It seems like the world has become more polarized than ever before, particularly when it comes to US politics. Moreover, with a slew of online publications that make it their mission to twist and distort public discourse for their own agenda, it can often appear a futile task to even attempt to keep up with what’s going on. However, if you care about the state of the nation and want to ensure that you can make informed decisions, it pays to keep up with the most pressing political issues currently rocking the world. This post will take a look at some ways in which you can remain up-to-date with what’s going on around you while also making sure you remain agenda-free and able to come to conclusions, minus the hate that is all too often present in political discourse.
Subscribe To Reliable News Sources
The first and perhaps foremost action anyone can take if they want to remain updated with the latest news is to find a range of news sources that most people deem reliable and subscribe to them to keep up-to-date. It’s paramount to choose those that discuss the more common topics and avoid those that only focus on fringe subjects; this will help you see the larger picture of what’s happening rather than gaining a blinkered view based on a singular topic. It can also be helpful to subscribe to various figures with specific options to gain a new perspective. These could be highly judgemental, as per David DeBatto in his publication Protecting the Republic, or something a little less confrontational, depending on your predictions. The idea is to make an effort to sign up for these sources and read them regularly.
Be An Adult And Listen To Opposing Views To Your Own
Whether it was social media that split us down the middle or something else is irrelevant. The act remains that politics has taken a genuinely horrifying turn into the highly tribal and thrown comprise right out of the window as a result. It is an unfortunate consequence of modern life that people dismiss the other side outright without ever taking the time to listen to their grievances or issues they face (perceived or otherwise). If you want to be the sort of person who avoids the echo chamber and understands that you cannot fill up a cup that is already full, you need to be an adult and step outside of your comfort zone and hear the other side. This doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything they say, and you may even be highly offended by it. Nevertheless, if you remain firmly within your won echo chamber, you will never be able to stay up to date with everything that is happening around you, and in a way, will also contribute to the further dismal state of politics in your country.
Attend Village Hall Meetings Regularly
If you only ever get your political news from second-hand sources, you will forever be at the mercy of the commentator. Instead, why not visit your local town hall meetings to gain first-hand experience and generate your own views outside often talking heads? Moreover, you will get a better understanding of how your local community works, which is arguably far more helpful to you and your family than fretting over the various movements of the central government. Finally, attending these meetings allows you to air your personal grievances to your representative, giving you a chance to initiate real change that could eventually filter up to the top.
Politics has been far too fragmented, causing all kinds of ruptures in society. However, by staying up to date with the latest news by following reliable sources and getting your own first-hand information, you can help to soothe these issues and keep yourself one step ahead of the crowd.
“If Facsim ever comes to America it will come in the form of a campaign against Facsim.” (Huey Long)
Never actually said that.
He did say “One day America will have fascism, but we won’t call it fascism. We’ll call it Americanism.”
And Reagan repurposed the idea when he said “If fascism ever comes to America, it will come in the name of liberalism.”
Which was just an echo of Eugene Debs’ “In every age it has been the tyrant, the oppressor and the exploiter who has wrapped himself in the cloak of patriotism, or religion, or both to deceive and overawe the People.”
Which itself is a paraphrasing for some ancient Greek (?) observation I can’t place at the moment.