Current affairs are those things which fill the newspapers. And even they seperate different aspects of current affairs. That's why there's sections for local news, national news, politics, opinion, arts, sports, etc.
When someone says they are interested in "current affairs" it is an insufficient explanation of the thing. I don't think I ever met the person who is equally interested in every section of the newspaper. Anyone will tell you that they go to this or that section first. Plus, there are sections they might never look at.
Of course, one of the hallmarks of current affairs is that no deep philosophical underpinings are presented. What is discussed is "Current." History is glossed over. The meaning of the affairs is not discussed -- only the actions of today. The person who is into a certain aspect of current affairs might not even realize where the "affairs" started or to what they are related. The history might be totally irrelevant to the person. Does someone who follows baseball need to know about the rules of the game of the 1880's? Or the equipment used in football of the 1920's? No. The current is what is of interest.
In many ways, current affairs and the discussion of them is mere entertainment. Coupled, of course, with some serious affects on a persons current live. The vast majority of people live in the current time. They are dimly aware of the past. They might not remember, nor want to know, what happened just 20 years ago. Though those aspects affect the current affair, they are unimportant to the person who is dealing with the current time.
So when someone says they are into current affairs, be wary of what they mean. |
