[kobayashi]

1: And it's a shame when people don't "believe in politics", because if one isn't a lunatic, then that individual, if involved, can and will make a difference. There's a saying that's especially true in politics - half the battle is just showing up. Well, it's commonly known that if one wants to be influential, it starts with staying later than the other people and stacking chairs, stuffing envelopes, and knocking on doors. Now, that's not sufficient to obtain success, but it is necessary. However, when we tell people that they can't make a difference because they don't have money, we're lying to citizens and suppressing their democratic influence. Can we criticize aspects of democracy? Absolutely. Should we say it's fundamentally broken? Absolutely not.

2: That's theorizing without experience or evidence.