The Election, Truth, and Losing Friends

After losing a few friends of 10 years+ over this election because of our different views, I had to write something about it. The rant forum seemed like the best place. (It's addressed towards conservatives because that's who I was arguing with at the time, but you can apply this to any partisan political group.)

Right wing thinking: "If you don't agree with me, you must not UNDERSTAND me." We understand you good and well. It's just this isn't our first election realizing how full of #### the system is. It may be new to you, but most of us are used to it by now. As long as the popular vote doesn't matter, THE POPULAR VOTE DOESN'T MATTER. Simple.

None of us have any control over any of it and aside from dumping white phosphorus on everything north of the Carolina's, nothing you, me, or anyone else says or can do will make a difference in any of it. Can you honestly tell yourself the Fed's (and the corporations that control a lot of our government) will take less money from you depending on what box you select on a machine somewhere? Think about that.

If you've been raised to believe ANYTHING about politics, you're the problem. Until we can rip out the conditioning we were raised with and start over everything you do just plays into the hands of the people you shout so hard you're against. It's designed this way. We've been used, all of us, for a long, long time. Wake up. Please.

/Rant over

a reply to: underwerks
You are focusing to much on politics and not on Human nature and diversity. Before Republicans and Democrats the world was still at war.

look at the Middle East. Hell just look at Iraq. There are multiple different "tribes" that all want each other dead.

Check out the Terrorist Organizations world wide: Terrorist Organizations

Do you think they really care about Politics? Humans for being the most advanced species on Earth really suck. This is why I am a Republican. Liberals seem to think if they spam their Utopia version of living that people will live in world peace. It is quite the opposite. As long as there are humans mixed with 7000 different religions there is no chance for world peace.

The best we can do is try to uphold individual rights and freedoms. People can do as they want to a point but not be forced into some liberal progressive "we are all one and one for all" BS. People are to diverse for that.

Not sure I made my point but politics are a device to try and maintain some order and peace between a massive diversity of human beliefs. The more you try and coral everyone into thinking one way, the more people will push back. This is why Trump is doing as well as he is. Hillary wants everyone to be good little democrats and fall in line and be like little robots that all think the same.

I like the ideal if Individual rights and freedoms. Live and Let live. That's why I am republican. Democrats think "hive collective" (BORG in Star Trek) is the answer. No thanks. Most people annoy the hell out of me.

a reply to: underwerks

wait can i ask you about the friends of 10 years that you lost. You had friends of 10 years and its over because of Trump and Hilary???

I can talk politics with all my friends, left, right and middle without wanting to not be friends with them. That is one of the reasons they are my friends.

a reply to: underwerks

I have financially, morally, ethically, spiritually, crushed everyone who has ever disagreed with me.

For I am the most supreme-. . . . . . . . .

People take things too seriously in life. We should all be able to talk, agree, disagree without a global peeing of the underpants.

a reply to: Orionx2
I don't believe it's as much about politics as power and ego for the people involved. You could eliminate every political party from the face of the earth and the problem would still be there, just under a different name. It's the human problem, and the quest for power. I never thought about politics being a device to maintain order and peace but if that's the case, we can surely do better

originally posted by: DBCowboy
I have financially, morally, ethically, spiritually, crushed everyone who has ever disagreed with me.

You forgot 'physically'. Stop selling your self short. Or thin.

a reply to: underwerks

My brother in law, and my sister both differ with me on the issue of Britain leaving the EU. I am all for it, they are dead against leaving.

When we see one another though, we talk about different things, arguably more important things. Did we get enough sleep last night in the humidity? How are our various projects going? Are we healthy? Are we capable of dragging a few ounces of joy out of the week? There is no question that how we comport ourselves at the ballot box, particularly now, will change things in this country. That is truer now than at any time in the past fifty years or so in my estimation. The recent Brexit vote made a great many people realise that the only thing they can do if they want things to be different than they are, is vote.

However, what I am trying to say is that there things about life on this planet, which despite having nothing much to do with the wider world, despite having nothing to do with the direction your nation may be going in, are VERY important, far more important than any of that high minded stuff. Family is one of them, friendship is one of them, because realistically speaking, even if the world suddenly goes a brand new shade of crazy, when the crap is really meeting the turbine blades, family and friends are the first thing you protect with your life, and the first ones to have your back.

You can disagree with them, you can want to kick them in the throat occasionally, but there are bonds which should not be severed, and no matter how difficult it might be, you have to find a way to maintain these relationships, because no matter how things go down at the ballot box, it's only worth living in a world that contains people you connect with. Without people like that around you, even if your nation becomes a paradise, a utopia without any one of the downsides associated with that state of affairs, if you have no one, if you sacrifice the people that matter to you, then at least half your reason for giving a damn either way evaporates.

Priorities...it's worth working them out.

a reply to: American-philosopher
Yep. The friends I'm talking about are hard-line conservatives and it's unbelievable that someone could disagree with them and understand what they're talking about at the same time. It's been months in the making, arguing back and forth. One of them would be pretty much disowned by his family if he went another direction besides hard right. I guess I'm more p.o.'d at the level of indoctrination and the refusal to see anything other than what they think is right. I don't consider myself anything (political wise) because my beliefs cross pretty much every party line. My conservative friends think I'm a brain dead liberal and my liberal friends think I'm bat#### crazy lol.

Oh ffs, havent you learnt anything about politicicians yet????? ALL POLITICIANS LIE the second they open their mouths, and if you value the word of a lying politician above friendship then I feel very sorry for you.... then you deserve what you get and deserve losing all your friends and family.....

If you value friendship, dont talk about politicis. The moment you start talking politics it is not about friendship anymore, but about male echos, i.e. Who has the biggest d#ck of all...

a reply to: DBCowboy
Hahaha. I agree completely. It's something else when people put transient politics over friendships.

a reply to: Hellhound604
Star for you

a reply to: TrueBrit
I agree friendships and family are way more important than any political BS. I wish they could see that. I'm just counting the days until this madness is over so we can hopefully talk to each other again. Where I'm from in the south it's a huge division, if you don't support Trump it's like you support the entire downfall of western civilization. Everything is so emotionally charged right now.

a reply to: underwerks

That is bloody unfortunate. The fact that people have become so polarised against one another by this election, should have alerted everyone to the sheer scale of the BS pile. It must be a terrible thing to perceive this cluster bang and its intent, and be utterly unable to nudge your people out of that rut.

All I can say is, you may feel ostracised, but I very much doubt that you are alone in spirit. Not everyone out where you are has a weak mind AND a weak will. Most people have one or the other, but either one can save a person an awful lot of hassle.

a reply to: TrueBrit
It really is crazy in the U.S. (at least in the areas I know). Until this election I never saw this side of anyone. It's turned into a bunch of people just slinging #### at each other seeing who's sticks best.

a reply to: underwerks

Meanwhile, both candidates are grade A psychopaths who shouldn't be trusted with a packet of tea, leave alone a country.

That's a terrible situation to find yourself in. I wonder, would it be wise to maybe get seasonal work in a state less prone toward massive polarisation than the one you are in? Perhaps go to somewhere you have not been before, with a voting record heavily to the left of politics? I know that is not always an option, but it rather seems like you could use a break.

Swing states are worse, because then folks want to CONVERT you....

I basically stopped posting about politics on social media, aside from here.
What's the point? I'm not going to sway them, they aren't going to sway me.

Sure, they're both crooks.

Sure, they're both are horrible people.

But, I think Trump will succeed just because his own ego won't allow him to fail.

I think Hillary sold herself to our enemies through her foundation and pay for play politics. She also got caught already rigging an election. (not to mention a whole host of other crooked deeds)

Trump's crooked too, but small potatoes compared to the Clintons.

Who cares about stupid sound bites? Can't make them into policy and law without Congress.

Lesser of two evils has never been more apt.