Greetings STARFLEET,
Today’s discussion is a touchy subject, politics. Many ships maintain a no-politics policy in line with official STARFLEET policy for the purposes of peace on their vessels, and it works for the most part. This post is not designed to encourage the breaking of that policy.
Instead, we’re going to discuss being able to say “I don’t discuss politics. It’s boring. I don’t pay attention to that stuff.” Being able to say those things is a privilege, as using these phrases indicates those who rarely feel the effects of politics that drastically change the lives of others.
There is a long history of decisions in government that look questionable in retrospect, such as denying women the right to vote and the Jim Crow laws in the United States. It was not until enough people said enough that progress was made on these problems.
While these movements may seem historical and far away, they were made possible by people one by one. Typically, the movements started by the people affected by the laws or social norms, and then others joined as they understood the problem.
These days, rights and protections have become political planks for all sides. These planks are things politicians take stances on, and it’s uncomfortable at best to see whether you’re allowed to have the same protections everyone takes for granted debated for political gain. It’s even worse to see your family and friends celebrate when you lose protections.
In the age where everything important has become some form of politics, saying politics is unworthy of attention or boring is not a positive take. It’s not something to aspire to. Instead, it’s on us all to remain attentive to the politics that affect ourselves and those around us.
Be the change, STARFLEET.
Largely, one has to pick one’s battles.
That being said I’m reminded of a phrase I once heard “Stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.”
Or another: “All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Just like folks in various communities will say the hobby is dying because the old guard messes with the newbs, politics has become an increasingly toxic environment. Folks have become so polarized on political issues, that disagreement on a talking point becomes opposition for everything that is good and just in the universe. This kind of hyperbole makes professional conflict into personal conflict, resulting in transitioning peace and harmony into mistrust and hatred.
It’s no wonder folks see the resulting shit show and choose to walk in the other direction.