Where do you see yourself on the political spectrum?

[phee]

I figured we have not had any people arguing with one another. This might be a good place to start.

 

So where do you find yourself falling on the socio-political spectrum? I think that a lot of people call themselves "apolitical" but I find no one truly is. so... just curious. 

[know_buddy_kares]

I see two parties. They're both over flowing dumpsters with different stinks. But one has been smoldering for a few decades before it turned into a raging dumpster fire in 2016.

I only side towards the democrats because they're not republicans. But to be honest, I don't like the Democrats much better either. Neither party seems to care for the general population, and pull favors for corporations and billionaires. The Dems just do the bare minimum to look like they're for the people.

 

I could go on a longer winded rant about this but meh, mostly I've emotionally and mentally checked out from this. I only try to make the best educated guess as what the future might hold and make plans for what is likely to happen to keep my personal growth growing 

[phee]

2 minutes ago, know_buddy_kares said:

I see two parties. They're both over flowing dumpsters with different stinks. But one has been smoldering for a few decades before it turned into a raging dumpster fire in 2016.

I only side towards the democrats because they're not republicans. But to be honest, I don't like the Democrats much better either. Neither party seems to care for the general population, and pull favors for corporations and billionaires. The Dems just do the bare minimum to look like they're for the people.

 

I could go on a longer winded rant about this but meh, mostly I've emotionally and mentally checked out from this. I only try to make the best educated guess as what the future might hold and make plans for what is likely to happen to keep my personal growth growing 

I can relate.

[know_buddy_kares]

5 minutes ago, phee said:

I can relate.

Yeah the only thing about politics that still gets under my skin is everyone who chooses to die on either hill beyond any reasonable thoughts. It comes off as blind ignorance to me and it's something I've been personally working on myself. I don't know why it annoys me so much. Maybe because I see them as part of the problem that won't allow us to ever open up any remote potential to fix it or find a solution. But I'm trying to see it as yet another force of nature that I must navigate around in life.

[phee]

Any belief system when taken too far becomes a religion. Once you have gone that route all reason and evidence no longer matter... also one assumes everyone is just as brainwashed. 

 

Some of the few remaining "conservative" people I know (because since 2016 they have NOT actually been conservative at all) do not understand why, when they attack Biden or any one on what they perceive as the "other side", that I do not leap to their defense and foam at the mouth with anger and excuses. They are genuinely at a loss for words.

 

They say "fuck Biden" I am like "Okay." 

[know_buddy_kares]

I don't get that lol. When I see those "Fuck Biden" signs or statements it just seems to be part of the cult. And that always leads to racism being the root of it all. That's why I just block it right at the gate.

[phee]

1 hour ago, know_buddy_kares said:

I don't get that lol. When I see those "Fuck Biden" signs or statements it just seems to be part of the cult. And that always leads to racism being the root of it all. That's why I just block it right at the gate.

Probably healthier to just not engage yes.

[know_buddy_kares]

That's basically why I block or walk away. Like back after the Marines, yeah I was dealing with PTSD in really toxic ways due to shitty/no help and had to navigate on my own.

 

Now I at least have a self made road map and have figured out a few short cuts around alcoholism and taking it out on other people.

[Slogo]

Pretty far to the left. Admittedly the past few years have pushed me to a more pro gun position.

Edited July 30, 2023 by Slogo

[phee]

I have nothing against guns... its the gun culture... the ammosexuals that get off on their guns, fetishize and worship them that I have an issue with. 

[Scary Guy]

8 hours ago, Slogo said:

Pretty far to the left. Admittedly the past few years have pushed me to a more pro gun position.

Let me know if you ever want to go shooting.  We have a group called The Godless Gunnies but I don't think they've been getting together.  Ask @Stu as it's his group.

 

 

Anyway, as far as politics I think everyone knows my views.  I usually side with the Libertarians as they're closest to where I am.  Pro freedom, limited government, etc...  Unfortunately it's often filled with people who are nuts.  This doesn't have to be the case.

Same thing with Capitalism.  That itself isn't bad and it's better than the alternatives.  It's simply the exchange of money for goods and services.  What makes it bad is greed and corporatism.

Should people be free to be racist/sexist?  I say yes, but I don't think that they should be because it's morally wrong and treads on the freedoms of others.  There was a good (but heated) discussion at the last DAM regarding if businesses should be free to actually be openly hostile to marginalized groups, and a few said yes but because they don't want to patronize them/give them their money if they're being openly bigoted.  If a place is racist/sexist I certainly don't want to shop there.  But I feel the same way if a place doesn't like firearms.  They should be free to set their own policies and I respect that but damn there are a lot of places I can't shop now.

There is this woke SJW thing where if you're guilty of wrongthink they will just cancel you.  As if anyone can't have subversive ideas or they're evil and should be executed on the spot.

The problem is the divide on both sides and no one is willing to find any common ground let alone actually meet on it.  They just vilify eachother which makes the opposition feel attacked and thus they retract further toward that side which they lean to most, which alienates potential allies.

@Destroit mentioned a film called "Why We're Polarized" and I don't think I found the right thing, but there was a pretty good discussion with the same title that I ended up watching.  It's an hour long but well worth it:

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Scary Guy
Removed tracking link

[Class-Punk]

I am between a conservative and a libertarian.  I am very right-leaning compared to the average person into alternative and gothic culture, and don't fit in, but I also don't totally fit in with the average conservative.  Most of my disagreements with both types of people are probably more cultural than political. 

For example, without going deeply into it, I think polyamory is generally self-destructive and destructive; and alternative and goth people generally don't seem to follow this line of thought, even if they are monogamous in their personal lives; but I also don't want the government dictating what consenting adults do if it's not hurting anyone, so my disagreement on that is cultural.

I'm a big fan of Libertarian-leaning economic and political thinkers like Thomas Sowell and Ludwig von Mises.

[gwen]

i suppose libertarian.not really much of anything. does it matter.

tax cow burps. methane lakes still grow.

politics and religion

distract

from whats happening

there is too many of us

we will fight over rescources

hence politics 

[KatRN05]

Left. Very left. 
No one is illegal on stolen land. 
Human rights are non-negotiable. 
Capitalism is fucking killing us. 
White supremacy must be dismantled. 
Anti-fascist. 

Edited August 1, 2023 by KatRN05

[know_buddy_kares]

15 minutes ago, KatRN05 said:

Left. Very left. 
No one is illegal on stolen land. 
Human rights are non-negotiable. 
Capitalism is fucking killing us. 
White supremacy must be dismantled. 
Anti-fascist. 

This is more accurate for me than what I could puke out about myself. I feel this.

As much as I wish the system would collapse, I doubt it fucking will. So I pump money into the market. I'm either gonna win this game, or win my wish watching it collapse. Either or is fine by me.

 

And fascists... They always lead to genocides. Maybe one day we'll get smart/lucky and flip the genocide on them. I hope I'm long gone and living in another continent by then if it happens. Seen enough wars already.

[KatRN05]

12 minutes ago, know_buddy_kares said:

 

 

And fascists... They always lead to genocides. Maybe one day we'll get smart/lucky and flip the genocide on them. I hope I'm long gone and living in another continent by then if it happens. Seen enough wars already.

Fascism leads to genocide 100%. Trump has already spoken about locking up people in internment camps. Every anti-LGBTQIA + bill is genocide. People on the right have already spoken about eradicating trans people. Indigenous people are still undergoing a genocide. There is an epidemic of MMIW that has gone unnoticed. Black trans people are being murdered. 

When you have a political party like the GOP whose supporters consist of Christofascists and Neo Nazis, that should be an indication. Oh let’s not forget about the sluts for Hitler who are infiltrating school boards. The right is playing revisionist history here with redefining what slavery was. Redefining the Holocaust. Redefining the mass genocide of Indigenous people here. I could go on. 

[know_buddy_kares]

I've been watching it all unfold too. We're getting forced into sides. Something has to stop this because they won't stop.

[KatRN05]

21 minutes ago, know_buddy_kares said:

This is more accurate for me than what I could puke out about myself. I feel this.

As much as I wish the system would collapse, I doubt it fucking will. So I pump money into the market. I'm either gonna win this game, or win my wish watching it collapse. Either or is fine by me.

.

The system is doing exactly what is designed to do. It’s designed to keep us under the constant thumb of control.  The system will collapse eventually. What do you think will happen when people have to starting making those student loan payments and can’t? They should have forgave them so the money could be used to boost the market. 

[KatRN05]

1 minute ago, know_buddy_kares said:

I've been watching it all unfold too. We're getting forced into sides. Something has to stop this because they won't stop.

It’s both sides but right now, there is one side that is fascist.  I hate the two party system but I will not vote third party because it’s another leg up for the right. 

[phee]

For me:

 

My politics are generally pretty simple... If you are not hurting anyone you should be left alone... Socially, being gay does not hurt any one, being trans does not hurt anyone, despite the propaganda immigrants in a general sense do not hurt anyone. Having certain religions beliefs or lack there of do not hurt anyone... but as soon as you start to tell others or force others to follow your beliefs (including kids) you run the risk of hurting someone. Religion usually is the first thing to fail this test, believing in what you want is fine, but religious people barely ever can keep it to themselves.

 

Any type of belief system that tells you that a certain groups or classes of people are better than others "just because" you are hurting others... whether it is believing that you and yours will go to heaven and others will not, or that people with resources vs people without are superior to others, you are hurting others.

 

If you have a zillion times more resources than someone else and think that you have no obligation to the person who does not have the same fortune as you... you are essentially keeping a ridiculous amount more than you would ever need from that person and are hurting that person. (On the other side of this if you are taking from others without any accountability or responsibility for yourself, you are also hurting others, but the amount of this from what I have seen pales in comparison to the amount of wealthy people who take advantage of those who are not)

 

Guns... they exist people have them... this country has it in it's DNA. Responsible ownership is good etc... but the fetish that people have for guns is stupid... the fact that there are more guns in this country than people is stupid... the fact that people fight for the right of unstable people to have guns is stupid. 

 

I know this makes me sound left leaning... I am okay with that, but there was a time when conservative actually meant to conserve things and having personal freedom... not so much any more. 

 

(this is a start)

[KatRN05]

9 minutes ago, know_buddy_kares said:

I've been watching it all unfold too. We're getting forced into sides. Something has to stop this because they won't stop.

Sometimes I feel like my beliefs are extreme. But I’ve watched what has happened since 2016. Even before that. We all have. It’s not been good. It wasn’t ever great to begin with. 

Edited August 1, 2023 by KatRN05

[know_buddy_kares]

2 minutes ago, KatRN05 said:

It’s both sides but right now, there is one side that is fascist.  I hate the two party system but I will not vote third party because it’s another leg up for the right. 

That's exactly why I hate it.

2016, "It votes for Clinton or else it gets the Trump!"

2020, "It votes for Biden or else it keeps the Trump!"

2024, "It votes for Biden again or else it gets the Trump again!"

 

Like we're all stuck in holes here and our gov't keeps giving us the Buffalo Bill bullshit. I wish there was a quicker way out of this. I just hope 2024 elections absolutely destroys the Republicans so the Dems don't have a dumpster fire to stand next to to look good, and actually HAVE to do something to reverse thr damage thats been done.

 

Jack Smith is a good omen this year though.

[Queen of Foxes]

I'm with the Lizard People and Sasquatches. 

[KatRN05]

4 minutes ago, know_buddy_kares said:

That's exactly why I hate it.

2016, "It votes for Clinton or else it gets the Trump!"

2020, "It votes for Biden or else it keeps the Trump!"

2024, "It votes for Biden again or else it gets the Trump again!"

 

Like we're all stuck in holes here and our gov't keeps giving us the Buffalo Bill bullshit. I wish there was a quicker way out of this. I just hope 2024 elections absolutely destroys the Republicans so the Dems don't have a dumpster fire to stand next to to look good, and actually HAVE to do something to reverse thr damage thats been done.

 

Jack Smith is a good omen this year though.

I voted for Bernie in the primary. Surprisingly he won my county. But I did vote for Hillary because I saw Trump for what he was. 

[KatRN05]

1 minute ago, Queen of Foxes said:

I'm with the Lizard People and Sasquatches. 

Can I be honest with you? “Lizard people” is rooted in anti-semitism. And with the current political climate, there has been a sharp increase in anti-semitism. 
 

https://www.varsity.co.uk/comment/11782