Bit of an ugly title, but I can't think how else to phrase it. When I was a teenager, I was very 'into' politics. I grew up under Thatcher in a depressed area, so my politics were naturally fairly left-wing. It meant a lot to me for about two years - then I discovered girls and drugs and alcohol and stuff, and since then I find it very hard to get worked up about anything political.
That seems like kind of an airheaded statement, but I don't think I'm airheaded. I'm interested in philosophy and history and literature and film and lots of other stuff that might be considered intellectual, but current politics just makes me feel alienated and indifferent. I think the last straw was Blair: in 97, I was really hopeful that he would change Britain, possibly even the world, for the better. Within 18 months, I realised I'd been kidding myself. With Obama, now, I have very few hopes. I vaguely think that he's preferable to Bush, but I find it hard to believe that it will make much difference in the long run. And if he does anything amazing, he'll just be assassinated anyway.
So am I just a rambling drunk middle-aged cynic, or has anyone else experienced this growing disillusionment with politics?
That seems like kind of an airheaded statement, but I don't think I'm airheaded. I'm interested in philosophy and history and literature and film and lots of other stuff that might be considered intellectual, but current politics just makes me feel alienated and indifferent. I think the last straw was Blair: in 97, I was really hopeful that he would change Britain, possibly even the world, for the better. Within 18 months, I realised I'd been kidding myself. With Obama, now, I have very few hopes. I vaguely think that he's preferable to Bush, but I find it hard to believe that it will make much difference in the long run. And if he does anything amazing, he'll just be assassinated anyway.
So am I just a rambling drunk middle-aged cynic, or has anyone else experienced this growing disillusionment with politics?
