Current Events > how come people sever friendships because of political ideology?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Platinum_Luigi posted...

Trump appointed Richard Grenell to his cabinet. Gay marriage isn't under attack.

Trump has stated quite clearly his goal with appointing Amy Coney Barrett was to reverse the Obergefell decision, among other things.

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Now that I think about it...I never cared about politics until this year with the George Floyd stuff. Also it seems like this board became increasingly political (makes sense as it's a election year). At the end of the day, disussing politics on here is dumb. It's mostly just toxicity and shit flinging. Kind of like console wars. Most people are not going to change their vote no matter what anyone says.

Conflict posted...

Your post was smart up until this bit. Like, do you not see who the fuck he just appointed to the Supreme Court? Holy shit

Only that bit was his post. The rest of it is a copy and paste from mine, presumably a botched quoting attempt.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/400-current-events/79074247/946508603

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Crescente posted...

Now that I think about it...I never cared about politics until this year with the George Floyd stuff. Also it seems like this board became increasingly political (makes sense as it's a election year). At the end of the day, disussing politics on here is dumb. It's mostly just toxicity and shit flinging. Kind of like console wars. Most people are not going to change their vote no matter what anyone says.

Dont tell tenlaar and antifar, they are doing important work here

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"How come people aren't friends with people who have incompatible world views?"

Political ideology is a little more involved than disagreeing over your favorite movie or sports team. Not everyone can gel with each other if the differences are great enough. If you have to ignore the person to be friends with them, then why even bother trying to befriend them?

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Yeah it's one thing to, like, favour small government or prefer focus on several areas of opportunity, but if your "friend" supports racism, homophobia, anti intellectualism as government policy, yeah I don't want that friendship

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Because far-left idealogues fear that they would have their shitty beliefs shattered if they regularly interacted with people outside their bubble?

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Zeus posted...

Because far-left idealogues fear that they would have their shitty beliefs shattered if they regularly interacted with people outside their bubble?

Lol at thinking this

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Zeus posted...

Because far-left idealogues fear that they would have their shitty beliefs shattered if they regularly interacted with people outside their bubble?

As opposed to all those Confederate flag-wearing rednecks that are best friends with LGBT activists

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Conflict posted...

Your post was smart up until this bit. Like, do you not see who the fuck he just appointed to the Supreme Court? Holy shit

And Mike Pence is like super anti-gay to my knowledge. The Vice President himself is a homophobe, and if given the power to do so, you know he'd work against the progress made by LGBTQIA+ people over the years.

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_HayleyWilliams posted...

As opposed to all those Confederate flag-wearing rednecks that are best friends with LGBT activists

You mean far-leftists who wouldn't even be willing to talk to those people, let alone befriend them? And you even managed to work an anti-white slur in there, too!

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Zeus posted...

You mean far-leftists who wouldn't even be willing to talk to those people, let alone befriend them?

Wait, the far-leftists wouldn't want to talk to LGBT activists?

ThanksUglyGod posted...

Wait, the far-leftists wouldn't want to talk to LGBT activists?

Other way around.

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Zeus posted...

Other way around.

I'm pretty sure LGBT activists have no issue talking to far leftists either.

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Tyranthraxus posted...

I'm pretty sure LGBT activists have no issue talking to far leftists either.

Good effort.

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Zeus posted...

You mean far-leftists who wouldn't even be willing to talk to those people, let alone befriend them?

Why do people have to talk to or befriend all types of people? Friends should share things in common. I wouldn't expect an introvert that spends their days reading books and watching indie dramas to have many friends that are heavy drinking frat bros that watch sports all day.

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_HayleyWilliams posted...

Why do people have to talk to or befriend all types of people? Friends should share things in common. I wouldn't expect an introvert that spends their days reading books and watching indie dramas to have many friends that are heavy drinking frat bros that watch sports all day.

Then why would you bring it up at all?

That said, I don't watch sports or drink, but I have friends who do. The idea that people can't be friends because they don't share specific interests is silly. And, frankly, if all of your friends were into exactly the same stuff as you, echo all of your beliefs, etc, it'd be kinda boring.

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Does it really need to be explained what's wrong with supporting Trump and how Trump is indeed the logical conclusion of what the GOP has been running on since Reagan at the latest at this point?
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Zeus posted...

Then why would you bring it up at all?

That said, I don't watch sports or drink, but I have friends who do. The idea that people can't be friends because they don't share specific interests is silly. And, frankly, if all of your friends were into exactly the same stuff as you, echo all of your beliefs, etc, it'd be kinda boring.

I never said exactly, but there is going to be a threshold on the differences where being a friend stops making sense. Political ideology gets into people's literal values. How many people are pals with someone that has fundamentally different values? You're ragging on far-leftists for not getting along, but would you want to be friends with someone you fundamentally disagree with? What if you own lots of guns and they want that to be illegal? I'm an LGBT atheist. I can't imagine many devoutly religious conservatives I could be actual friends with. They want their religion to permeate the government and for me to be told what to do and where to go. Friendship should not be a long project that requires one friend or the other to be "turned". There are billions of people on earth and only so many you can meet. Friendship should be easy and rewarding.

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Like, imagine you're someone who believes that abortion constitutes murder (as many people do in this country). Are you going to be able to look past the fact that I have participated in fundraisers to help people get abortions in order to be my friend?
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Endgame posted...

Does it really need to be explained what's wrong with supporting Trump and how Trump is indeed the logical conclusion of what the GOP has been running on since Reagan at the latest at this point?

Considering the silliness of the claim, it'd take a lot of explaining... although claims that like are typically just taken on faith because, when they're tested by logic, they quickly fall apart.

_HayleyWilliams posted...

I never said exactly, but there is going to be a threshold on the differences where being a friend stops making sense. Political ideology gets into people's literal values. How many people are pals with someone that has fundamentally different values? You're ragging on far-leftists for not getting along, but would you want to be friends with someone you fundamentally disagree with? What if you own lots of guns and they want that to be illegal? I'm an LGBT atheist. I can't imagine many devoutly religious conservatives I could be actual friends with. They want their religion to permeate the government and for me to be told what to do and where to go. Friendship should not be a long project that requires one friend or the other to be "turned". There are billions of people on earth and only so many you can meet. Friendship should be easy and rewarding.

No, I'm criticizing far-leftists for abandoning EXISTING friendships. If there's already something there and somebody is throwing it away because they're not adult enough to realize that it's okay for people to think or feel differently than you, then they absolutely deserve to criticized.

And if you're looking to only make friends with people who share your values, that's something of a problem. And if you believe in making friends with people simply to "turn" them to your way of thinking, that's a pretty shitty motive for making friends.

_HayleyWilliams posted... What if you own lots of guns and they want that to be illegal? I

I'd love to see tobacco and alcohol get banned, yet I'm friends with heavy drinkers and people who work for alcohol companies. These things aren't always going to be incompatible unless you want to make them incompatible. And, not for nothing, but I know gun-owners who support gun bans.

And by the way, I'm sure you have vegetarian friends despite not being a vegetarian yourself. How do you think they feel about you? And yet (again, guessing) they're still friends with you.

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I do wonder why the onus is always on left wingers to turn the other cheek, to forgive, to educate, to always tolerate when the right wing is just always expected to be shitty?
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LightningAce11 posted...

I do wonder why the onus is always on left wingers to turn the other cheek, to forgive, to educate, to always tolerate when the right wing is just always expected to be shitty?

I wonder why you side with the group that wants to do the distancing when everybody else thinks that some things about that group are shitty, too, but they're fucking adults who aren't looking to cut ties over it.

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It's not about politics anymore.

I can be and I have been friends with many Republicans.

But the right-wing ideology we've seen, particularly throughout the past 4 years, has embraced white supremacy, homophobia, full-on fascism, blatant voter suppression and has allowed the President to commit numerous crimes in plain sight. That's not even getting into the lack of support for Americans during one of the toughest economic crises in American history and oh yeah, the 200,000+ American lives lost to the pandemic that the Republican Party just casually brushed off.

It goes without saying that if you're a Republican, and you can support what the current GOP has done to America, you're a disgrace to your country and no, I can't be friends with someone for whom what I listed above isn't a complete deal breaker.

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Dunno. I never have. My best friend is very much on the left, and we disagree on most things politically and economically. But we're still best friends.

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Zeus posted...

No, I'm criticizing far-leftists for abandoning EXISTING friendships. If there's already something there and somebody is throwing it away because they're not adult enough to realize that it's okay for people to think or feel differently than you, then they absolutely deserve to criticized.

So let me ask you the following questions.

1. Why do you feel two people become friends to begin with?
2. Under what circumstances do you feel it's okay to end a friendship?
3. Do you believe people can change after becoming your friend in ways that you do not approve?

You don't have to answer these questions. At least not in GameFAQs, and not to me. They are just for you to think about. But I will read an answer if you post it.

Because if you're going to criticize people for abandoning friends, you need to address the conditions that led to the abandonment in the first place. If you cannot defend the catalysts, then you cannot effectively criticize the result.

I had a friend in high school who was a long time friend of mine into my late 20s until one day I learned he had been caught having downloaded hundreds of gigs of child pornography and now I no longer speak to him. I did not even tell him I no longer wished to speak to him, I simply blocked him on every avenue that I could.

You're free to say I abandoned him for "thinking differently" that is certainly the truth at least on a technicality, but I'd be interested in hearing why you think I should have remained his friend.

Zeus posted...

And if you're looking to only make friends with people who share your values, that's something of a problem.

Why? What's the problem?

Zeus posted...

And if you believe in making friends with people simply to "turn" them to your way of thinking, that's a pretty shitty motive for making friends.

Why? What's wrong with that?

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I'm still not understanding how some people think supporting a political party like the Republicans, who continue to do corrupt and evil things that hurt so many innocent people is equivalent to supporting a different sports team or some other trivial difference of opinion.

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Speaking as a UK citizen, there's a stain of cruelty that tarnishes the shining armour of the far left. Most are more than prepared to chew up and spit out both friends and family. They lack honour, shame and remorse. It's almost psychopathic in nature, an absolute lack of empathy. It's either with us or against us so no cognitive or sensible reasoning is used once they find out someone isn't one of them. Living behind a facade of purported moral superiority only amplifies both the arrogance and hostility.

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Also can I just say the notion of "Why can't we just talk it out brooooo?" coming from the group of people that immediately resort to name-calling, deflection and hostility whenever their beliefs are challenged is hilarious?

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Zeus posted...

Considering the silliness of the claim, it'd take a lot of explaining... although claims that like are typically just taken on faith because, when they're tested by logic, they quickly fall apart.

No, I'm criticizing far-leftists for abandoning EXISTING friendships. If there's already something there and somebody is throwing it away because they're not adult enough to realize that it's okay for people to think or feel differently than you, then they absolutely deserve to criticized.

And if you're looking to only make friends with people who share your values, that's something of a problem. And if you believe in making friends with people simply to "turn" them to your way of thinking, that's a pretty shitty motive for making friends.

I'd love to see tobacco and alcohol get banned, yet I'm friends with heavy drinkers and people who work for alcohol companies. These things aren't always going to be incompatible unless you want to make them incompatible. And, not for nothing, but I know gun-owners who support gun bans.

And by the way, I'm sure you have vegetarian friends despite not being a vegetarian yourself. How do you think they feel about you? And yet (again, guessing) they're still friends with you.

all this boils down to is that youre friends with everyone regardless of actually enjoying being around them.

Sounds more like youre just scared of losing people cause you have so few to lose.


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GhostSweeper posted...

Speaking as a UK citizen, there's a stain of cruelty that tarnishes the shining armour of the far left. Most are more than prepared to chew up and spit out both friends and family. They lack honour, shame and remorse. It's almost psychopathic in nature, an absolute lack of empathy. It's either with us or against us so no cognitive or sensible reasoning is used once they find out someone isn't one of them. Living behind a facade of purported moral superiority only amplifies both the arrogance and hostility.

Yeah, no. You don't get to talk about honor when one side has played dishonorably throughout the entire four years their candidate of choice has been President.

Republicans have let innocent people die to get back at the opposing political party.

You get what you give.

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GhostSweeper posted...

Speaking as a UK citizen, there's a stain of cruelty that tarnishes the shining armour of the far left. Most are more than prepared to chew up and spit out both friends and family. They lack honour, shame and remorse. It's almost psychopathic in nature, an absolute lack of empathy. It's either with us or against us so no cognitive or sensible reasoning is used once they find out someone isn't one of them. Living behind a facade of purported moral superiority only amplifies both the arrogance and hostility.

You're seriously complaining that the left chews up and spits out friends and families after the tories chewed up and spits out the entire EU?

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Tyranthraxus posted...

You're seriously complaining that the left chews up and spits out friends and families after the tories chewed up and spits out the entire EU?

Or voted to say "Fuck you" to hungry and poor children recently.

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Counterpoint: how the fuck do you maintain friendships with people who have diametrically opposed worldviews and morality to you?

Or better yet...why would you do that? My time is valuable and I'm not going to waste it.

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"Sure I might be voting again for the worst president in history, but do you have to be so mean?"

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easy

just dont talk about it ... I'm sure there are lots of other topics you can take about

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Politics can tell you a lot about someones core values and sense of empathy. Im not going to be friends with someone who thinks migrant children should be locked up in cages or who thinks we should purge all Muslims from the US to prevent terrorism or w/e because thats terrifying and likely only the tip of the iceberg

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There's also this idea that Republicans attempt to restrict personal freedoms if they don't align with their own beliefs.

Like it's one thing to disagree with an action I've taken, but to support policy that says I can't take said action because you don't like it is controlling behavior. People don't like being friends with people that don't respect their freedom.

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Funkydog posted...

Or voted to say "Fuck you" to hungry and poor children recently.

I don't think anyone actively votes for this scenario. Wouldn't it be nice if Mr Rashford encouraged all his 150k a week friends to help contribute. But a publicity stunt always plays well to the proletarians. If I recall rightly, a certain Mr Blair promised to end homelessness in Britain once he was elected.

Tyranthraxus posted...

You're seriously complaining that the left chews up and spits out friends and families after the tories chewed up and spits out the entire EU?

No. I said far-left. Moonbats. Unless you are one of them don't take it personally. The EU is not the paradise of high quality living or social constructs that Merkel or Juncker make out. There's plenty of nations still within as an example of economic hardships. I'm a eurosceptic and don't believe it's purpose is fit for helping those at the bottom, in my opinion it's a self-serving enterprise designed to weed out strong democracies, destroy national identities and heritage and basically use them as satellite states.


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It depends on how much they let it define them and their natural temperament. If a person is narrowminded in their political extremes and is belligerent, this can cause arguments and strife. If they're more balanced in their mindset, you can agree to disagree, even if you don't share some of the same ideals. I'd say try to avoid topics which brings out the I-know-I'm-right-hothead in a lot of us when it comes to family and close friends.

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EmbraceOfDeath posted...

Because people are immature and never learned to solve their problems with words, so all they have is their impotent rage at anyone who disagrees with them.

Haha that too! I know we've all had those moments.

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People who ruin friendships over politics aren't really worth knowing in the first place. I'm sure you can find some case where the person has a really egregious political view, but that's hardly the majority you're talking about.

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GhostSweeper posted...

destroy national identities and heritage

Oh.

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GhostSweeper posted...

I don't think anyone actively votes for this scenario. Wouldn't it be nice if Mr Rashford encouraged all his 150k a week friends to help contribute. But a publicity stunt always plays well to the proletarians. If I recall rightly, a certain Mr Blair promised to end homelessness in Britain once he was elected.

The Tories continuously show they dont give a fuck about the poor though and never have. At a certain point you have to be ok with the shit a party does if you support them. They repeatedly have shown what their moral standard is and if you find it repugnant then why would you ignore those who are ok with it

Obviously I think most Tory supporters want the kids fed, but they still support a party who this is standard for.

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CyricZ posted...

Oh.

Yes things like displaying the Union Jack being banned because it may cause offence. And crucifixes in case someone whose not Christian is offended.

Lol, I can already guess you immediately leapt to a racial quota reference. That says more about you than me.

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I said "oh". You're the one filling in your own blanks.

GhostSweeper posted...

That says more about you than me.

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