Most people’s first contact with politics is when they learn about the apparatus of liberal democracy in school. A lot of time is spent treating the various levels of government, the legislative bodies, the major liberal parties, the legal system, the executive branch, etc. For the vast majority, this is the only systematic treatment of politics they will learn, and it is boring. It fills up weeks of their life with dry, lifeless content which they will only ever use once in four years, if even that.
What is far worse, it provides no satisfactory resolution to the very good questions they do need a political education for; questions about the origin and structure of poverty, homelessness, war, unemployment, crime, inflation, inequality, racism, sexism, climate change, or why jobs are sucking so bad. The consequence of liberal democratic education is ultimately that these things are the way they are because people keep voting for them, which - while consistent within the framework established in these courses - of course leaves most people frustrated. The failure of schools to teach critical theory in the end leads not only to a widespread disinterest in these fundamental questions, but also to others turning to unhinged conspiracies surrounding them.
To rekindle one’s interest in politics, it is necessary to ask these questions again. There is - sadly - no shortage of occasions which should prompt you to do that. The zeroth step, of course, is always to read the theory yourself. But in discussions with the politically disinterested, it is advisable to start memorising and dropping short quotes whenever the opportunity presents itself. When they show interest, go over the specific questions that interest them the most, and recommend books and other media. Though you can find great answers to many of the above questions in Capital, you should try not to advertise it as a holy book from which one can get all the knowledge. Depending on the interests of your interlocutor, you should recommend more sectional and modern scientific literature.
Most people’s first contact with politics is when they learn about the apparatus of liberal democracy in school. A lot of time is spent treating the various levels of government, the legislative bodies, the major liberal parties, the legal system, the executive branch, etc. For the vast majority, this is the only systematic treatment of politics they will learn, and it is boring. It fills up weeks of their life with dry, lifeless content which they will only ever use once in four years, if even that.
What is far worse, it provides no satisfactory resolution to the very good questions they do need a political education for; questions about the origin and structure of poverty, homelessness, war, unemployment, crime, inflation, inequality, racism, sexism, climate change, or why jobs are sucking so bad. The consequence of liberal democratic education is ultimately that these things are the way they are because people keep voting for them, which - while consistent within the framework established in these courses - of course leaves most people frustrated. The failure of schools to teach critical theory in the end leads not only to a widespread disinterest in these fundamental questions, but also to others turning to unhinged conspiracies surrounding them.
To rekindle one’s interest in politics, it is necessary to ask these questions again. There is - sadly - no shortage of occasions which should prompt you to do that. The zeroth step, of course, is always to read the theory yourself. But in discussions with the politically disinterested, it is advisable to start memorising and dropping short quotes whenever the opportunity presents itself. When they show interest, go over the specific questions that interest them the most, and recommend books and other media. Though you can find great answers to many of the above questions in Capital, you should try not to advertise it as a holy book from which one can get all the knowledge. Depending on the interests of your interlocutor, you should recommend more sectional and modern scientific literature.