> Our lives are lived in the present, locally.

Meaningless nonsense.

> You interact with people in your community thousands of times more than people you read about thousands of miles away.

So? How does that invalidate your civic obligation to be aware of the decisions made in the centers of power outside your community? This whole dichotomy between the "local interactions" / socializing vs. governance that happens "thousands of miles away" has no basis.

> Be where your feet are.

Try living in a real hell hole and see if you find self-help phrases like this useful.