The importance of politics

I just realized I haven't posted in over a year. I am not going to make any promises to pick this back up and post on a regular basis, but something someone said to me today really struck me.

At work, a few of us were talking about voting. The one person in the group who hadn't voted yesterday said he sees people who follow politics as sports fans: "You're either rooting for one team or the other." At first glance, this seems like it could be true, but the more I thought about, the more I realized that it's not.

With sports teams, the worst that can happen if your team loses is you're disappointed. Or maybe you lose some money or a possession from a bet you made. But these are one-time losses. In politics, if your team loses, you can get stuck with policies and regulations that effect how you live your life, for the rest of your life (or a large chunk of it). You may end up paying more in taxes. You may pay more for electricity or lose some rights. Your business may suffer. If your team wins, your business may be able to employ more people. You may be able to finally save something for retirement or for that vacation you want to take. Opportunities may open up. This applies no matter which "side" you're on: things will happen that effect your daily life, and they can be for better or worse.

That's why politics are important and worth following, and maybe occasionally getting a little worked up over. It's important to know enough about politics and politicians so that you can make a reasonable judgment about how they will represent you and your values.