I don’t have much of a problem either way as I don’t think I’ll be engaging in political discussion on this website past this post but it seems like any sort of non-left wing opinions or posts are immediately trashed on here. That’s fine. There’s clearly a more liberal audience here and that’s okay. I just don’t want Lemmy to become a echo chamber for any side and it seems to be that way when it comes to politics already.
Mostly making this post just to drum up discussion as I’m new here.
Edit: Thanks for the rational replies. I was expecting to get lit up for even mentioning this topic lol.
I just don’t understand what politics conservatives do other then push for laws that oppress people they don’t feel comfortable sharing a space with? I think the real political discussions are just happening within the left. Conservative party kinda needs to just go away, and the left split into socialists, democrats, and maybe independents. American politics and media have driven it’s two party system so opposed to each other, there is no mutual agreement anymore, you either take the blue side or the red side to any and all issues, and I’m sorry the red side is just so cartoonishly evil they just stand in the way of progress, or push to go backwards in history.
This is exactly how I feel. My lifelong best friend was raised Republican as a devout evangelical Christian, and even he switched to a Democrat when Trump won the primary.
I don’t want to be hostile to people seeking genuine political discourse, but I just don’t see that coming from the right. I see ongoing attempts to oppress, disenfranchise, and dehumanize vulnerable populations, and very little else. I understand we’re supposed to accept that whatever conservatives believe is a legitimate political opinion purely by virtue of so many people believing it. But I just can’t get there when the thing we’re supposed to accept is the dehumanization of people who are relying on us to be allies. I don’t reject conservatives out of hand because i value intolerance. I reject them because they do.
I think you’re flanderizing a very real issue (not feeling comfortable sharing a space with “the others”) and at the same time lumping a whole lot of people in a wide spectrum into the very edge of that spectrum.
Also, why is “American” politics the default? The left/right thing is worldwide, both in concept and as a real thing right now.
I’m not arguing for tolerance for the intolerant, and it pains me to have to clearly state this. I am arguing for a little empathy towards non radicalized people that lean conservative. “There but for the grace of God go I”, you know?
I’m not sure how one flanderizes, but I love that word now. I would have no issue sharing a space with somebody that leans right, because i already do. If there are valid arguments to be heard, I’d be happy to change my mind once the facts are on the table. Why do I put American politics as the default? I do this because of course I am from America, and the two parties are so wide apart it seems to fit the context of this post better, imo. I don’t want to provide a stage for hurtful viewpoints, but I don’t want to put anybody down who is making a valid attempt to change a hurtful viewpoint they have.