Some have a pat answer for such inquisitions. Many times, we are we caught up fishing for an answer. ("Well..., I value my family, my job, and, er, God, and my dog...")
Generally what's offered are pretty widely shared values: family, health, economic well-being, spirituality, friendships, and more. Some intrepid among us cite sex, eating, or other physical experiences. Some may value the setbacks and challenges of life.
How often do we think about the value of basic elements that enable our lives? What about water? Breathable air? Light? What value do we place on whatever it is that lets us perceive ourselves in the world?
In fact, we must value it all: every bit of the here-and-now that we have had, have now, or h0pe to have on the planet, with all the ups and downs, agonies to ecstacies, peak experiences and deadly dull routines. These things matter to us because they constitute what our lives are about. To choose favorite "values" over others may be an interesting exercise. Whatever we leave off such lists, we would not choose to live without, for they too are a part of our lives.
To talk about "politics," we also need to go behind the obviously political stuff - voting, holding office, participating in decision-making - to appreciate the whole which constitutes our political condition. When government is formed and acts for the good of the people, political scientists are challenged to show what works for that end and why. When government is acting against the good of the people, everyone is challenged to find out how that distribution of power works in order to find a way to redirect it or dismantle it. There are elements of political life that must exist whether government is good or not. Of these, traffic stands out as one of the most pervasive, taken-for-granted aspects of life.
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