Since I became more politically aware over the last decade, I've seen a lot of members on this site change their beliefs and take on new ideas. I'm curious as to what your moment was when you decided on a new way of thinking.

For me, it started when I looked into Bernie's policies in the primary for 2016. I didn't realize Medicare For All was a real thing for a lot of countries. Seeing how people treated him for advocating for such things made me realize who is and isn't here to try and improve things for Americans. I already did not care for Hillary Clinton thanks to a lifetime of Fox News being on at home and being raised by a conservative, Republican family, so seeing her push back on a lot of what I felt was the right thing to advocate for. After Trump won, despite me holding my nose and voting for Clinton, I was fully on board with the idea that people want change and weren't seeing it from the Democratic Party so they were seeking it from the Republicans who were offering it instead.

What was your moment of radicalization?

I was an obnoxious Hillary Hen back in 2016. I used to feud with a lot of the more progressive members back then. But, going into the 2018 midterms I grew to like AOC and was disappointed at how mediocre the Democrats were in terms of standing up for progressive policies. Even though I supported Hillary over Bernie, it was mostly because I foolishly believed she’d accomplish more even if she’s not as progressive. But, when Trump won. I chose to be more open minded. So I grew to like AOC with that in mind. Also, during this time I had read more political theory (writings on liberalism, mercantilism, and Marxism). Going into the 2020 primaries, I tried to maintain an open minded even after the 2016 primary. And, I found myself settling on either Bernie or Warren. Then eventually just Bernie. But, seeing the amount of effort the more centrist candidates put in to stop Bernie’s momentum really broke me and whatever shred of faith I had in the Democratic Party. That was basically the point I became “radicalized”. Everything since then only worsens that feeling—especially the response to the genocide in Gaza.

SNC Lavalin

i live in a conservative state but being assaulted at a packed restaurant by a maga who was going off about me belonging in a concentration camp, saying it was a matter of time before I was ash, etc. and not a single person in the restaurant even standing up from their table let alone anything else to help. once it was over i asked someone who worked there to call the police and they looked me dead in the eyes and asked why they would do that

(For context, I was sitting next to my dad's bed in the ICU as he died from sepsis and stomach cancer seeing this air live and couldn't believe what I was seeing.)

Curious to know what radicalized @D.M.F to become such a staunch Xtina fan and OBH

ATRL radicalized me

in terms of domestic politics, COVID and the invasion of Ukraine. both events caused a shift in domestic politics and the ensuing polarisation of society

on a global scale, the events of October 7th

1 hour ago, MissHammers said:

i live in a conservative state but being assaulted at a packed restaurant by a maga who was going off about me belonging in a concentration camp, saying it was a matter of time before I was ash, etc. and not a single person in the restaurant even standing up from their table let alone anything else to help. once it was over i asked someone who worked there to call the police and they looked me dead in the eyes and asked why they would do that

Jesus christ, I'm sorry you had to go through that, no one deserves to be harassed and traumatized like that. What state are you in?

My cousin once asked me what the bills and coins I had on me were. He was like 10 at the time and is not any kind of disabled. This was over a decade ago and physical money was something normal, even moderately wealthy people used multiple times every day. I still wouldn't call myself very radical but that was when I gained some kind of class consciousness. To this day it was one of the strangest things that has ever happened to me.

Edited 7 hours ago7 hr by Sheep

Joe Strummer from The Clash radicalized me in my early teens. He was basically a musical pipeline to Marxism. I was listening to them and Gaga a lot during those teen years, feeling empowered by being an openly gay teenager in 2010. I look down heavily on her politics now (especially considering she shifted me to liberalism for a bit during the whole Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal), but she also definitely got me to read more radical LGBTQ history during those pivotal teenage years, so I'm def thankful for that.

In my support for veganism, thinking/reading/researching about the fact that human beings enslave, torture and murder billions of innocent sentient beings for pure greed radicalised me into opposing that. The fact that a calf or a lamb is just a baby that wants to be near their mom but is snatched away so it can be mercilessly murdered for an appetiser, radicalised me. I'm not one of "those" vegans who will lecture you on your lifestyle but I don't think anyone who eats meat gets go claim that they are progressive.

Learning about the US' involvement in the Cold War-era military juntas in Latin America. If you ever want a peek at just how savage the US' brand of "foreign intervention" can be, just read about El Mozote

if it wasn't for bored retired evangelical suburban mother having nothing to do but be outraged and scared of tranZGindeR!!11!! and immIgIANtS!!!11!! and cHrIsTIaN VaLuEssszzz!!11! I probably wouldnt even be interested in politics

Edited 6 hours ago6 hr by Pikachoo

A lot but lately it's the hypocrisy. For example how Republicans are "pro life" or have "Christian values" and yet do everything possible to make life difficult.

guess im the first to say tumblr? i thought becoming woke from tumblr happened to majority of us

I've always been left of centre but some key moments for me were seeing Corbyn get dog-piled by the media for the most ridiculous things (Polanski is having the same treatment) and then seeing the increasing mainstream hostility towards trans people.

The absolute nail in the coffin for me has been Palestine. The way Western governments have enabled this genocide has been soul-crushingly sad.

Geert Wilders winning 37 seats in our House of Representatives, forming the most right-wing government we ever had (especially on immigration) and then accomplishing absolutely NOTHING, and also resulting the VVD into becoming a much more populist right-wing party when it used to be a pragmatic centre-right party, made me realize that right-wing populism is the absolute scum.

I will not rest till I see another left-wing or at the very least center-left government Dutch government in my lifetime. Sadly, we are very far removed from it.

ATRL. I learned so much about here not just about pop culture

lpsg

Palestine, feminism, and veganism.

I realised that voting for liberals or the centre-left was the furthest thing from being enough.

Stella leftey!

I was a kid when 9/11 happened and it was disgusting to see American nationalism rear its ugly head. I will never forget the Islamophobia, the way Americans wholeheartedly supported Bush's wars and the total erasure of America's role in the events that directly lead to 9/11. At the time, the prevailing narrative was that 9/11 happened because "terrorists hate our freedoms." The lack of introspection or curiosity about who did the attacks and why and lack of desire to question the US government's response was chilling.

To see this all happening in parallel again with October 7th is a nightmare and I cant believe people are falling for the same fascist playbook again.

4 hours ago, DaphneGuinness said:

In my support for veganism, thinking/reading/researching about the fact that human beings enslave, torture and murder billions of innocent sentient beings for pure greed radicalised me into opposing that. The fact that a calf or a lamb is just a baby that wants to be near their mom but is snatched away so it can be mercilessly murdered for an appetiser, radicalised me. I'm not one of "those" vegans who will lecture you on your lifestyle but I don't think anyone who eats meat gets go claim that they are progressive.

I don't personally believe any of my progressive positions are "radical", they're common sense to me.

But I do have to say that Veganism definitely disenfranchised me. It's a philosophy that opens your eyes & understanding to so much more than what's presented surface level. I genuinely believe Veganism can be the biggest threat to the current status quo - and it's something that can be applied and wielded as rebellion & an effective form of protest, regardless of where you are in the world or your political circumstance.

Veganism has taught me about the rot in our education & health systems, about childhood indoctrination, truly highlighted the extent of environmental catastrophe we're causing and who the worst culprits are (the military), it teaches you to question & interrogate every bit of information you're fed & the source, who's paying for the message & why, greenwashing awakens you to the way causes are co-opted & the fancy language that's fed to the masses to mislead or redirect attention. It educates you on housing inequality, resource hoarding, environmental racism… it teaches you to advocate for those without a voice and are the most vulnerable… and so much more.

That it is simply reduced to "diet", even by those who advocate for it, is a huge disservice & shame.

It's also difficult to take anyone that calls themselves a progressive and mocks Veganism seriously. And likewise, anyone that claims to be "Vegan" but holds regressive social or political views. You just can't talk about any of the above issues without landing on Veganism as at least a major factor for the change you seek.

And very plainly, a system that reduces any sentient being to a material commodity can never be expected to work for the good of humanity, or life & the Earth at large.

And before anyone yells "privilege!!" - the meat industry is LARGELY responsible for the worst economic, social, health & environmental conditions some of the poorest people on earth are forced to endure. Yes, it MAY be considered a privilege to be able to think & debate in these terms, the question is… what are you going to do with that privilege? It's imperfect, but ultimately it boils to harm reduction wherever possible/feasible/practical - if a significant enough minority allowed that to dictate their actions, spending & where they invest their support, we'd be on track to a better, kinder, healthier & more enlightened & considerate world.

Edit: Forgot to mention a degree in PR & Communication and then working in that field for one of the largest employers in the southern hemisphere, really makes you see the "spin" & motive in virtually everything.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by FOCK