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Being older, I've seen liberals change over the years. They used to be the relaxed, easy-going ones who prided themselves on being open minded and, when confronted by a conservative, would try to make their case in a rational and civil way. It was the conservatives then who were more likely to shut down a conversation, storm out of the room, shake their fists, etc.
Now it's the exact opposite. I remember a bar conversation where I was asked what I did and truthfully said that I was in the oil business. My interlocutors actually said they wanted to punch me in the face. It didn't matter that my company was involved in the relatively clean energy sources of geothermal steam and natural gas (which, in the vernacular, are considered part of the oil industry.) They were shaking with rage and didn't want to discuss anything at all. Another time in another bar, I questioned a liberal's argument and he flew into a rage and stormed off the patio. He was a big dude, and while I knew he wouldn't go so far as to get physical, he was walking a very fine line.
Last, I had a young friend who got married. He and his wife came over to my house and his wife -- who I had just met -- expressed shock that I had a book by Ann Coulter on my shelf. I said "I read everything" and pointed out other books on my shelf including books by members of the quasi-Marxist Frankfurt School. But that wasn't enough. I was clearly beyond the pale as far as she and her husband were concerned. She had a masters degree and her husband had a Ph.D.
For some liberals, just having a certain book makes you the enemy. How could you?!?
In the sixties it was liberals who fought for freedom of expression, for ending censorship, and for "live and let live." That started to end around 1968. The saying, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem" effectively drew a line of division that could no longer be crossed. I had already decided that I liked being a contrarian, someone who would challenge liberals if they were the majority around me, and conservatives if they were the majority. It just so happened that I was increasingly surrounded by liberals as California became more and more liberal.
I still challenge people -- even in bars -- but I've learned to scope them out first and develop a sixth sense for how far I can go. And my challenges are in the form of jokes, which people seem to find pretty funny.
This seems pretty typical of the scum. Small minded, discriminatory, eager for violence, and generally unpleasant.
My father passed away almost 2 years ago and my step mom finally went on her first date. When I asked her how it went, she said the man was very nice but made a derogatory comment about conservatives within the first 15 mins so she knew right away it would NEVER work out.
I'm a conservative with libertarian leanings that grew up in a very liberal county and state. Needless to say, I have spent a lot of time defending my opinions. Some of the best political discussions have been had with true liberals that were searching for a greater understanding of the difference between their side and mine; however, the majority of the time I would wind up listening to high-school level rants and name calling. That never got them anywhere and just made annoyed.
My father passed away almost 2 years ago and my step mom finally went on her first date. When I asked her how it went, she said the man was very nice but made a derogatory comment about conservatives within the first 15 mins so she knew right away it would NEVER work out.
I'm a conservative with libertarian leanings that grew up in a very liberal county and state. Needless to say, I have spent a lot of time defending my opinions. Some of the best political discussions have been had with true liberals that were searching for a greater understanding of the difference between their side and mine; however, the majority of the time I would wind up listening to high-school level rants and name calling. That never got them anywhere and just made annoyed.
Yeah, I've seen that with both sides. I've encountered the same when in rural and conservative suburban areas with older people addicted to talk radio / conservative media.
They have lost their filter, so pumped full of their daily outrage. I try to keep topics light but they make me watch their TV clips, rage with false information, and always loop it back to minorities. Lots of purebhstredbdor minorities in our less cosmopolitan communities.
Being older, I've seen liberals change over the years. They used to be the relaxed, easy-going ones who prided themselves on being open minded and, when confronted by a conservative, would try to make their case in a rational and civil way. It was the conservatives then who were more likely to shut down a conversation, storm out of the room, shake their fists, etc.
Now it's the exact opposite. I remember a bar conversation where I was asked what I did and truthfully said that I was in the oil business. My interlocutors actually said they wanted to punch me in the face. It didn't matter that my company was involved in the relatively clean energy sources of geothermal steam and natural gas (which, in the vernacular, are considered part of the oil industry.) They were shaking with rage and didn't want to discuss anything at all. Another time in another bar, I questioned a liberal's argument and he flew into a rage and stormed off the patio. He was a big dude, and while I knew he wouldn't go so far as to get physical, he was walking a very fine line.
Last, I had a young friend who got married. He and his wife came over to my house and his wife -- who I had just met -- expressed shock that I had a book by Ann Coulter on my shelf. I said "I read everything" and pointed out other books on my shelf including books by members of the quasi-Marxist Frankfurt School. But that wasn't enough. I was clearly beyond the pale as far as she and her husband were concerned. She had a masters degree and her husband had a Ph.D.
For some liberals, just having a certain book makes you the enemy. How could you?!?
In the sixties it was liberals who fought for freedom of expression, for ending censorship, and for "live and let live." That started to end around 1968. The saying, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem" effectively drew a line of division that could no longer be crossed. I had already decided that I liked being a contrarian, someone who would challenge liberals if they were the majority around me, and conservatives if they were the majority. It just so happened that I was increasingly surrounded by liberals as California became more and more liberal.
I still challenge people -- even in bars -- but I've learned to scope them out first and develop a sixth sense for how far I can go. And my challenges are in the form of jokes, which people seem to find pretty funny.
That's ok, I try not to be around conservatives who think the country should be a theocracy, women should have no control over their bodies, the poor should be abandoned in the street, and invading other countries is a good foreign policy plan.
To each their own.
I can't understand this "conservatives want a theocracy" thing. I do see some people defending religion tooth-and-nail, but it's often left-wing types defending Islam. A recent presidential administration has shown its support for blasphemy laws, but it was the Obama administration. Muslim countries target free speech ? with help from the U.S. - latimes
And of course, after the Benghazi debacle Obama asked youtube to take down a video because some religious kooks found it offensive.
And I don't think that poor should be abandoned in the street. I think that there should be plenty of public housing. But I think that it should all be in your neighborhood, and not mine.
In my personal life, I try to surround myself with positive people who believe that America is a good country and reinforce the American dream. I don't like surrounding myself with debbie downer liberals who think the rich are evil, the country needs to be transformed, etc.
Do you find associating yourself with liberals upsetting?
I see it as an opportunity to educate someone who definitely needs it.
I will interrupt their predictable bull **** rant with a question that blows their garbage out of the water such as, "Is that actually true?" or "Why do you think that?"
They tend to accept lies as truth as long as it comes from a source they trust like MSNBC or Jon Stewart, but these outlets never tell the other side of the story.
I can see this conversation is pretty much a platform for bashing liberals, but to put some real "fair and balanced" into it, anything y'all would accuse the extreme left of, could equally be describing the extreme right. If it were up to either group, we'd be back to a monarchy, which is exactly what the framers of the constitution was trying to avoid. Fortunately, moderates of both parties equalize the effects of extremism in this country, otherwise we'd be no better off than some of the muslim countries that are torn apart by warlords trying to get rid of their opposition.
In my personal life, I try to surround myself with positive people who believe that America is a good country and reinforce the American dream. I don't like surrounding myself with debbie downer liberals who think the rich are evil, the country needs to be transformed, etc.
Do you find associating yourself with liberals upsetting?
In my experience it's conservatives who are the downers. Life was better in the old days, the country is going down the tubes, the radio plays too much rap hippity-hop, etc.
But never mind that. As a liberal, I really just wanted to post and say "thank you".
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