What is the status of public discourse in this nation and where is it going? These questions we must ask ourselves. You don’t have to look too far till you find stark evidence that shows the integrity of our national debate and the depth of our communication is fading quickly.
Entertainment and politics in the modern society of America has created a deadly mix and a blow to the integrity of our national debate. In this election cycle, think of the severe case of P. Diddy and his entourage crashing a Young Republicans meeting in New York City, shouting his shallow views through a megaphone and broadcasting it over MTV. Of course, all this MTV and Choose or Lose business is built on the history of the relationship between media and politics over the past 50 years. Nightly news from the Big Three can be credited with beginning this disastrous mix that some call “Infotainment.”
And that’s really what it is – a little information to stimulate the mind, but there’s more entertainment in their irrelevant news pieces on politics. It’s like watching a train wreck while munching on popcorn just for the fun of it. The train of politics moves on destroying most in its way and drawing in more shallowness to top it off. So, it comes to this: news delivers the latest information to the masses with a side of sensationalism and shock to create entertainment for all. Yes, politics is still about issues – to a certain degree – but all the junk that you have to sift through has nearly made principles irrelevant in the elite circles.
This truth has been reflected in this election cycle, as the big issues are mostly irrelevant or spawned out of the irresponsibility of the America people.
First, the most talked about issue is the Vietnam War. There’s really nothing to say about that except that there’s no reason for the media or the candidates to talk about it for more than half a day. On a similar note, President Bush’s record in the National Guard has been a big issue. The only reason Bush’s record is even under scrutiny is because of infotainment in America. The economy has been a big issue, but in reality there’s nothing wrong with our economy, and we’ve long-since pulled out of the recession. Health care, another big issue, has become a matter of the federal government but shouldn’t be – it’s simply a result of a people dependent on its socialist government.
The combination of a lust for power, entertainment and government has shown to lead to all kinds of immaturity. Still, this childish behavior hasn’t stayed within the confines of government; immaturity is rampant in all areas of society – and both sides seem to encourage each other.
We, as a people, aren’t growing up. We’re all acting childish in business, personal lives and politics. It’s a childishness that’s not characterized by innocence, but an animal-like childishness that leaves its mark in the popularity of pornography, strip clubs and all sorts of lusts, the divorce rate, business corruption, political corruption and a real failure to live up to just societal standards. It’s destroying our ability as a nation to walk through serious issues. It’s creating an uncertain future for America – one that, followed to its end, will surely bring a collapse.
It all has to do with responsibility. Or in our case, a lack thereof.
This nation is filled with a bunch of kids (lusts), yet we have no innocence.
