Political activism and aspies

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Does somebody know any aspies who are political or social activists as volunteers or even as full-time job? It's not that sphere with which aspies are mainly familiar - because of networking, constant contacts with many people, need to be diplomatic and so on.
Here is why I'm asking - I am aspie and next summer I'm going to move to America, attend college for Political Science major. At the same time I'm going start promoting those political ideas I believe. As I am living in almost third world country and lived some time in US before I was able to see very different societies having often more or less similar problems everywhere. For a long I tried to ignore it but finally my keen sence of justice won So I decided to spread ideas I truly believe and I'm sure they could have chances to solve some of major problems in society.
Nothing completely new in them but they are in certain cases opposed to democracy, dictatorship, liberalism and anarchism at the same time. The fact I'm just going to start BA in Political Science doesn't mean I know little about the subgect - on the contrary, for many years I was studing politology, history, economics and other related fields.
I have some experience in organizing social movement, public speaking, journalism and I see that it is what I want to do in my life, that is what worth spent time and efforts.
In fact I'm not sure at all I will ever succeed. I'm not diplomat, not lier as almost all politicians are, and the ideas as I did some basic research would barely have support in any of major social groups. Generally, I just try to do things I believe in, neither for money nor for popularity - just because I'm sure that it's right. But now I'm doubt if I'm able to perform it.

Yeah, me. I have done political, legislative and government work https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Nel ... ctivist%29 for the last 32 years, though I am mostly retired from such work now.

"Because of networking, constant contacts with many people, need to be diplomatic and so on[,]" I was unknowingly masking my AS the whole time. It was very exhausting and cost me friendships and some important professional relationships. But, people don't usually get involved in politics to make friends. If making a difference means a lot to you, and you have some knowledge about political theory, you will do well and accomplish much. Having some collegiate understanding of the spectrum of politics will help you avoid the time-wasting activities and focus on accomplishing your goals.

Good luck!

This guy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ari_Ne'eman

But you do not need to be up front where the networking and fake small talk goes on.
You can do important work not the background Researching and writing policy, crunching numbers or doing the polling and campaign strategy. Just from reading about polls and campaign strategy I have leaned a lot of stuff about people. We are weak on knowing peoples motives on a small personal level. On a macro level it's about categorizing and seeing patterns.

I myself wish to get involved in some sort of activism, I mean things are so f***d up...but of course my route would not be getting a college degree in political science or any of that.....I took classes like that in college but I'm a drop out. Just seems becoming a politician and trying to go about things the standard way is never going to change anything. People need to get angry and do something about it....but the question is will they so if I figure out any sort of way to be an activist of any kind I'd be more the type trying to get people to just really think about things...but no idea how to do that. Plenty of musicians try with music to wake people the hell up, but they get a fan following and no one in it really knows what to do about it though at least people who follow such music are aware much of the time and unhappy with it but what to do? Don't know if I am making any sense but seems the going to school to get into politics is unlikely to give you the ability to really change anything. Or is it better to just watch the world burn and try to enjoy your self as best you can, because we're all doomed anyways...who knows I always have battles of the mind trying to decide which path I'd rather go down.

Either way its not any career I care about, with this stuff...I just see a lot going on or hear about a lot that pisses me off and would like to see change.

Hi David! Thanks for your support - that means much for me. I read about you on Wiki - that's impressive what you have done!

Did I understand correctly you had to mask your AS for some time (years probably) at start to succeed?

Thank you. But doesn't your advice means working on some party or movement with more or less same ideas? Or who else would need you with very different opinion on main questions?

And if there are no such powers?

I see. I understand what you mean. Yes, Political Science degree doesn't make you politician. I need it for two cases - first as David said, to clearly understand some basics and second - to stay in US via student visa at least first years because now I'm Russian citizen. Damn terrible country - still like Soviet Union in Stalin's dictatorship time and 99% of Russians are ignorant terrorist supporters.

But just waiting for some kind of revolution - it could take really much time, it's not a variant in any case.

Not exactly. I wasn't screened (unintentionally) until last January. I had absolutely no clue that I have AS, but took the Wired magazine AQ test for fun. I completed it three times just to make sure that my answers were accurate. Hm.

Anyway, looking back over my life, I realize that, like Wrong Planet's Alex Plank, I learned apparently to mask or adapt socially by watching a lot of movies. This was definitely true in my political and governmental careers of the last 30+ years. It was very exhausting, but I knew nothing else. I thought everybody was just like me and had the same difficulties I had. Knowing about my AS now has given me a kind of 20/20 hindsight. Wow! No wonder people thought I was strange sometimes. Hehe. Yes, I masked much of my life until January.

Thanks for your kind comments about my activist years. Good luck with yours.

About movies - that's just as I do And while at home or in the office (I'm IT manager but hate this job) there were generally not so many AS-related problems, it was much harder in near-political hobbies. I'm watching lots of historical dramas, political movies both plays and documentary and took from there manners of behavior I found useful. Sometimes I just was myself but it was mainly with my close supporters.

How did you decide to become an activist? What motivated you on this way most?

You are doing much of what I did. Any movies seemed to help me generally, but, with politics, I watched a lot of documentary movies about political leaders like Harvey Milk, Robert Kennedy, John Kennedy and Theodore Roosevelt (even Boris Yeltsin). I studied how each of them focused on certain things to accomplish their goals. My college studies in political science helped with this.

I became an activist because, when I was in college, a friend had killed himself instead of telling his Mormon family that he was gay. I wanted to work to make it possible for LGBT people to perfect their lives and not find suicide as an alternative to their difficulties. Now, Utah is considered one of the more LGBT-friendly states.

That's very sad about your friend. You had really meaning goal for everything that! And now many people may enjoy results of your hard work and live safe. You really changed the world around.

And I think the same about political science - it could assist, like instrument. That's one of main goals I want to go to university for this degree. Another as I seid Sweetleaf few posts above - to stay in US by student's visa at least for first years. And look for opportunities

Working in the background with somebody with the same ideas would be optimal and rewarding. But people do work for people they disagree with for money and experience. Whether you can do that is up to your conscience.

I understood you. Yes, I know about working for money and experience - because now I work for money in IT in company and area of business I never loved

My question was about a bit different subject - if you are back-end person as most of aspies are then it could be difficult to promote some whole new ideas for public. Those who are on the front-end wouldn't listen to you if you have rather different point of view (as my experience says) so is your only way in some case is to do like David and try just to act like NT and not aspie as long as possible?

In other words - could AS person be in front-end somewhere near public politics and not act like NT?

I wouldn't expect anyone with AS or other ASDs to act like NTs if they didn't want to do so. I didn't intentionally do that, but can now see that I did to be accepted in political circles and accomplish some of my goals. Politicians like others who are just like themselves. My personality and desire to be brutally honest most times doesn't work well in politics, so, if I had known about my AS, I definitely would have told others. And, that would have undercut my effectiveness back then, in my opinion. So, in a way, my masking made my political career possible. Hm, that isn't a fact about which I am proud.

But, this was the 1980s and 1990s when most people didn't know about the spectrum and considered adults with AS as older versions of children with classical Kanner autism (myself included; hehe). These days, I believe that people with ASDs, especially if they are in their late teens and early 20s, could certainly be very effective in mainstream or alternative politics. In fact, I believe that most political parties would love to promote an Aspie as one of their leaders. We are obsessive about our interests, can memorize facts quickly and usually enjoy convincing others of our ideas and opinions. We're natural politicians!

By the way, I was employed in graphic design, advertising, marketing and public relations while I had a political career. Politics usually doesn't pay.

Ha, it's pretty nice! I'll have to learn a lot about American society and politics when I finally move there. I've been several times in US mainly near NY and Phila but how much could you see for month or two? In Russia everything is very different - like possibly US had century ago. AS as public figure? Not in the country where visiting just psychologist considered much worse than been alcohol or drug addicted and the best national leader is that who was more brutal. Interesting.

And money, also good question. Although I have BS in IT I never loved it and now starting my two projects - one is political journalism center and another historical site. I have some ideas how to make money via them and even team for the first one. Not sure if it will succeed but at least I'll try in the area of my special interests

If your idea is worth money or votes what they usually do is use it and take all the credit for themselves. But if your view is opposite of those the segment of voters they are marketing to they won't use it. Most politicians are uber NT's in for the massive human contact and acceptance or for the "game" aspect of it. Many start idealistic but became jaded.