On Politics & Blogging

Yes, we blog to convey our ideas. Yes, we blog to express ourselves in a domain accessible to millions of people. Yes, we blog to reveal our stances on particular socio-cultural issues. But, I hesitate to proceed with the next point in this post, because I am also prone to this mistake. This mistake I speak of is overzealousness and vanity.

When we highlight a political issue for example, we choose quotes, pictures, words and frame the blog post in such a way as to reflect our own opinion. That is absolutely expected - no problems there. However, when we start to assert elements of absolutism and excessive negativity (in the form of accusations or skepticism) we begin to lose that moral high ground. We start to appear defeated, unwilling to compromise, almost childish.

Moreover, overzealousness invites ignorance, and ignorance welcomes irrational judgments. When we are too self-absorbed in our own opinion, we inadvertently shut off other avenues of thought. When we attribute blame to another party or label something or someone as a scapegoat, we are only perpetuating that cycle of terror and fear on each other. Our blog readers do not benefit from overzealousness.

Instead, we risk losing readers in our attempts to win them. Let me explain this paradox in the context of political blog posts. Of course, the very exercise of politics as we know it today, is to have your voice heard and to struggle for decision-making power. This monopoly of power motivates many, including bloggers, to jump on the proverbial bandwagon. Bloggers try to influence others. Bloggers are self-interested despite their claims. Bloggers are vain. Here, I condemn myself for committing the same mistakes.

Bloggers who employ overtly negative overtones in their posts are often  responsible for tarnishing the brand of politics. We are simply painting politics with our blackened presumptions and limited scope. We criticize and speak against leaders in cultural contexts thousands of miles away, on the staunch belief that what works here in Canada or the US works everywhere. Surely, the millions of protesters on the street are doing the right thing. Surely, violence and revolution is the way of the future. Is this really what politics has come down to? Well, our readers who are not well versed in headlines or political news sometimes lack that discerning eye. Politics has thus become a dirty, chaotic and vicious game. Of course it is, some might say, but should it be that way? 

To pick sides in the matter of the Arab World Protests would be to commit the same mistakes I have mentioned earlier. If you have been following my writing thus far, you will have realized that I am against the practice of blogging out of overzealousness since its effects are far reaching. We have a revolutionary power in our hands - the social network online. Let us harness its powers in a collaborative way. When we write on political issues, let us frame it in an educational manner, staying away from the wordings that may antagonize another party. I guess you can say that I am asking for prudence and foresight from bloggers, we wield more influence and sway than we believe. Now, it is our turn to practice moderation in our simple daily blog posts.

Let me wrap up with a short commentary about vanity. No matter how you justify it, the narcissistic nature of  online activity tempts bloggers to 'appeal to the masses'. Blogs are like glasshouses, we try to exhibit eloquence, bombastic words, snarly political views, witty analogies (like I am now) - all these we nurture and care for like a nursery. Yet, we still throw stones.

Now, let us channel these energies spurred by our vanity to involve our readers with meaningful dialogue, to challenge them in a diplomatic way, to stop this propagation of overzealousness, hysteria, scapegoating and fear.

May we plant the seeds of understanding and temperate idealism. May we grow the flowers of harmony and respect for one another.