I've stopped talking to two neighbors due to politics

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stratozyck
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30 May 2023, 3:12 pm

Both are on opposite sides, literally and politically. Its not that I never talk to them now, I just avoid them. One was on FB and she posts political stuff non stop, like 4-5 times a day. The other day I replied to one and got into a discussion with one of her friends who called me a bad person because I didn't think we need to do more anti poverty spending. Mind you: not cut it, just not more. The context was I said I did not believe the US was a horrible country to live in because of lack of poverty support.

The other neighbor is a Trump MAGA who more or less forced me into a bet about the 2020 election. When Biden won, he refused to recognize it and then said the election was wrong.

Take it from me, an Economist, PhD and all - politics is not worth making it part of your identity. Also, remember that it is narcissistic to think you can change other's minds. I guess thats where I failed with the FB comment. I just can't resist it sometimes. Economics taught me not to be so... "EVERYTHING IS MURDER" about public policy. Also, it taught me that the political parties pander to people, and that the system virtually guarantees mediocrity. Getting worked up about it is as useful to your life as getting worked up about the weather.

That is all, I am not here to discuss any political points unless someone really wants to. I won't try to change your mind, just defend my worldview. My worldview isn't "definite" in that I don't think the world is black and white. Everyone else seems to like black and white type thinking.

One fun part of being an economist is I can be accused of being a a Republican by one person and then a Socialist by another in the same day. Its actually happened!



goldfish21
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30 May 2023, 4:25 pm

TRUMP WON!! !*

*The most indictments & impending indictments of any US President EVER!


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kitesandtrainsandcats
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30 May 2023, 4:40 pm

stratozyck wrote:
Also, it taught me that the political parties pander to people,

I've long time wondered how people don't instantly realize that. I mean, it is fundamentally logical, party members need your votes in order to get elected therefore they present people with things which will draw people's votes to that party.

Quote:
and that the system virtually guarantees mediocrity.

Sometimes I can't decide whether that is an unintended consequence or not.

Quote:
One fun part of being an economist is I can be accused of being a a Republican by one person and then a Socialist by another in the same day. Its actually happened!

I've discovered you don't have to even have a college degree in order to get that! :D


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stratozyck
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30 May 2023, 5:45 pm

kitesandtrainsandcats wrote:
stratozyck wrote:
Also, it taught me that the political parties pander to people,

I've long time wondered how people don't instantly realize that. I mean, it is fundamentally logical, party members need your votes in order to get elected therefore they present people with things which will draw people's votes to that party.

Quote:
and that the system virtually guarantees mediocrity.

Sometimes I can't decide whether that is an unintended consequence or not.

Quote:
One fun part of being an economist is I can be accused of being a a Republican by one person and then a Socialist by another in the same day. Its actually happened!

I've discovered you don't have to even have a college degree in order to get that! :D


Yup. I'm tired of people treating it like a sports team where there are "sides."

I am a fairly moderate person. I am not an ideologue at all. But what I often notice with leftists - and let me say this I vote Democrat - is that they have this giant p*ssing contest to prove who is more progressive. And if you don't measure up to this arbitrary line they write you off as a right winger, or just as bad.

For example, I don't think trans people are really persecuted if they aren't allowed to have family friendly drag shows. Yes, this actually happened in my area. A trans person tried to organize a family friendly drag show using a public building and the locals went ape and passed a local ordinance. The local Democrats were calling for people to come out and protest and they were so shocked that not many showed up. I mean c'mon, wtf, a family friendly drag show using public buildings? Like thats intentionally designed to try to get a reaction - and they got it.

I got into it on FB with the local Dem party that was organizing the protest. I said "you are trying to win elections in this county and yet you are intentionally dying on this hill that you know will drive up support for Republicans? I don't think you should be head of a political party if you are trying to lose voters in the county you are supposedly trying to win."

They always react *so shocked* that someone voices that - but I hate to tell you, the polls agree - an overwhelming majority of people are a little creeped out by "family friendly" drag events with kids. Doesn't mean I think its grooming. And you know what? You want to do it at a private space - go for it. But don't be surprised when people go ape on you for trying to do it in a public library.

F the GOP - I won't touch them right now.

It just seems like its awful choices. Both parties pander to voters who want to be told certain things. Like we can solve global warming without much cost! Or we can fix our fiscal problems without raising taxes or cutting spending much!

The US is forecast to be at 200%+ debt to GDP in a few years - I think its like 10-15 years. The country will be fked. Only consolation? Nearly every other country in the world has similar problems.



Quantum duck
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30 May 2023, 8:45 pm

I only ever had one neighbor who talked to me. He stopped when he found out who I voted for. If I had known that would happen, I would have told him sooner.



stratozyck
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30 May 2023, 10:57 pm

Quantum duck wrote:
I only ever had one neighbor who talked to me. He stopped when he found out who I voted for. If I had known that would happen, I would have told him sooner.


Hah well I sincerely believe that if someone told me they supported Trump if I asked them, I would still talk to them. I generally have issues with people who make politics their identity to the point where you know without asking.

Its kindof rude to talk politics in real life.



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31 May 2023, 12:29 am

Clowns to the left of, jokers to the right. Is your house built on the middle of a giant horseshoe?


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stratozyck
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31 May 2023, 10:59 am

RetroGamer87 wrote:
Clowns to the left of, jokers to the right. Is your house built on the middle of a giant horseshoe?


hah well I live in a VERY GOP district. My district just banned drag shows unless its at an adult entertainment venue. I think there have been 0 drag shows in the history of this area so they really got worked up about something that has never happened.

One of my other neighbors... it was Superbowl Sunday and I asked him who he was going for and he said he was boycotting the NFL. I said "you got what you wanted! Kaepernick isn't playing, what more do you want?"

Another guy refused to leash his dog when he went on walks and his dog would go in other people's yards. He's dead now. No one misses him.



funeralxempire
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31 May 2023, 12:27 pm

stratozyck wrote:
Another guy refused to leash his dog when he went on walks and his dog would go in other people's yards. He's dead now. No one misses him.


With any luck, the owner too. :lol:


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Quantum duck
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31 May 2023, 2:35 pm

I thought he meant the owner?



cyberdad
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31 May 2023, 4:58 pm

You talk to your neighbours?



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31 May 2023, 5:10 pm

I don't give people the silent treatment because of their political views. It'll be like giving smokers the silent treatment because I don't smoke. I give everyone a chance and I'll only dislike them if they are as*holes or a threat or whatever. I do see people's political views as a separate thing. Unless they're some kind of Nazis who strongly believe that a whole group of innocent people should be killed or something, but I don't class that as political views as such, I just class it as assholery or dangerously unstable. Luckily I haven't really come across anyone with that extreme before.


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goldfish21
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31 May 2023, 5:23 pm

Joe90 wrote:
I don't give people the silent treatment because of their political views. It'll be like giving smokers the silent treatment because I don't smoke. I give everyone a chance and I'll only dislike them if they are as*holes or a threat or whatever. I do see people's political views as a separate thing. Unless they're some kind of Nazis who strongly believe that a whole group of innocent people should be killed or something, but I don't class that as political views as such, I just class it as assholery or dangerously unstable. Luckily I haven't really come across anyone with that extreme before.

It's usually not political views, but rather, things that have been politicized that people talk about that it's sometimes best not to say anything about.

Like last night on the trek up the nearly 500 stairs from the beach a few of my friends were blabbing about antivaxx stuff and how it's crazy government overreach to indoctrinate children into not respecting the authority of their parents and allowing them to decide themselves to get vaccinated etc etc etc (note: none of these 3 people have children of their own.) and while I whole heartedly disagree with them and believe that vaccine science does far more good than harm And I believe that a minor who has antivaxx parents should be able to decide to get vaccinated for theirs and society's benefit, I decided to say exactly Nada about any of that the whole hike up the stairs and beyond. These are good people, good friends, and typically they avoid divisive discussions and everyone just chills together - no sense in expressing my disagreement with their opinions and socially alienating myself as a result. They can just rant and vent to each other and the trees, whatever.

But it's almost never disagreements about governing or politicians or taxation or government spending etc.. it's the things in regular life that have been politicized vs. actual politicians or politics that it's sometimes just not worth discussing or arguing about.


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cyberdad
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31 May 2023, 7:10 pm

Yea but it's 2023, who talks to their neighbors?



goldfish21
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31 May 2023, 8:18 pm

cyberdad wrote:
Yea but it's 2023, who talks to their neighbors?

We do whenever we see them outside. Ours is the last house so we only have neighbours on one side. And houses are about 6 feet apart sooo you’re gonna see your neighbours out front.

Plus they’ve been/are excellent neighbours.

Talk to a few others on the block randomly and we have a neighbourhood fb page for announcements or requests etc.


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cyberdad
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31 May 2023, 9:13 pm

In Australia nobody talks to each other in the cities. My neighbours are boring snobs