NationStates Jolt Archive

For my political Science class I have been reading Kenneth Minogue's "POLITICS: A Very Short Introduction". Within this book Minogue goes over the formation of politics over time and talks about how it has changed and how it affects society.

Now in the last question Minogue asks the question : Can politics survive the 21st century. His opinnion, or so I think, is that it will not, because we are no longer using politics as it was originally. We are taking it out of its original context by immersing it into the media and applying it to everyday life. And I also beleieve that he throws in the idea that coporations will take the world into another form of fedualism... maybe...

Now I ask you, since this is ovbiously the best place to ask the question since we all have atleast a basic understanding of politics, do you think politics will survive the 21st century, why or why not?

DAMN this is interesting stuff..

Now if you would like to do some background informaiton on this the lat chapter of the book which goes over his oppinion can be found at:

http://www.ukpoliticsmisc.org.uk/usenet_evidence/end_of_politics.htm



Personally myself I believe that politics will not survive the 21st century... But people will think it still does... this goes on the idea that peopel as a majority are slightly stupid, and dont know all the facts before the make their decision. Now with that said politics could be taken away from us in the sense that the government uses an illiberal stance, as in telling peopel what they believe, and peopel being stupid as they sometimes are will take what the governemnt tells them as truth to be the truth.

Now I know this does seem a little bleak, but surely there are some good examples. Religion has done this to people since how long, dictating what is right and wrong, is it not possible that in time a governemnt would be able to do the same, if not just the media and coporation or activist groups, continually telling peopel what to do?

Politics depends on people knowing what they want, and stating it in a public forum, I'm just wondering if politics could soon come to an end as people become less knowledgable about the issues and as peopel become more influenced by groups...

This is just a fleeting idea, but surely some other peopel have oppinions about what will happen to politics in the future..

So again, do you think politics will survive the 21st century?

Wow...far too heady a topic for a Friday night... :p

Man is by nature a political animal. Yes, we will always have it, although not always in the form we see today.

Politics, put very, very simply, is the process by which society decides who gets what. So long as there is need, and so long as those needs cannot be instantly and completely gratified, then we will always have a system of politics to distribute goods and address needs.

oh common, you know you wanna:cool:

I see us always having some political structure. Weather we become enlightened (Im an optimist). As in we have become near Uptian as we can get. Weather it be some form of Communism or Socialism in which we all care for and help each other.

Or we fall into a degenerating spiral, an outcome I dont want to see. With the raise of dictators who are constantly over thrown replaced by a new regime. Or complete destruction of civilization resulting in independant city states.

oh common, you know you wanna:cool:

Oh, I do...just not after eight beers. ;)

I see us always having some political structure. Weather we become enlightened (Im an optimist). As in we have become near Uptian as we can get. Weather it be some form of Communism or Socialism in which we all care for and help each other.

Or we fall into a degenerating spiral, an outcome I dont want to see. With the raise of dictators who are constantly over thrown replaced by a new regime. Or complete destruction of civilization resulting in independant city states.

Well... I think Minogue is arguing that politics is based on a democratic system, asd in the peopel vote for what happens... so I dont think communism would fall under his idea of politics

Yes, politics will survive and thrive in human society, though the nature of the politics willl change. All politics traditionally follow the rich ruling the poor plan, and it always will follow that, because it works.

Yes, politics will survive and thrive in human society, though the nature of the politics willl change. All politics traditionally follow the rich ruling the poor plan, and it always will follow that, because it works.

How does the rich ruling the poor work? Is it because they are born into privilage and they do not have to struggle and try to succeed that makes them "better" than any one else? Or that these supposedly "better" lines back in the past where very imbreed and genetically weak because they did not want to weaken the blood?

Who is to say the poor do not have damn good leaders in their ranks? But because they lack money no one takes them seriously. Thats why we need some sort of enlightened socialism or some new form of government that accepts EVERYONE not just those born into rich families.

No, because someone in the world is going to have a hissy fit and push the big red button one of these days.

And before you start out with, "omg hes tlaking bout bush lol bush ftw"; I'm referring to any world leader. Chill out.

hmm... I think it will survive, because I dont think we will fall back into a system of depotism,

If you're talking about politics as in free and democratic, I say no. Not to get into the whole global warming thing, but it seems that we are on the verge of a radical climate shift. When the natural buffers fail and all hell breaks loose, all will see just how fragile democracy is. People, in their despiration, will turn to whomever can get them the basic things they need to live. Democracy is a luxury we have been fortunate enough to experience (to some extent), but push hard enough and it comes crashing down with surprizing ease.

Yes, I'm a pessimist, and yes I have a low opinion of my species.