What matters more to you: politics, social issues, gender issues or environment?

brianlux

There are so many issues facing us today.  I'm curious about how they are perceived as most important.  As a way of increasing likelihood of a more accurate poll, I've made it an anonymous one, so no need to be anything but honest in your choice.  Hopefully, anyone marking "non-of the above" will do so honestly for the sake of thread integrity.

I'm not doing this to berate any who does not agree with my choice (environment, of course), but I am curious about how these issues stack up against each other.  Feel free to divulge your answer or keep it to yourself, but please be respectful toward those who see things differently from you (i.e. the old discuss vs argue issue).  Thanks for participating. 

darwinstheory

Seems like the other issues, albeit slowly, are progressing, or trending in the right direction (unless Pence wins in 2020....that piece of shit). Whereas, over the past few years, I have developed a deep fondness for the beauty of nature (as referenced in my US NP thread). The thing is, as slowly as other issues may be coming along, at least they are coming along. For nature, once it's gone...

hedonist

I'm not sure I could encapsulate one over another, or others.  And I'd need more clarification - which societal or gender issues?

I'm sorry, but it's like when I'm at the checkout line and am offered to donate X amount for mental health issues.  Too broad a term for me.

I wouldn't vote "none of the above" - I'm not an overly-selfish asshole with no concern about anything.

Hope that helps

brianlux

hedonist said:

I'm not sure I could encapsulate one over another, or others.  And I'd need more clarification - which societal or gender issues?

I'm sorry, but it's like when I'm at the checkout line and am offered to donate X amount for mental health issues.  Too broad a term for me.

I wouldn't vote "none of the above" - I'm not an overly-selfish asshole with no concern about anything.

Hope that helps

Thanks for asking for clarification, Hedo.

I think it would be unfair to gender issues to break them down because the program here limits the number of choices.  I personally know people who would chose gender issues based on their particular situation (gay, lesbian, bi, transsexual).

Same with societal issues: poverty, crime, racism, xenophobia, nationalism, etc.

Sorry, I know that's not much help. 

 

HughFreakingDillon

easy answer. environment. all the others don't have an expiration date. 

brianlux

HughFreakingDillon said:

easy answer. environment. all the others don't have an expiration date. 

Well said!

pearljammr78

I chose Politics because I think politics encompass all the issues. 

But my number one in the categories is environmental for sure. I just hope it’s not too late.  

brianlux

pearljammr78 said:

I chose Politics because I think politics encompass all the issues. 

But my number one in the categories is environmental for sure. I just hope it’s not too late.  

I think it's past too late to not have an increase in environmental damage but certainly not too late to move toward reducing and maybe even eventually reversing some of that damage.  I think it worth trying for anyway!

pearljammr78

You are so right. The pessimist in me sees the cancer spreading. The dad in me hopes we can right this ship for my daughters sake. 

brianlux

pearljammr78 said:

You are so right. The pessimist in me sees the cancer spreading. The dad in me hopes we can right this ship for my daughters sake. 

That's the best reason in the world to do what we can! 

pjhawks

I went with social issues and the reason I did is because I believe if you take care of those issues the rest will be taken care of by decent human beings. i believe if society is better and people feel good about themselves then our leaders will reflect society and the other issues will be better served. maybe i'm naive but i believe if you put good people into leadership positions good things will follow.

Lerxst1992

brianlux said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

easy answer. environment. all the others don't have an expiration date. 

Well said!

If a Republican such as trump wins, what chance does the environment have?

PJ_Soul

I picked environment because of what was already said - it's most urgent for obvious reasons. But gender issues are EXTREMELY important to me as well, and I'm sorry to see that it is the only one with 0% selection here, while women's rights are currently being walked backwards by the administration in America, and it is absolutely disgusting, and also an urgent matter.

tempo_n_groove

I chose politics.  If you don't vote for the proper politician then you can fight all you want about the other issues but it won't do any good.  If the politician sucks then his platform will suck too and vice versa.

PJ_Soul

tempo_n_groove said:

I chose politics.  If you don't vote for the proper politician then you can fight all you want about the other issues but it won't do any good.  If the politician sucks then his platform will suck too and vice versa.

Fair point. The options are difficult. I almost didn't answer at all because of the details some of you are bringing up. Oh well!

OnWis97

Politics can mean different things to different people.

I chose it here because it's closest to what I care about right now: Not becoming an authoritarian nation.  "Issues" won't particularly interest me until we've righted that ship.

PJ_Soul

Also true... Really, while there is a fascist crazy person in office who is tearing apart environmental protections, I guess politics really is everything, and has to come before anything else. Once someone sane is in office to reinstate everything that Trump has destroyed, specific issues can come into the light again..... I want to change my vote, lol.

brianlux

Good points all around, thanks all!

josevolution

Politics for me , if we don’t change the political landscape with more moderates from both parties no social issues will change !

tempo_n_groove

josevolution said:

Politics for me , if we don’t change the political landscape with more moderates from both parties no social issues will change !

I agree w having more even keeled people in office but the new thinking is that you need extreme thinking to make change, which is somewhat true.

Do we need people on either extremes to facilitate ideas or to actually follow through with them?

I like that they engage in conversation so you can skim off the extreme rhetoric and get down to something solid.

brianlux

tempo_n_groove said:

josevolution said:

Politics for me , if we don’t change the political landscape with more moderates from both parties no social issues will change !

I agree w having more even keeled people in office but the new thinking is that you need extreme thinking to make change, which is somewhat true.

Do we need people on either extremes to facilitate ideas or to actually follow through with them?

I like that they engage in conversation so you can skim off the extreme rhetoric and get down to something solid.

i.e. doing what makes sense.  Right on!

HesCalledDyer

pjhawks said:

I went with social issues and the reason I did is because I believe if you take care of those issues the rest will be taken care of by decent human beings. i believe if society is better and people feel good about themselves then our leaders will reflect society and the other issues will be better served. maybe i'm naive but i believe if you put good people into leadership positions good things will follow.

Same choice for me and this was basically my thought process as well.

bootlegger10

pearljammr78 said:

I chose Politics because I think politics encompass all the issues. 

But my number one in the categories is environmental for sure. I just hope it’s not too late.  

Too late for humans maybe.  I put environment but that is merely a selfish human response.  

brianlux

bootlegger10 said:

pearljammr78 said:

I chose Politics because I think politics encompass all the issues. 

But my number one in the categories is environmental for sure. I just hope it’s not too late.  

Too late for humans maybe.  I put environment but that is merely a selfish human response.  

It seems normal and rational to me to want to preserve the environment for our own good.  A world not suited for human habitation is surely nothing any of us wants!

But going beyond that, I hope that some day we as a species will learn to have respect for all life and work for a healthier environment for the sake of all creatures. We're part of a much bigger picture than simply our own existence.  I believe that humans seeing ourselves as a separate entity is the root cause of our continuing destructive habits toward nature.  If we could see ourselves as part of the bigger picture we would have more concern for the whole of life.   We would naturally move toward a biocentric viewpoint which is an "ethics that extends the status of moral object from human beings to all living things in nature".

bootlegger10

I have been hooked on YouTube videos about space and am amazed at how the earth is the way it is versus other planets.   Ultimately there are things out of our control like asteroids, earthquakes, tectonic plates, etc... but we can do better about some things.

Jason P

I'm for a return to sanity.  That is probably my number one issue.  Kind of far-fetched at this point.

Jason P

Oops, I forgot to vote ...

https://youtu.be/bXEglx-or6k

brianlux

Jason P said:

I'm for a return to sanity.  That is probably my number one issue.  Kind of far-fetched at this point.

Good choice Jason!  I'm guessing that accounts for one of the three "other" votes. 

My guesses for what the others are include:

-Sex

-Drugs

-Rock and Roll

brianlux

I am reminded yet again at how little traction environmental issues gain on these AMT pages.  

And politicians as well.  How many of them focus on the health of the planet?  Few, if any!

Without a planet healthy enough to sustain human life, there will be no political, social, racial, religious, or gender issues to talk about.

HughFreakingDillon

brianlux said:

I am reminded yet again at how little traction environmental issues gain on these AMT pages.  

And politicians as well.  How many of them focus on the health of the planet?  Few, if any!

Without a planet healthy enough to sustain human life, there will be no political, social, racial, religious, or gender issues to talk about.

I was talking about this exact thing yesterday at lunch with my parents. How they are "happy" they won't be around to see it (they are 76). But not happy knowing their grandchildren might. It really is incredible how utterly selfish the human race is. I mean, the rich can't ride their fucking yachts through lava. But the populace is in constant distraction mode over what's happening in front of them, not what may/will happen later in life. 

brianlux

HughFreakingDillon said:

brianlux said:

I am reminded yet again at how little traction environmental issues gain on these AMT pages.  

And politicians as well.  How many of them focus on the health of the planet?  Few, if any!

Without a planet healthy enough to sustain human life, there will be no political, social, racial, religious, or gender issues to talk about.

I was talking about this exact thing yesterday at lunch with my parents. How they are "happy" they won't be around to see it (they are 76). But not happy knowing their grandchildren might. It really is incredible how utterly selfish the human race is. I mean, the rich can't ride their fucking yachts through lava. But the populace is in constant distraction mode over what's happening in front of them, not what may/will happen later in life. 

Good point.  And the media, in general, is no help.  All the sensational shit gets the front page, the the issues that threaten our and our children's future well being are related to the back pages... if anything.  It makes me makes me makes me crazy.