Defining ourselves by our political beliefs

I remember being a teen and young adult, in high school and university in Texas, and attitudes were a lot different to today.

Republicans and Democrats could actually be close friends! Without avoiding talking about politics! Ah, the early 90s ...

I could call my Republican friends Nazis, and they could call me a Commie or a hippy, and we'd laugh about it.

And we'd listen to one another, respectfully. Sometimes debates would become heated, but we never accused one another of trying to destroy the country or oppress anybody.

The most interesting thing that would come out would be when we agreed with one another, or even find that I was more to the right of them on a particular issue.

I can admit that I'm more to the right than a lot of Democrats on the issue of gun rights. Many Democrats want them banned. I believe in the right to personal defense, so I would never ban guns (in a country like America, at least). I favor policies that promote safer guns and safer gun owners.

I'm also uneasy with late-term abortion (seriously, how long does it take to decide, usually?) and I tend to favor market incentives over taxation when it comes to tackling global warming.

My question is this -- don't most people have some views that are right and some that are left? We might be mostly right or mostly left, but isn't it a bit strange for someone to completely agree with either "side"?

And then some peoples are simply "left right out"...

Living out there on the fringes, neither 'left' nor 'right'; not knowing what's going on around them, not caring one skerrick about what's going down..

Ben Reilly wrote:I remember being a teen and young adult, in high school and university in Texas, and attitudes were a lot different to today.

Republicans and Democrats could actually be close friends! Without avoiding talking about politics! Ah, the early 90s ...

I could call my Republican friends Nazis, and they could call me a Commie or a hippy, and we'd laugh about it.

And we'd listen to one another, respectfully. Sometimes debates would become heated, but we never accused one another of trying to destroy the country or oppress anybody.

The most interesting thing that would come out would be when we agreed with one another, or even find that I was more to the right of them on a particular issue.

I can admit that I'm more to the right than a lot of Democrats on the issue of gun rights. Many Democrats want them banned. I believe in the right to personal defense, so I would never ban guns (in a country like America, at least). I favor policies that promote safer guns and safer gun owners.

I'm also uneasy with late-term abortion (seriously, how long does it take to decide, usually?) and I tend to favor market incentives over taxation when it comes to tackling global warming.

My question is this -- don't most people have some views that are right and some that are left? We might be mostly right or mostly left, but isn't it a bit strange for someone to completely agree with either "side"?

I don't think many people honestly agree completely with one 'side'.

I certainly don't agree with the current extreme Liberals on gender pronouns or very late term abortions. I'm pretty hostile to positive discrimination too, it's a concept I see WHY it might be considered a good idea, but isn't worth the damaging consequences. I'm also utterly opposed to the idea of allow freedom of religion (wait) WHERE that involves allowing the burkha in public places, turning a blind eye to violent customs and ignoring sexism.

Though I'm a Leftie on most issues, and am happy to accept to label on count of the fact it best describes my political positions on most things (and I'd argue the most important things) But yeah, that doesn't mean I take any position just because it's seen as 'Left'.

Ben Reilly wrote:I remember being a teen and young adult, in high school and university in Texas, and attitudes were a lot different to today.

Republicans and Democrats could actually be close friends! Without avoiding talking about politics! Ah, the early 90s ...

I could call my Republican friends Nazis, and they could call me a Commie or a hippy, and we'd laugh about it.

And we'd listen to one another, respectfully. Sometimes debates would become heated, but we never accused one another of trying to destroy the country or oppress anybody.

The most interesting thing that would come out would be when we agreed with one another, or even find that I was more to the right of them on a particular issue.

I can admit that I'm more to the right than a lot of Democrats on the issue of gun rights. Many Democrats want them banned. I believe in the right to personal defense, so I would never ban guns (in a country like America, at least). I favor policies that promote safer guns and safer gun owners.

I'm also uneasy with late-term abortion (seriously, how long does it take to decide, usually?) and I tend to favor market incentives over taxation when it comes to tackling global warming.

My question is this -- don't most people have some views that are right and some that are left? We might be mostly right or mostly left, but isn't it a bit strange for someone to completely agree with either "side"?

You have it easy. Try telling your friends that you think they are damn fools for voting for either of the major party candidates for president.  

I get called a liberal and fascist on the same day.

Maddog wrote:You have it easy. Try telling your friends that you think they are damn fools for voting for either of the major party candidates for president.

I get a liberal and fascist on the same day.

Same here. When I say, I'm not giving away my vote this election, I'm voting for myself; they say, don't you realize that helps the candidate your don't want?

That's an algorithm too far. I have one vote. What happens collectively is my concern from afar...but not my right. I'd be betraying myself, and the system, if I voted for my 2nd or 3rd choice just because my 1st choice had a lesser chance of winning. Choose your favorite, and let the chips fall where they might.

And I just got called an anarchist by a bartender buddy I know.. But he says he likes me anyway.

Maddog wrote:And I just got called an anarchist by a bartender buddy I know.. But he says he likes me anyway.  

I like anarchists, too. I just wish they'd see that power structures occur natural in human society -- power abhors a vacuum, so we'd best be careful about what we allow to fill that vacuum.

Ben Reilly wrote:

Maddog wrote:And I just got called an anarchist by a bartender buddy I know.. But he says he likes me anyway.  

I like anarchists, too. I just wish they'd see that power structures occur natural in human society -- power abhors a vacuum, so we'd best be careful about what we allow to fill that vacuum.

Well, I'm not anarchist. The poor guy is a little confused.