Current Events > Are you becoming much more radicalized as you get older?

(+) Yeah! (+)

It doesn't feel right to call it radicalized with how Republicans have been acting lately.

I have become more judgy (if you think x, then you are an idiot), but less activist (oh well, if you want to be an idiot, feel free).

Ive always been a radical dude with a tude.

Umbreon posted...

The other side has literal damn neo nazis on their side. If anyone looks at that and says "Yeah but Twitter tho", they're either rooting for them or too blind to ever be of use. Fence sitters don't care if fascists take over. At least, not until it starts hurting them too.

There are no "illusions" over why fat people are fat. The majority of them know. Do you think they're confused over the concept of weight gain? They're just asking people to not be assholes towards them.

Why even bring this up, this has literally zero impact on your life and the lives of anyone else. Cause let me tell you, the people who claim "I was going to vote Democrat, but since this person on the internet said something rude to me I have no choice but to vote Republican to teach them a lesson!"

That person was always going to vote Republican. They say that shit to discourage others from calling them out on their bullshit.

You're being quite awful for no real reason. Why are you strawmanning this dude?

My policy has always been a zero tolerance for fascism, ever since I was old enough to understand what fascism was. I haven't changed. The "other side" has either changed or always were simpatico with nazis and are just now out in the open about it.

Nah.

If anything I still dont care about much of anything.

My radicalizing moment was watching the Obama administration let the people who crashed the economy in 08 off the hook while simultaneously allowing the Occupy movement to be crushed. Granted I was already pretty hard left anyways since I grew up in a family of Union workers going all the back to the Coal Wars and Blair Mountain.

Not radicalized, but less willing to take some bullshit. I used to be pretty anti-prison but now I'm seeing the same fuckwits stealing their 24th car and it's just like "send em away plz, we tried our best"

Dark_Arbron posted...

B-but I was told that people got more conservative as they got older!

Only assholes

Yeah, went from Libertarian to Liberal to Socialist and each step along the way I realize how little faith I have in the current system and the need for direct action.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

I've been purgatoried multiple times for my advocacy of totalitarian dictatorship back on 261.

ScazarMeltex posted...

My radicalizing moment was watching the Obama administration let the people who crashed the economy in 08 off the hook while simultaneously allowing the Occupy movement to be crushed. Granted I was already pretty hard left anyways since I grew up in a family of Union workers going all the back to the Coal Wars and Blair Mountain.

That is a rough legacy.

Nah. I've come to realize that many people just aren't mature and don't critically think, which causes them to be self-righteous hypocrites with obnoxious attitudes and low self-awareness. People don't like being wrong (and consequently feeling bad) and sadly, that often takes precedence over facts and logic. I'm at the age where I no longer have the patience to deal with those who cannot be reasoned with, no matter what their political/philosophical affiliations are. Lack of rationality causes much of human conflict, but until societal culture changes then it is what it is.

Radical, dude!

Actually Im going through a crisis of faith. My whole life its been Israel good, Hamas bad. Now its Hamas Bad, and Israel not the knight in shining armor that I thought they were but still better than most of the governments in the region.

And Im really starting to hate religious people in general.

I definitely care about politics significantly more than I did 20 years ago for sure.

I've become more progressive, but I'm a lot more interested in the details in how to achieve my progressive ideals. I care more about policies and process details rather than just the goal. Those tend to make me not look radical though

LSGW_Zephyra posted...

That is a rough legacy.

Yeah Great Grandpa came to Missouri as a young man after Blair Mountain and became a carpenter. My Grandfather and my father were both Teamsters, and my Uncles all union tradesmen of one variety or another.

I definitely care about politics less now than I did when I was younger >_> I don't understand how some people waste so much time and energy in online arguments with strangers (that they aren't going to convince anyway), when they could be bettering themselves instead.

I dont think theres anything radical about my positions. I want cheap ass food and less guns. I am less trusting of people though.

I would say I'm becoming more disillusioned, more filled with disdain towards the people who we put faith in to make the right decisions.

Less

No Im leaning more and more left. There should be no billionaires or millionaires. Everyone should be the same.

SSMajinVegeta2 posted...

No Im leaning more and more left. There should be no billionaires or millionaires. Everyone should be the same.

That sounds like some commie talk lol

No. Having extremist views in a free society is a deliberate choice.

As I've gotten older I've gone more and more left.

ViewtifulGrave posted...

Ive always been a radical dude with a tude.

Sort of. I've realized a lot people have some radical views I can't get along with.

I've shifted further left.

The right has lost any pretense of being able to play the "free speech" card. Their war on facts, efforts to install a dictator, embracing of theocracy, all of it is abhorrent. Republican voters continue to tell us what they what. The lack of pushback is no less concerning. Too much of the world is content (or cowardly) with the status quo. Where's the international condemnation and sanctions against the GOP?

I've become more humanitarian in my thinking, which aligns with moving further left.

According to Republicans yes

I'm radically not giving a fuck about anything more and more

The world is nothing but extremes. You either live by performing extreme acts and opinions or you die. By how humanity works, we are all inherentally radicalized.

No. As I get older, I become wiser and calmer. At least I think I do (my wife would probably agree).

I constantly question myself and my beliefs and I always try to understand everything and everyone. I try to foster mutual understanding in real life by treating people around me equally and respectfully. That requires to be be able to see and understand many different perspectives.

Anyone can do something against increasing aggressions and radicalizations by simply leading by example.

I recommend to shut down or at least decrease social media usage. If you want to help people, go outside. Be kind. Live an ordinary life. Vote for people with a honorable cause in mind. Try to avoid making generalizations and don't always judge too quickly. Support locals.

Make your life better by making other lifes better. Leave more good than bad behind you.

In the end, that's the only thing you can do. And the more people are like that, the more people you can convince to be like that, the better this world becomes.

gu-gohan posted...

No. As I get older, I become wiser and calmer. At least I think I do (my wife would probably agree).

I constantly question myself and my beliefs and I always try to understand everything and everyone. I try to foster mutual understanding in real life by treating people around me equally and respectfully. That requires to be be able to see and understand many different perspectives.

Anyone can do something against increasing aggressions and radicalizations by simply leading by example.

I recommend to shut down or at least decrease social media usage. If you want to help people, go out. Be kind. Live an ordinary life. Vote for people with a honorable cause in mind. Try to avoid making generalizations and don't always judge too quickly. Support locals.

Make your life better by making other lifes better. Leave more good than bad behind you.

In the end, that's what you can do. And the more people are like that, the more people you can convince to be like that, the better this world becomes.

Bruh, this is RIGHT ON TIME for me. I needed to hear (well, read) this. Thank you. Couldn't agree more.

gu-gohan posted...

No. As I get older, I become wiser and calmer. At least I think I do (my wife would probably agree).

I constantly question myself and my beliefs and I always try to understand everything and everyone. I try to foster mutual understanding in real life by treating people around me equally and respectfully. That requires to be be able to see and understand many different perspectives.

Anyone can do something against increasing aggressions and radicalizations by simply leading by example.

I recommend to shut down or at least decrease social media usage. If you want to help people, go outside. Be kind. Live an ordinary life. Vote for people with a honorable cause in mind. Try to avoid making generalizations and don't always judge too quickly. Support locals.

Make your life better by making other lifes better. Leave more good than bad behind you.

In the end, that's the only thing you can do. And the more people are like that, the more people you can convince to be like that, the better this world becomes.

Yeah this 100%. You can only control so much. Might as well help people with what you have the power to do. Not being on social media helps a lot

gu-gohan posted...

Vote for people with a honorable cause in mind.

and watch as nothing ever changes ... because electoral politics cannot meaningfully change anything

Phoro posted...

I would say I'm becoming more disillusioned, more filled with disdain towards the people who we put faith in to make the right decisions.

I feel like I never had much faith in politicians or voters.

Notti posted...

I feel like I never had much faith in politicians or voters.

I never had much faith in love or miracles.

I'm still immature, no doubt about that. Look at the Pokmon thread to see me indulging in a post of my spending on the manga.

But as for my beliefs between childhood and now?

1. Well my support in LGBT rights despite even being Christian, is that if we should be treating it as a crime, then those against it should have been willing to make the most air tight arguments to convince us otherwise.

Even as far back as this PSA:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTn7ALbLYPI

Anti-gay message, but also about the danger of pedophiles. So why are all scenarios on it about men preying after boys if warning them of possible danger is important?

Cause you can't prove guys are evil if you show a woman going after a boy.

I mean, why would one have to relying on a trick if they believe their stance is correct/valid?

And that's why I also have a difficult time presuming good faith. Any reason to oppose LGBT rights apply to areas of life that people either tolerate/accept or look the other way.

We aren't the most natural creatures, so why are same sex consensual couples a big deal? Especially since if you point out how other creatures aren't discouraged from such, the people who previously insist "It's not natural" suddenly go "Well being natural doesn't mean it's good or right!".

2. Truth be told when say it comes to entertainment, even before politics became a focus of discussion there's always a point where people declare quality shows/movies to be dead.

For one, ironically people falling into that trap tend to have a more strict sense of preference hence not really looking for anything new. I guess I think good or entertaining, my flexible tastes work in my favor as I always find something to enjoy.

Second, even before politics entered the arguments, I felt that people might not be as honest when it comes to boasting about quality so often. I didn't know about the term guilty pleasure until the 2000s when I was in my 20s, but I knew enough that when watching say G1 My Little Pony, it's quality when you look past elements seen as girl stuff only, is no different from Transformers.

That is to say, Transformers may have "gender appropriate" elements, but that doesn't mean it's good. Fun, but no Gargoyles or BTAS. Not even Darkwing Duck level. That would be DuckTales, 1st 65 episodes of The Real Ghostbusters if you need an example of legit 80s quality. Raccoons, Garfield & Friends, Gummi Bears and Teddy Ruxpin (Seriously) are good too.

But yeah I feel like such double standards apply to some entertainment debates today where some present themselves as no nonsense critics who don't compromise their critical opinions. Except no one is immune to bias or letting something of appeal influence one's opinion.

Nice write up @Antiyonder. Couldn't agree more.

Radicalized in the fact that Republicans are fascists and want to commit genocide on muslims, LGBTQ, and immigrants. Deny people the right to life, liberty and justice, overthrow the government and many many more horrific literal fascist shit. Yeah I'm more radicalized. I used to be a independent and really believed in the both sides thing for a while as I felt both had things that I agreed with. The illusion is broken and I now recognize the threat that is fascist Republicans.