What it means to be "left" or right" leaning has changed on a variety of issues, specifically on the most salient issues of today, like isolationism/interventionism (Ukraine, Gaza), border policy, tariffs or censorship. On others, say guns, policing or deficit spending, the battle lines have remained where they were.

Imho, the reality is that we're still in the midst of a major political realignment period and the dust hasn't fully settled yet.

Pretty much this but I get where XistenZ is coming from.

Take myself for an example. No political affiliation whatsoever and when people ask me I just say I believe in our founding documents and that's IT. Somehow that makes me far right.

Freedom of religion, speech, press and assembly. Right to bear arms.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Once you go past those you get into all the judiciary shit-cannery we see today.

Hard to look down upon someone who wants to live a private life practicing whatever religion/philosophy they want and the right to bear arms when our government goes amuck or infringes on our god-given liberties.

You don't need the government the government needs you.

Putting people into political ideologs/boxes is totally unfair to the people around you who on average "want the same things you do". The idea that you are right/left is just a divisive tool used to divide the common man. Why do you think other nations think we've gone full retard. "A house divided cannot stand" and yet our "house" has been divided now for 50 years. It's no surprise you see elements of "communism/socialism" seeping in. WE as a PEOPLE have allowed it because the same liberties that made us so wealthy have come around full circle to make people piss poor morally.

This post was edited by SwamiVivekananda on Oct 12 2024 10:51am

100%

Neither. When you group yourself then your intellect cannot go above the said group.

I picked "right".

But... generally I go with the person, rather than what party he/she is in.

Yeah I don't think the dust has settled. We can't even neatly explain it away as 'liberal' vs 'conservative' since they are such mushy terms. And adding fiscal vs social vs geopolitical alignment makes it a multidimensional clusterfuck, which is where we are now its just hard to visualize.

Its clear that Democrats have fully embraced the authoritarian side and the Trump mainstream of Republicans taken the mantle of libertarianism, while neocons have become democrats. It gets muddier on the other categories. Democrats are interventionalists and Republicans isolationists now, but that was flipped only a couple decades ago and Democrats have to stomach cognitive dissonance to be hawks cheerleading a forever war- and yet the are. I feel the parties could flip on a dime on geopolitics. Trump could be beating the war drum against Iran while Tehran Jane poses with the Ayatollah

A few years ago I was a diehard Wellstone democrat, looking to the interests of blue collar workers, reforming services and protecting individual liberties and holding a deep disdain for jingoist warmongers and utter opposition to infringements on our civil rights. Today I am exactly the same. And now that makes me a republican. When unions are supporting the republican the world is upside down, I mean fuck I'm drinking cub water right now

I have been voting right my entire adult life but I would never vote for Trump even if I could.

whats your opinion on power-mad robber barons?

The right wing bias here is STRONG.

Someone named PRESIDENT TRUMP entered my game yesterday to help finish quests for me.

Depending on what people define as left and right, which is a giant mess

I would be considered an authoritarian centrist on the compass

I'm against dog eat dog pure capitalism, it weakens the spirit of a peoples

This post was edited by El1te on Oct 12 2024 02:41pm