We are currently in a national crisis, with our political system under assault by a hostile foreign power, our majority government seemingly uninterested in that fact (and it is a fact), and with a leader apparently more interested in himself than the country. This isn't the first national crisis we've had to go through as a nation, and it won't be the last, but despite the similarities between the current crisis and another national crisis, Watergate, and I remember Watergate very well, this crisis is unique, for reasons I won't give here due to the nature of Hangout (and this thread really shouldn't be in Hangout, not if the OP wants honest answers). It is also highly frustrating. So how do I keep my sanity? I read diverse sources of news. As examples, I don't watch the same news channel every time, I don't read the same online news sources over and over again. With a large variety of news sources, one can make up his or her mind about the news and what it means. You aren't a "captive audience" for a single cable news source, a single network news program, or a single online news source. Because that hostile foreign power is still very active in influencing our news and our politics, as well as the news and politics of our friends and allies, I help maintain my sanity by remaining aware of that fact, and fighting it by having as many sources of the news as I can.
I am fairly successful in not engaging in the popular political banter as well but try not to unplug completely on what’s going on which is a difficult balance at best. Wish I had a good answer of how to get actual news while avoiding the political noise because that’s all I really want.
One of the freedoms you get from living in a stable democracy is not having to pay attention all the freaking time. We have lost that freedom and it will be terribly hard for us citizens to get it back. But I think it can be done.
I try to keep politics at arm's length. In other words, I don't bury my head in the sand...but at the same time I seldom wade in deep in political discussions. Both on the internet and IRL. And I limit the time I spend thinking about politics. I'm also careful about where I get my serious news from. Most media outlets are terrible with a lot of clickbait, trolling, etc. I generally don't take Fox News, CNN and MSNBC seriously...those aren't news organizations; they're entertainment/theater masquerading as news. And I can tell that many of their journalists and talking heads are intentionally bullshitting...who knows what their true beliefs are. Plus many of their shows (and websites) are designed to play to people's emotions (be it anger, etc.). It makes sense business-wise...such tactics - along with other things such as provocatively dressed attractive women - help keep people watching. I also generally avoid places like Daily Caller, HuffPo, Slate, Breitbart, Mother Jones, etc.
You have to keep perspective. The great thing about our Democracy, is that it normally swings back and forth. As much as you may think the world is going into the toilet we are better off than we were in 2008. As much as I dislike trump, he hasn't completely ruined things yet. Unlike Bush, he hasn't started a war and he hasn't cut capital gains tax(the main reason for income disparity). That being said, as a left leaning moderate, I personally couldn't marry a person that was extremely conservative or crazy liberal. Open mindedness and intellectual curiosity are some of the main things I have to have in a relationship.
I could go on a long diatribe about politics and news so I'll try to keep it short. We get the WWE version of politics and news. What is politics really about? Its a tug-of-war for the distribution of money, resources and power and creating laws to protect and defends those systems and the people. When was the last time you heard a discussion on a political or news show about why a policy exists. What does this government agency do, is it necessary? Why are we fighting this war? Instead we get personal attacks and people yelling at each other without actually talking about politics at all. I'm not sure if the screaming and shouting shows are actually a concerted propaganda effort to distract people from important topics or they are catering to the least common denominator or a little of both. The reality is we don't get any real political discussion. Does anyone remember the news or political outrage from a week, a month, a year ago? Nope. Turn off the reality TV news and read a long form article or watch a documentary. Then you can find out about the real issues with our government and society such as regulatory capture,the gigantic military industrial complex, the lack of voter representation, the rise of the fourth branch of government, lobbyists buying power, for profit prisons, technology replacing jobs, etc. etc. etc.
Really appreciate all the responses so far. I figured I wasn't alone, but wanted other people's perspectives and tips on it as well
I try to just keep in mind that everyone will have their own political leanings and agendas. Every new station, every article, every person. It is almost impossible to be impartial when discussing politics. These are really just all opinions. I understand its serious, but its almost like liking a sports team. Sometimes a persons team can do no wrong, even if the outcome isn't what you're thinking. I just control what I can control, and I'm fine with that, in the grand scheme of the world. I try to stay out of it a bit with family, at least my mom. I swear she just normally hates whoever is president. Hated Bush, hated Obama, but then fell in love with Trump. So there just isn't really discussion that actually happens.
