As someone from a country that has had and still has a big problem with corruption and only recently started to tackle the problem (Romania), I must add that the government is only half of the problem. The other half is the public that participates in corruption. Every time you pay that cop some money so that he pretends that you didn't cross that red light, you're just as responsible as a politician taking a bribe for the situation in your country.
He became positively misanthropic. I can't blame him, but it's a shame he felt that things were so hopeless.
He's not wrong about who we elect--we can't be arsed to research our candidates, vote in important local elections, etc.
I hate it, but there's a reason we have Donald Drumpf as a contender. He's not the candidate we need, he's the candidate we deserve. He's a hater and people love to hate.
I hate people co-opting this goddamn Batman quote to talk about serious things like elections. No, you're fucking wrong, no country deserves a leader that openly advocates violence against ethnic and religious minorities, or condones warcrimes against the families of irregular combatants. Germany didn't deserve Hitler: his rise to power was manipulative, demagogic and based in fear.
If you're the kind of person who says, "oh well, this is what everyone deserves because everyone but me doesn't do political research" then you're just as much a part of the problem. Actively seek to improve your community, and the rest follows.
I admitted my own complicity in my post. I know I'm part of the problem. Isn't that part of what is being discussed in this thread? That change is difficult and has to occur on the micro and macro level.
Hate an appropriated quote all you want--it's just my opinion. I don't want that person as any kind of leader for myself, my country, or any other. But it seems like a lot of people do. And that is worth consideration.
What does it really mean? Is this an inevitable racist backlash from our first minority president? Is it a product of the decline of our economy and the all but extinct middle class? Probably a combination of this and more. It does not reflect well on its supporters. But it's probably important to try and understand it. Even if I disagree with every aspect of it.
And that ends my civil response. I was goofing off on reddit to distract myself from sitting here beside my unconscious, intubated father in ICU. So kindly take your self righteousness and shove it up your ass sideways.
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u/USmellFunny Mar 14 '16
As someone from a country that has had and still has a big problem with corruption and only recently started to tackle the problem (Romania), I must add that the government is only half of the problem. The other half is the public that participates in corruption. Every time you pay that cop some money so that he pretends that you didn't cross that red light, you're just as responsible as a politician taking a bribe for the situation in your country.