I used to be into politics. Like really into it. Watching the debates, following the news, having opinions on every issue, arguing with people online and in person.
Not anymore.
Because all it does is make you mad and waste your time. You spend hours getting worked up about something you have zero control over. You ruin your mood. You ruin your relationships. For what? At the end of the day you both go home and the people in power keep doing whatever they want regardless.
But here's the trap. Politics matters a LOT. Because it literally controls your life. Your taxes, your healthcare, your job, your rights, your borders, what you can and can't say, what your kids learn in school, whether you can afford a house, whether you can afford to eat. Everything. It's not optional. You don't get to opt out of being governed.
So you got this weird situation where the thing that controls your entire life is also the thing that's pointless to engage with on a personal level. Wild.
Here's the thing about politicians — both sides are corrupt. Every single one of them. They want power. They want money. They want to stay in office. That's it. The policies, the speeches, the moral grandstanding — that's just the costume they wear to get your vote. Once they're in, they do whatever benefits them and their donors. Red, blue, doesn't matter. Same suit, different tie.
That's why I'm a moderate. Not because moderate is some enlightened middle path. But because I genuinely don't believe either side has the moral high ground. They both lie. They both grift. They both pretend to care about you for 6 months every 4 years and then forget you exist. So I just don't care anymore. Pick your poison.
And trying to change someone's political mind? Impossible. Don't even waste your breath.
Because nobody actually arrived at their politics through pure logic. Your political beliefs are shaped by where you were raised. Your parents' beliefs. The observations you made growing up. Your friends. Your school. Your church. The neighborhood. The struggles you went through. The privileges you had. By the time you're an adult, your worldview is baked in. People don't change their minds because of a TikTok or a Twitter thread or even a long heartfelt conversation. They change their minds when their LIFE changes. And even then, barely.
So arguing with someone about politics is pointless. You're not debating ideas. You're debating two different life experiences and asking one person to abandon theirs. It's not gonna happen.
All you get from political conversations is a ruined mood and a broken relationship. Friendships destroyed. Families split. Cousins not talking. Marriages ending. Over what? Over people in suits who don't even know your name and don't care if you live or die.
Politics is truly pointless on the individual level. The world would be better without it. Or at least better without all of us screaming about it.
Now economically — I'll be honest. I'm a fan of the idea of Marxism. The concept is beautiful. Workers actually getting what their labor is worth. No billionaires hoarding while people sleep on the street. Everyone has enough. Nobody is exploited. On paper? Sounds amazing.
But in practice? It's been garbage every single time. Every attempt has turned into authoritarianism, famine, gulags, queues for bread, or some dictator with a personality cult. The idea doesn't survive contact with human nature. People are greedy, lazy, ambitious, selfish, and corruptible — and Marxism doesn't account for that. It assumes the best of people. The free market assumes the worst. Guess which one is more accurate.
Laborers obviously matter a ton. The people who actually build things, drive trucks, stock shelves, fix wires, code the systems, clean the buildings — they make the world run. They deserve way more respect and way more pay than they get. I'll die on that hill.
But unfortunately, the only realistic solution is a free market. With some guardrails. Because it's the only system that aligns with how humans actually behave. People work harder when they keep what they earn. People innovate when they can profit from their ideas. People take risks when there's a reward. It's not perfect. It's not even fair a lot of the time. But it's the most realistic, and weirdly, the fairest. Both unfortunately and fortunately.
So that's where I land. Politics — pointless. Politicians — all corrupt. Marxism — nice idea, terrible execution. Free market — flawed but the most honest about who we actually are.
And the best move? Stop arguing. Stop debating. Stop ruining your weekends getting mad at a screen. Live your life. Take care of your people. Vote if you want, don't if you don't.
Either way, the world keeps spinning and the people in charge keep winning.