Political beliefs you no longer have

[downnola]

I personally dropped quite a few of my political beliefs as I matured. I used to be very against gay marriage (and really all other LGBT rights things) and had very Christian-centric view of religious freedoms. I also used to be strongly pro-life, and I softened my stance on that a lot, and now have a more nuanced view of it. Now I have a much more tolerant policy that thinks everyone from any religion or sexuality should have the exact same set of rights, because my prior beliefs in those areas were directly contradictory with my stated belief of equal rights. Essentially I didn't really change my overall political viewpoint as much as I worked to eliminate the hypocrisies that were inherent in it.

Same here. I've never liked the practice of abortion and still don't, but it really comes down to two things: 1. Women need control of their reproductive rights and 2. banning abortion solves nothing. I feel like the best way to resolve the issue is to focus more on the first point and making abortion an obsolete and unnecessary practice. Presenting the issue in this manner exposes who's just after control of other people fairly quickly.

[JohnBrown1917]

A whole bunch.

When I was a teen I was a Marxist (and I don't mean the way people on this form both claim to be and use an an insult) I was litteraly a member of the marxist-leninist party of great Britain, went on the rallys and protests. And to be Completly honest I probly still would be if it wasn't for the save palistine campaign Facebook Chat group. If it hadn't gotten so toxic one night and I hadn't been up to say what I had thought was a common goal of all of us, that the workers of Isreal are still the working class and we should stand up for all the working class and by unity we end conflict.... Well I'd wouldn't have been booted from the chat, questioned alot, and eventually left the party.

After that I kinda started looking at alot of different political beliefs and theory's and now I'd say I'm a disrealian who votes lib dem as I belive there policy's to be the closest to that belife currently, though no party really follows disreali properly. That and I'm tierd of the Conservative party parroting the term one nation without actualy understanding anything of one nation policy's just cos they want to swing some working class seats.

Being part of the working class does not mean you get to contribute to the opression of other people.

[Thekri]

Same here. I've never liked the practice of abortion and still don't, but it really comes down to two things: 1. Women need control of their reproductive rights and 2. banning abortion solves nothing. I feel like the best way to resolve the issue is to focus more on the first point and making abortion an obsolete and unnecessary practice. Presenting the issue in this manner exposes who's just after control of other people fairly quickly.

Yep. Same here. I still don't like abortion, but the only responsible way to minimize it is to expand access to contraceptives, provide post-natal support to single mothers to expand their options, improve medical capabilities and education to prevent avoidable medical issues, and things like that. Basically I gave up on the idea of banning it, in favor of policies that help people resolve the underlying problems that cause it in the first place. So I am still very pro-life, just not associated with other people that use that word. It winds up having a lot more in common with Pro-choice positions then pro-life positions, so I have more political common ground with them.

[jonnysensible]

There are thoughtful libertarians.

[Endus]

If you had read the post I responded to instead of butting in without knowing what you're talking about, you'd know that someone went from being a feminist to not feminist. Do you think he's changed his mind so much that he now runs around smacking women on their ass just to have pay back for something? I think not. Daily speech, mate. That's what the dude I responded to concluded. It's not binary, genius.

I saw that post. They're either wrong about what "feminism" means, or they've become a misogynist. You can take your pick.

There are different levels of commitment and activity. You can apparently be a feminist not giving a toss about anything as long as you generally don't care enough about anything to be either pro or con beyond, you know, generally approving of the idea. Wow, what a big accomplishment. Or you can be one walking on the street picketing because you saw a man not giving a woman a handshake that was offered because he had a cranky day.

Nobody said "being a feminist" was a huge accomplishment. Your ability to craft a straw man isn't an argument.

[Stelio Kontos]

I used to think political co-existence between the left and right was possible. But the New Left (or Woke Left or whatever) has changed my view of that. At least here in the States. Parts of Europe seem a lot more sensible in that regard.

[JohnBrown1917]

I used to think political co-existence between the left and right was possible. But the New Left (or Woke Left or whatever) has changed my view of that. At least here in the States. Parts of Europe seem a lot more sensible in that regard.

Left-wing idealogies have not changed must in the last decades, the new left is not a thing.
Been reading too many right-wing blogs?

[downnola]

I used to think political co-existence between the left and right was possible. But the New Left (or Woke Left or whatever) has changed my view of that. At least here in the States. Parts of Europe seem a lot more sensible in that regard.

The only people I've been shunned by because I disagreed with their politics is by certain family members and "friends" on the right (and only because of Trump/BLM). The same can be said of people on this website. I've only been blocked by people on the right (that I'm aware of).

I don't know or have even met that many people I would consider "far left."

[Stelio Kontos]

The only people I've been shunned by because I disagreed with their politics is by certain family members and "friends" on the right (and only because of Trump/BLM). The same can be said of people on this website. I've only been blocked by people on the right (that I'm aware of).

That's anecdotal though, so not applicable at large. Someone could have the exact opposite experience, both are valid.

[JohnBrown1917]

That's anecdotal though, so not applicable at large. Someone could have the exact opposite experience, both are valid.

Neither is whatever you're on about.

[downnola]

That's anecdotal though, so not applicable at large. Someone could have the exact opposite experience, both are valid.

Are you referencing some sort of polling or study to suggest that the "new left" is more disagreeable than the right? I thought we were both talking anecdotes here.

[Stelio Kontos]

Are you referencing some sort of polling or study to suggest that the "new left" is more disagreeable than the right? I thought we were both talking anecdotes here.

The topic is ideas we used to have that we don't anymore, I was simply saying the last few months has shown me co-existence doesn't seem possible any longer. In my view it's because of the far left, I'm sure in your view it's everyone on the right who's behind it. If anything, it just proves my point that coexistence isn't possible.

[Adam Jensen]

I used to believe that beliefs that aren't based on fact and logic, so long as they weren't harmless, were tolerable.

Now we have anti-vaxxers, climate deniers and all sorts of bullshit that venture into MMO forbidden topics proving that such beliefs are never harmless.

I used to make excuses for the death penalty. Now I don't think even the worst should get it. Let people rot in prisons, when you kill someone, doesn't that make you the monster too?

That the US Constitution, the Founding Fathers and American democracy was the best there is. Now I think there's a shitload of room for improvement and many countries that might actually be doing it better than us. Not that the Constitution or the FFs weren't revolutionary for their time of course.

[JohnBrown1917]

The topic is ideas we used to have that we don't anymore, I was simply saying the last few months has shown me co-existence doesn't seem possible any longer. In my view it's because of the far left, I'm sure in your view it's everyone on the right who's behind it. If anything, it just proves my point that coexistence isn't possible.

So a world without any left-wing ideals at all? So a fascist hellhole without any worker rights? Sounds like fun.

[GreenGoldSharpie]

The only people I've been shunned by because I disagreed with their politics is by certain family members and "friends" on the right (and only because of Trump/BLM). The same can be said of people on this website. I've only been blocked by people on the right (that I'm aware of).

I don't know or have even met that many people I would consider "far left."

My general experience is that many of the people who complain about the "far left" were socially conservative anyway and only played at being centrist for a while online.

That said, when the president is stating his support for Qanon and proclaiming Antifa is flying around the country to make mischief I'm not really sure how it can be said the left is the problem.

[Shadowferal]

I used to think political co-existence between the left and right was possible. But the New Left (or Woke Left or whatever) has changed my view of that. At least here in the States. Parts of Europe seem a lot more sensible in that regard.

I believe that's a mere trend that will fade.
Like hippies that eventually got jobs and joined the suit and tie workers.
----
Labels...never believed in them much.

[JohnBrown1917]

I believe that's a mere trend that will fade.
Like hippies that eventually got jobs and joined the suit and tie workers.
----
Labels...never believed in them much.

I don't think either of you 2 know what a trend is.

[Shadowferal]

I don't think either of you 2 know what a trend is.

You're a good reason why people give up on political beliefs.

[postman1782]

Antifa wore masks before the pandemic.

On topic, that Obama was going to be a good president.

Obama is by far a million times better than Trump.

[Shadowferal]

Obama is by far a million times better than Trump.

That's not a high bar to clear.