Ok so I am a US citizen losing interest in the left-right American political system. I was grown up and educated by parents who associate with politics on the right. The issue is that I am losing interest and getting sick of the idea, but my parents are for completely unfettered capitalism. I'm always given lectures by my parents on how the new pope is a communist, socialism is awful, blah blah blah. They don't even understand at all. Maybe my mom to some degree.

I'm sick of the baggage that comes with growing up on the American left-right political spectrum. I want to grow up already. How do I let go of something that's been pounded in me for a decade?

You think for yourself and draw your own conclusions.

I'd suggest you start listening to Noam Chomsky talks on YouTube. The United States political system has been fundamentally broken since world war 2. For all their talk of "freedom" and "democracy" The system that operates there can only truthfully be described as a plutocracy at best, and kleptocracy at worst. Hegemony and war corporatism is all that exists now. 

I just ignore elections and the political process, you can do the same. 

Hugs, Devlyn

Up-down politics are much more important than left-right politics.

Quoteby my parents on how the new pope is a communist, socialism is awful, blah blah blah. They don't even understand at all. Maybe my mom to some degree

I don't think the pope is a communist... In fact, Vatican City was set up by a Fascist, and the pope himself is an elected Absolute Theocratic Monarch.. That's pretty far away from communism.. In fact, that's about as far way from communism you can be. I personally wouldn't care if he were a communist though because he's irrelevant. If Jesus existed, in the way he's described in the bible, do you think he'd be a free market libertarian with a crush on Aynn Rand?... Doesn't sound very Christ-like to me... But, it makes no differnce as Jesus, like the pope, is irrelevant, and rightly so (see: "separation of church and state")

In regard to "socialism" maybe ask your parents what that word means to them. See if they can even give you a definition that doesn't include a military or police force, or schools (or health care, in civilised societies). I'd be willing to bet their idea of socialism will have something to do with "big government" and "regulation"... Interestingly though, the U.S. Government spends more tax on the military than most of the rest of the world combined.... It's a huuuuge socially funded system. It is by definition a socialist idea to take a whole lot of tax and use it to provide a service... Ask them what all that tax is for? Why it's ok for the military to have that much money? I'll bet it's something to do with "protecting our freedoms"... Interestingly, no one in the world is threatening the freedom of the United States now, and there has never been a credible threat in the past. Certainly not since ww2.
If you halved the military spending in the U.S. and kept the tax rate the same, you'd still have the biggest military force on the planet, and you'd also have more money than you'd know what to do with to pay for health, education, science etc.
None of it will matter though because your government is broken. You're right to be disinterested in "left/right politics" It's the illusion of choice. It makes no differnce whom you vote for because either way, you're just giving money to the military, and allowing the cycle of United States military and financial warfare to continue. Yours is the second most dangerous nation on the planet. Every single person I've met from the USA though, has been kind and wonderful. The exact opposite of what you'd expect a person from a war mad empire. The disconnect is totally astounding.
This is why a lot of intellectuals say that "USA" stands for the United States of Amnesia, because your memories are so short lived. As a quick example, and don't look it up first, ask yourself
Who was Patrice Lumumba? Why was he important
Who was Salvador Allende? Where was he from?
What does the term "banana republic" mean? Where did it come from?
Who was Leo Strauss? Why is he important in your nations political history?
What was "Team B"  and what was their impact on the so called Cold War?
Who was Sayid Q'tub? How is he relavent to the current "war on terror"?
I could go on.... I hope you're getting my point though.

The single most important thing you could do, to disconnect yourself from the left/right dog and pony show is stop watching TV and start reading history books. Read books that challenge your ideas. Learn about the histories and motivations for all the conflicts your government has either caused or injected themselves into since ww2. Your country has military power to quite literally destroy the entire world several times over in a matter of seconds. Think about that power. The people that claim to represent you in the world have the power to kill ALL life, to extinguish the ONLY living planet that we know of in the ENTIRE universe...  I don't think voter apathy should be an option in that kind of situation.

We are all born ignorant, but it takes special effort to remain so.


TL;DR, your parents sound like Muggles, Enrol in Hogwarts, join Ravenclaw and read the history books in the restricted section.

I am a registered Republican but I identify as an independent. Local politics where I live pretty much requires you to vote in the Republican primary to have a voice.

I really don't align with left or right on everything but I align more with the right in terms of economy, 2nd amendment and a few other things. I tend to agree with the Democrats on LGBT rights and most of their stances on women's rights but little else. Foreign policy I tend to agree with non-interventionists like Ron and Rand Paul.

So yes, the left/right divide is not really that relevant for me.

I used to be pretty hardcore right wing in both politics and religion.  In hindsight that was largely part of my internal scheme to suppress and "fix" myself and to get God's help in doing the fixing.

Since I'm past all that now I've moved a lot further left and will vote straight democrat in any election.  It's not really that I agree with them on every issue but rather that once elected any candidate, regardless of their promises, is going to vote the party platform.  I find the Democratic platform to overall more closely align with my views.  I also find the Republicans in general to be too closely aligned with religious views that I find repugnant and contrary to common human decency.


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Lol, the USA isn't capitalist, much less of the "unfettered" kind, as the definition of Capitalism and free markets are made oxymoronical in the presence of a state. Really, we live in a socialist country with (ever decreasing) degrees of capitalism.

To balance out the Chomsky suggestion, I suggest you look up Stefan Molyneux. Not a fan of all his stuff, but when he lays down philosophical truth, few can hope to approach his ability to reason.

Look up Voluntaryism.

I'm a democratic-socialist, pretty far to the left. I long to have America on par with at least Canada if not the UK, Germany, Sweden etc on most respects.

I too use to be right wing and i pretty publicly turned away from that some years ago. You should have seen the reaction from family and friends. You'd think i taken a marble bust of president Reagan into the street broken it into gravel.

Having said that politics on all sides is an unwholesome business by its nature and both groups do wrong, to me it is really about choosing the least wrong. I try to avoid much of the political TV etc and just do my voting duty when i am called on to do it.

Hey RH1,

Many of us grew up in homes where only one dominate political perspective was appreciated.  Those "old tapes" can take some time to shread away.  As a young person who still has some curiosity about the world I strongly suggest higher education to you.  Rather than direct you to left or right advocacy sites I hope you will consider a course at your local Community College or University.  There are hundreds of courses in political science available and you will more likely find faculty that can be impartial.  I am not impartial and consider socialism one of the best bets for governance with compassion and real social security.  Just look at the more prosperous, productive and peaceful countries on earth.  Wouldn't it be nice to not worry about affording college, health care, child care and more that are part of cradle to grave security for some in countries with democratic socialist parties.  Sadly our socialist, Bernie Sanders, gathers the biggest crowds and has the most individual donations of any candidate but is hardly mentioned by the media.

For any political system to be truly representative it requires the consent of the governed.  Vote!

I feel the same. There is some things I do like that each party wants but overall I don't like republicans or democrats.

I thought the Pope was Catholic or Greek Orthodox

Quote from: redhot1 on September 23, 2015, 01:42:05 PM
I'm sick of the baggage that comes with growing up on the American left-right political spectrum. I want to grow up already. How do I let go of something that's been pounded in me for a decade?

I just became an unenrolled person, in other words an independent and stopped listening completely to liberals and conservatives because you know what I think? I think they are both literally insane. Voting strictly for either a democrat or republican is like voting for the least insane person in the nuthouse. That's not really a choice for me. I have beliefs that are left wing such as supporting obamacare, lgbt rights, and that we have an obligation to take of one another. I also believe in right wing things, such as limiting government, oppose almost any gun control laws, and personally I demand accountability in how we are admitting people into this country.

I vote either way or even 3rd party, in the last election I voted for Obama. I believe he was doing okay but with the terrorism issues in the last several months I believe he is becoming an abject failure and I am really starting to dislike his direction on handling the situation.

The bottom line for me is when I leave the voting booth my conscience is clean. Even if I voted for a libertarian or some other 3rd party candidate who I know would probably lose, I am okay with that. I voted for the person I felt was best suited for the job.

I don't pay attention to debates, polls, discussions, etc. I have my own point of view and if people want to discuss my point of view then fine, if not then that's even better to me.

Trust me, I grew up in a family of elected officials, including a senator. I've had dinner with John Kerry and his wife. I've met them all. I was literally steeped in politics and that's why I loathe it so much. I have tried both parties and they both suck. So I stay in the middle and let the crazies have at it

I am a strong believer in the democratic system, and I want people to vote. I also despise a lot of the left-right politics and such, but still think voters should be educated and vote for the person they think will represent them the most. For me, I honestly love both candidates, and in 2008 wanted to vote for Clinton. I know that she would do an amazing job running this country, but for me, It is about certainty. I am 100% certain that Sanders will do exactly as he says, or go down fighting. For me I think Hillary might not do or try to do everything she is claiming. Both are great candidates, but for me, Bernie seems more like me and the most likely to do the most good.

Quote from: Zumbagirl on December 18, 2015, 09:59:13 PM
I have tried both parties and they both suck. So I stay in the middle and let the crazies have at it

That's where I am at these days. I voted for both sides in the past and it just seemed pointless at the end of the day.

Just a few simple thoughts. . .

I certainly understand the discontent with modern politics.  Sadly, the entrenched politics of the last 50 years has done nothing for the common man, but empowered and financially enriched the elected and out of touch leaders on both sides. .

Take a look at worldwide immigration trends.  Where are people going? Where are they fleeing.  Ultimatly, all those people know something that the Pope and Naom Chomsky apparently don't. 

Simply put, are people flocking to Cuba for their medical system?  Remember Michael Moore would have you believe that their system in heads and shoulders above ours. . .

What about income and well being.  Are people flocking to the former Soviet union?  After all, they are socialist/communist.  Same with Cuba. . .

Why, if we are such a bad country are people still coming here?  or are they? Perhaps Americans are flocking elsewhere in untold numbers. . . .

Just something to think about....

Learn, learn, learn, learn. I was very, very right-wing until I started learning. Education is the strongest weapon humans will ever have. When I say learn, too, I don't even mean to go out and read The Communist Manifesto or anything, but rather start observing and listening to others, and start reading more into politics and thinking about how it applies to you and others. I have very strong political opinions just based on analyzing and watching how our citizens interact with each other, and it'll be gradual. From there, you'll start figuring out what you want to really subject yourself to and study.

I don't really care much who gets elected what.  However, as a poly/sci major, I want at least one of the three, White House, Senate or House, controlled by the opposing party.  Republican congress?  Democratic POTUS.  Republican POTUS and Senate?  Democratic House.  To me, this basically renders the U. S. government impotent and brings us as close as possible be to Mark Twain's quote of, "The only time mankind is truly safe is when the legislature is not in session."