reporting doesn’t attract eyeballs. Hyperbole does. The more dire the headline, the more people will read or watch. It’s terribly difficult to write a fundraising letter without first having a terrifying story to tell.
So yeah…a couple of weeks ago weeks ago we attacked Venezuela and the initial breathless reporting featured a lot of hand wringing about WORLD WAR III about to start. Now, that story is on page four. It’s quite possible that within the next 24 hours we are going to pull another nation-building/regime change stunt in Iran. Although I have no idea what we can do militarily to keep the Iranian government from killing protesters and am pretty sure whatever we do might very well make things worse, I’m not losing any sleep over this one either. Not a single thing I can do about it, for one thing, and for another, the world is a screwed up place. Bad things happen, and when they do people freak out. But seriously people, would any of you prefer to live 200 years ago? How about 100 years ago? How about this…would you rather it was 1976 instead of 2026?
The answer is a resounding “No”. Be honest. Yes, the world is a dangerous place. But it has always been, and comparatively speaking, to 99% of our ancestors we’ve got it made.
Take a two week break from news consumption. You will be happier and no where near as boring.
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