When did you convert to your political ideology????

Post Reply New Topic

SpaceCase has done one on religion, so I'm going to do one on politics:

When did you first become interested in politics? Have you ever changed political allegencies??

I have to admit, my comrades, that in my early teens I went through a conservative patch, even though I've always hated the Conservative Party. I rather liked the idea of owning your own house, earning lots of money, etc. I even looked up stockmarkets in the Financial Times!! !

I guess it was inevitable being a middle-class private-school boy to be drawn to such things. I snapped out of my delusions though when I was 15, when I became aware of what conservatism really meant. To me it suddenly stood for oppression, indifference towards the needy, snobbery of the rich putting down the lower classes, and false authority. Whereas before I had considered the plight of Africa a fact of life, I became aware that the Western world was keeping them in poverty.

When I was 16, I slid into an awful depression and lost all interest in politics or ideology. Then, at 18, I had recovered, and was ready to take up my new stand: Socialism.

Overall, I'm not very political. There are a few political issues about which I feel strongly, though. I've only ever changed my mind about one major issue, and that was 5 years ago.

I'm not a big fan of debates, so I left the specifics out on purpose. I've had people IRL play devil's advocate and try to debate me even though I have repeatedly asked them not to. It sucks.

I am socially liberal and economically conservative. Neither major American political party truely represents me.

I'm a supporter of free enterprise (making big money thus causeing cash flow that helps the economy) but I'm rather lax about social issues.

The party that most closely expresses my views is the Libertarian party. But of course, that is "throwing your vote away."

My stance is always changing in light of new infomation. basicly, you could call me a waverer, but on some subjects I am FIXED in my beliefs. For example, ALL PEOPLE HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS, NO MATTER WHAT.

I was born to be a conservative. My parents were never very big on economic factors in politics until the Clinton administration started pissing money away in the third world countries. I developed into an economic moderate with a stong emphasis on keeping money in the Country and doing the vast majority of our trade with countries that won't create a deficit for us. I am in favor of using legislation to make a middle to upper middle class living more obtainable for as many Americans as possible though.

When I first discovered my political ideology, I was fairly conservative. However with college enlightenment, I've moderated more to the center.

I can see why conservatives hate public education. The truth about society steals away their voters.

I've always been left-wing - I grew up in the eighties in an area which was being decimated by the economic policies of the Thatcher regime, so became interested in politics as a response to what I saw happening around me. I naturally rebelled against authority and conformity by temperament, and became interested in anarchism and radical ideas/movements in my teens. Economically, I am far left (but prefer free syndicalist/cooperative economic organisation to state control), socially, progressive/ libertarian.

Dunc

i, too, have always been left wing, and always been green. the main thing for me was injustice, which i noticed as a kid: why do certain groups of people get a worse deal than others? i have no idea where my environmental stance comes from - it just seems ridiculous and illogical to me to destroy one's own home, health and future.

I've always been more conservative than not, too. Religion seems to play more of a role in my life than politics does, though. And since I can't vote yet, I do not have much of a say in what goes on. Sadly...

furhter to my post above...
interesting interview with vanessa redgrave on the radio this morning. when asked when she "got into" politics, she replied that she didn't get into politics, so much as become aware of and then get involved in human rights issues, which led into political issues, obviously. now, that sounds more like what i should have said.

thank, vanessa.

I used to be a conservative type person. Supported George W Bush every step of the way.

Then in the winter of 2002 I was in Government class at school. We read the paper there every day. Everyday there was an article about Bush INSISTING Iraq had WMDs and PUSHING PUSHING PUSHING to go to war. Then we went to war.

As the war went on I slowly started to turn left. I stopped at Libertarian.

I basically grew up and learned more about stuff which is what took me over there. After this war started, I started to read and learn more about politics and everything else. Doing that changed me.

I was a conservative when I was young, probably because my father was. In 1968 I supported George Wallace for President ("the next hippie that lies down in front of my car is a dead hippie"). In 1970 I did a college term paper on the novels of George Orwell. I wasn't able to find one of them, but all the rest I read in one weekend, in chronological order. It showed me the evils of a government that tries to control the people, especially by controlling their thoughts. Since then I have hated the Republican philosophy, not liking the Democrats' much either. So that weekend in the mountains reversed my political outlook quickly and completely. Now I am half libertarian and half socialist.

I don't think I ever converted to my political beliefs. When I was little, I knew that my father generally voted Democrat, but I never paid attention or cared really. When I was in about seventh or eighth grade, I started paying attention to politics and formed my own opinions. Still, my political views are not based on those of my parents. Even though my dad is on the same side of the political spectrum as I am, we still argue about issues occasionally. He is slightly more conservative than I am.

Don't worry. At the moment your side seems to be doing very well politically. Sadly...

I was always concerned with power, mostly with having it and doing the right thing
(while benefitting). I was still left wing though (more rights for people)
After I took philosophy I started becoming left.
George Bush, and Premier Gordan Cambell made me left basically.
After doing a report on the Communist Manifesto, I was extreme.

Then, in a class debate in the political structure (the left side had 10x the right side) I started saying right views?
I said that the amount people should be paid is equal to how hard they work.
I still believed I was Marxist, yet everyone else thought I was staunchly Capitalist.
Now I am a bit left of centre.
I support the war in Afghanistan (Canadian troops help alot)
I am against the Iraq war.

Bec, There is such a thing as running defense for your quarterback. Just because the Republicans are geting there way more than usual doesn't mean we can't still end up becoming a communist country someday with all the problems thereof.

...

Last edited by acousticvalley on 09 Nov 2005, 2:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.