House of Strauss Narrated: You May Not Be Political, But Politics Finds You
Feb 27, 2026
A reflection on how politics seeps into everyday life and public rituals. A debate sparked by a sports column about a national team visit and its perceived endorsement. Stories about college lessons and a farmer parable that show distant forces shaping private lives. Personal moments when neutrality broke during 2020 and the pressure to respond publicly.
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College Farmer Story That Shaped His View
- Ethan Strauss recounts a college globalization lesson about a Mexican corn farmer who was devastated by NAFTA and forced into urban life.
- The farmer story illustrates how distant policy decisions can upend supposedly private, apolitical lives and framed Strauss's realization in 2020.
Politics Finds People Whether They Choose It Or Not
- Strauss concludes modern public life drags private people into politics, likening it to globalization choosing people rather than people choosing it.
- He realized abstaining from politics is often impossible because social forces demand visible participation or definition.
Pressure After Staying Silent On A Blackout Square
- Ethan Strauss describes being pressured after not posting a Black Lives Matter solidarity square in 2020 and facing public criticism from peers.
- That experience forced him to speak publicly about beliefs he previously kept private and changed how he participated in discourse.