el cinismo y la apatía

I've been feeling pretty cynical about politics lately.

I recently wrote this to a conservative friend who asked what I thought of Michelle Obama's speech Monday night:

***

Quite frankly, I've been pretty jaded about politics in general lately. I've basically been feeling like the world is such a screwed up place at this point that it doesn't really matter what happens politically. The one miraculous candidate that can put an end to poverty, and provide health care for everyone, and distribute resources, and keep people safe, and make the Palestinians, Israelis, Iranians, Sunnis, Shiites, Catholics, Mormons, Capitalists, Socialists, and Creationists all join hands and get along just doesn't exist. Can't exist. And maybe that's too much to ask, but I'm beginning to feel pretty apathetic.

I thought Ms. Obama was a fine and articulate, perhaps even exceptional speaker, but the words dripped with the rhetoric of a neoliberal american dream to an extent that the speech seemed both meaningless and sickeningly sweet for me. Wow, I sound so very bitter.

I think this is maybe all stemming from Evo's recent confirmation in the recall election. Which should be uplifting, one would think. But really the whole drama likely exists so that the Bolivian right can keep the Bolivian left too distracted to concentrate on changing the constitution in any significant way. And while I do tend to lean towards the sentiments of those on Bolivia's left, its not really any specific change that would put me to ease. The whole situation just makes so painfully clear that there is never an easy answer, and its always so much easier to slip further down the slope of economic and political disparity, that even a seemingly perfect candidate (and I am in no way implying that Evo is perfect) has little power to create real change. And that coupled with the recent violent outbreaks (or should I say the continuation of violent outbreaks?) is just depressing.

***

so today, as i drove through the rain to school, i was listening to Ralph Nader on democracy now. He had a number of good points, but one really struck me. He said something along the lines of "when people become cynical, feel they can do nothing, and take a step back, that's when they lose the country."

so, while I'm not necessarily inspired to go out and vote for Nader, or Obama, or McCain, i do feel more compelled (is that grammatically correct? can one be more compelled? most compelled?) to snap out of this cynical and apathetic mood i've been in lately.