Wednesday, November 16, 2016

What It Means to "Be Political."

Here’s a quick reminder about what it means to “be political” on social media and elsewhere:

When you attempt to depoliticize a discussion with something insipid and off-topic like “the election’s over, ya’ll . . . can’t we all just get back to pictures of cats and people eating at Outback?” You’re being political.

When you “show your support for the troops . . . ‘cuz, man, that’s what it’s all about right there.” You’re being political.  

When you post something that attempts to show how “Hey, Trump won’t be all that bad,” perhaps in some vain attempt to cool people out and extend an olive branch . . . guess what? You’re being political.

When you post a picture of your toddler falling down or a dog serving pizza to a cat because “you want everyone to have something positive to think about after the election.” You’re being political.

The Greek word "polis" means city-state, so “politics” = the affairs of the city-state. Politics isn't something you dip into here and there when you feel like it. It's a avocation. It is living. We are political animals. 

To paraphrase Michel Foucault, “everything is political; everything is dangerous. We must be alert, vigilant.”

Let this be one lesson we all take away from this election. 


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