American Politics.....

Well, it has been quite a while since last I posted on here. Like many people, real life got in the way of my blogosphere life and I didn't have much to comment on that I couldn't say in public. However, recently I have realized just how much I don't like American politics.  Many people might wonder about this comment because I am an international relations major, read the news incessantly, and usually use my facebook page as another avenue for posting slightly inflammatory political news.  However, I still don't like politics... I like government.

  For me, there is a clear distinction between government and politics, which people don't always see.  I would generally define government as the acts, institutions, and theories behind governance whereas politics are the thoughts, arguments, theories, and ideals which help people influence governance.  Specifically in America, I dispise the fact that our politics are so marginalizing.  Look at President Obama's most recent act to provide work visas to illegal alien youth and the hatred it has caused from many people in the opposition.  Members of my family have said that this is tantamount to high treason, that Obama is a fascist and many other things.  Do we even know what treason or fascism is?  Our political discussion in our country is no longer a discussion at all, it is simply a Facebook page filled with knee jerk reactions full of hatred, bigotry, and stupidity.  I like government, and studying it, because government is how we solve problems and help people.  Politics is how we fill up the evening news and make friends and family angry at one another for almost no purpose.