Let's talk politics

If you've noticed, I've kept politics out of my posts since I started, but I've been compelled to reply to this. Recently, my good friend Khairul Syahir authored a post, titled 'Don't talk about politics with me'. He cites three main reasons for his stand:

1. We're 19.
2. We don't know much about politics
3. When we base our judgments solely on biased sources, it is only right that our judgments are biased too.

Go read his post for the full context of his claims.

Anyway, the past week has been fraught with these 'political discussions', and just about everyone, from the canteen lady to a particular Business teacher we have has been heatedly discussing the political happenings around us. But the have every right to, seeing that they're eligible voters.

How about us then? People like me, who can't do pretty much anything but talk, talk and talk about the elections?

1. We're 19

Actually, I'm 18. And you'd be in for a shock when you find that many others younger than us do 'talk politics' as well. You might think it's a waste of time, since we can't vote or anything, but I beg to differ. Apply the same logic to say, a football fan.

Quote: 'No matter how hard we believe in any party (or team) , we are not eligible yet to vote (we can't do anything about it). So I might as well save my energy and time doing something else like doing my EE or writing my Maths IA or reading up on Special Theory of Relativity that would actually benefits me as a 19-year-old instead of indulging in politics that I cannot do anything about (watching football which I cannot do anything about).'

Why then do 19 year olds everywhere continue watching football, or even talking politics?

Look, I'm pretty darn sure that on the 9th of March, a day after the elections you picked up the newspapers and read about how everyone fared this elections. Why so?

It's simply because we have an interest in the outcome. Like the football fan, he can go die happy if his team Y wins the whatever cup. Likewise, as Malaysians, we are all stakeholders in the governing body. Whatever happens to them will inevitably affect us in some way or another. So we talk politics, to keep ourselves abreast with the news. Don't get us wrong Khairul, it's not all about bashing certain Son-in-Laws or other politicians. It's also healthy discourse, and this leads to more critical thinking. Maybe we've come across as BN bashers and Opposition worshipers, but really, we point out flaws in both, give merits where we can. It's really idiotic of us if we were to delude ourselves into thinking that any one party is perfect. We're not that stupid.

And heck, talking politics is pretty darn fun.

1. .
2. We don't know much about politics

Honestly, I see no reason why we have to dig up the history of the ruling parties, read books by leaders of parties, etc etc. What we want to know is what is relevant today. What we want to know is simply whether or not the contesting parties can deliver the points stated on their glorious manifestos. You don't have to dig that far back. Just look from 4 years ago, the previous elections, when many promises were made and not so many were fulfilled. It's not hearsay, it's not biased opinions or dubious secondary sources. It's the facts. Crime rates, inflation, economic growth. These aren't things you come by digging up the history of parties or leaders. It's facts we've felt around us, facts that have been drilled into our heads every time we read about a missing child, a horrific murder and increasingly commonplace crime. We don't have to know much about politics, we just want to know who can deliver, and who the real incompetents are.

Admittedly, I understand where you're coming from, when you consider all those bandwagon jumpers, who only stop to gossip about politics when the elections swing by. Your points would be validly justified on those people. But some of us aren't that fickle. We have a real interest in what goes on in the country.


3. When we base our judgments solely on biased sources, it is only right that our judgments are biased too.

We've been studying fallacies in TOK (Theory of Knowledge) for a year now. Do you think I would subject myself to such non-objectivity? And don't you think that through discourse we are able to apply, first hand, all we've learned in our TOK lessons, like identifying fallacies in certain ideas or thought? Like I said, there's probably nothing dumber you can do than do delude yourself by only reading one-sided views. Personally, I do try to get my news from as many sources as possible. Unfortunately though, not everyone tries.

Quote : 'When we support one view, we tend to look for everything that goes in support of it. If we support PAS for example, we read Harakah and accept all while dismissing all in the national newspaper.'

Maybe you're referring to the anti-establishment sentiments that have been running hot in the veins of young urbanites like some of our classmates. It's partly true that we can't do anything about it, but at the very least, as rational thinkers, by engaging in a discussion you might bring them to the 'light', so to speak.

There's probably a lot more we can say about this, but I'll stop here. You've chosen not to talk about politics, fine and well, I respect your choice. I, however, will beg to differ.

I will talk politics, and if not with you, with another.