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Comment by jr3592 | Hacker News Reader

> it's a mistake. Nihilism is a dead end (or political cynicism/fatalism, whatever you want to call it).

As someone deep in nihilism and political cynicism, I can concur, this is no real solution.

The problem is I don't believe leaning into that world is a solution either, and anyone who says otherwise, sounds like my boomer parents who have Fox news streaming on their 80" TV that they update every year, in their 4500 sqft home.

I mean this genuinely and not to stoke a fire, comments advocating for leaning into the political world really feel naive and perhaps generational. Most younger people have a damn near impossible time feeling anything other than dread and sadness when thinking about the state of politics.

I'd love to have a genuine reason to be hopeful, but regardless of which party you believe in, it feels like we're all circling the drain here.

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I was deeply cynical about politics until I joined a party. The idiots hid when I was around. The boomers in the nomination commitee were throwing posts at me. It was surrealistic and nothing like I imagined. Then I realized something even worse. There are no cabal of idiots. The older generation is not holding on to power. (YMMV ofc). It is some sort of deeper systematic problem with disengagement. And the angry mob knocking on the door really are idiots.

You mean you joined the party leadership by going to meetings and such? I'm curious. Can you expand on what you mean by disengagement?

Yes. Straight up no roadblocks in two years. County level. I assumed I would have to fight tooth and nail for years and be manouvered out by some old guard all the time. It was nothing like I imagined.

Disengagment among voters and inactive party members towards active party members.

Trying to get engagement is like pulling teeth. You could be in a commitee deciding a thing, inviting the public to a meeting discussion how the thing should be done. Some of the few who show up complain that you are not changing the thing and just talk. Then you change the thing and suddenly, when it is too late to change the decision without a lot of hassle, there is way more discussion about the thing and complaints on how it is done, from people that are not aware of the trade offs or prior discussion or the whole picture.

Very frustrating. (Be aware of that the story is somewhat hyperbolic to make a point. Also, yes, Goomba fallacy).

I think the main problem is that way too few people are active in politics compared to way back. There are like no channels to reach out and too little every day discussions.

I mean I've been part of many community organizations so I'm not surprised, but interesting to note nonetheless!

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