Navigating the divided America

[Good4Nothin]

I grew up in an extremely liberal family. They all still are, except for me. When I was young, I guess liberal ideas seemed natural, but after I started reading and thinking I realized how illogical some of it was.

Whether I am around my relatives, or friends and acquaintances, I often feel outnumbered. So I have more or less stopped talking about politics altogether, except on anonymous forums like this.

But sometimes I might open my mouth and let a couple words slip out, and then I get steamrolled, or at least completely misunderstood.

For example, I was with some of my relatives and they were enjoying a Trump-bashing session. I was carefully saying nothing. But one of them looked at me and asked what I think. So I had to think fast, which I didn't do very well. I said "I don't argue about politics with friends or relatives."

It turned out that answer was not ok with them. A young woman stood up and started shrieking. When Trump gathers up all the Jews and throws them in ovens, it will be MY fault for not arguing with Trump supporters.

She continued shrieking for a long time. I don't remember what I said, if anything. All that because she assumed that, like her, I despise Trump and his supporters, and I am not helping her fight them.

Not that she is doing anything herself to get rid of Trump. Except sending out intense hate waves.

Not every Democrat I know is as crazed with hatred as some of my relatives. But none of them are trying to be logical or objective, that I can see.

I am not glorifying Republicans. But now Democrats are more deranged. The hatred they feel for this president is so extreme that I am convinced it has little or nothing to do with reality.

 

[Airyaman]

Sounds more like navigating a divided family. I don't know a single person like this.

 

[Good4Nothin]

Sounds more like navigating a divided family. I don't know a single person like this.

Lots of people think Trump is exactly like Hitler, and he's and idiot, and a hateful sexist racist, etc. Maybe you don't know any personally, but I think there are millions of Americans who believe that. Why do you think Rachel Maddow has good ratings?

 

[Airyaman]

Lots of people think Trump is exactly like Hitler, and he's and idiot, and a hateful sexist racist, etc. Maybe you don't know any personally, but I think there are millions of Americans who believe that. Why do you think Rachel Maddow has good ratings?

Maddow never even comes close to suggesting Trump is like Hitler. Not that I've ever seen but I don't watch her show too often. I don't even think she's questioned his intelligence.

Sounds like you're exercising a bit too much hyperbole.

 

[Good4Nothin]

Maddow never even comes close to suggesting Trump is like Hitler. Not that I've ever seen but I don't watch her show too often. I don't even think she's questioned his intelligence.

Sounds like you're exercising a bit too much hyperbole.

No I am not. This is how this relative of mine actually thinks. In between shriek attacks, she read that poem, "First they came ..." which is about the Nazis.

I tried to reason with her a little, saying "The political situation is not simple, and people can't communicate about complicated things unless they can stay calm." That just riled her even more.

I am not exaggerating AT ALL. I know lots of Democrats, and all of them are absolutely sure Trump is a moron and all of them are absolutely sure the Democrats are on the side of goodness and light.

But a couple of my relatives are way off in the deep end. I would say they are insane, except they do function. And they get along fine with people who share their views. But they will not tolerate any non-Democrats. They would have disowned me if they knew.

One Thanksgiving, one of my nieces posted on facebook the most important things she is grateful for. Number one was that none of her relatives voted for Trump.

 

[Airyaman]

No I am not. This is how this relative of mine actually thinks. In between shriek attacks, she read that poem, "First they came ..." which is about the Nazis.

I tried to reason with her a little, saying "The political situation is not simple, and people can't communicate about complicated things unless they can stay calm." That just riled her even more.

I am not exaggerating AT ALL. I know lots of Democrats, and all of them are absolutely sure Trump is a moron and all of them are absolutely sure the Democrats are on the side of goodness and light.

But a couple of my relatives are way off in the deep end. I would say they are insane, except they do function. And they get along fine with people who share their views. But they will not tolerate any non-Democrats. They would have disowned me if they knew.

One Thanksgiving, one of my nieces posted on facebook the most important things she is grateful for. Number one was that none of her relatives voted for Trump.

Then it seems we're back around to this.

Sounds more like navigating a divided family. I don't know a single person like this.

 

[Mycroft]

I grew up in an extremely liberal family. They all still are, except for me. When I was young, I guess liberal ideas seemed natural, but after I started reading and thinking I realized how illogical some of it was.

Whether I am around my relatives, or friends and acquaintances, I often feel outnumbered. So I have more or less stopped talking about politics altogether, except on anonymous forums like this.

But sometimes I might open my mouth and let a couple words slip out, and then I get steamrolled, or at least completely misunderstood.

For example, I was with some of my relatives and they were enjoying a Trump-bashing session. I was carefully saying nothing. But one of them looked at me and asked what I think. So I had to think fast, which I didn't do very well. I said "I don't argue about politics with friends or relatives."

It turned out that answer was not ok with them. A young woman stood up and started shrieking. When Trump gathers up all the Jews and throws them in ovens, it will be MY fault for not arguing with Trump supporters.

She continued shrieking for a long time. I don't remember what I said, if anything. All that because she assumed that, like her, I despise Trump and his supporters, and I am not helping her fight them.

Not that she is doing anything herself to get rid of Trump. Except sending out intense hate waves.

Not every Democrat I know is as crazed with hatred as some of my relatives. But none of them are trying to be logical or objective, that I can see.

I am not glorifying Republicans. But now Democrats are more deranged. The hatred they feel for this president is so extreme that I am convinced it has little or nothing to do with reality.

As bad as it is, what you are going through isn't as bad as what this singer is going through.

https://www.mediaite.com/trump/gram...or-trump-inauguration-ball-bombed-her-career/

Trump haters will punish you just for getting hired by someone connected to Trump.

 

[CriticalThought]

I grew up in an extremely liberal family. They all still are, except for me. When I was young, I guess liberal ideas seemed natural, but after I started reading and thinking I realized how illogical some of it was.

Whether I am around my relatives, or friends and acquaintances, I often feel outnumbered. So I have more or less stopped talking about politics altogether, except on anonymous forums like this.

But sometimes I might open my mouth and let a couple words slip out, and then I get steamrolled, or at least completely misunderstood.

For example, I was with some of my relatives and they were enjoying a Trump-bashing session. I was carefully saying nothing. But one of them looked at me and asked what I think. So I had to think fast, which I didn't do very well. I said "I don't argue about politics with friends or relatives."

It turned out that answer was not ok with them. A young woman stood up and started shrieking. When Trump gathers up all the Jews and throws them in ovens, it will be MY fault for not arguing with Trump supporters.

She continued shrieking for a long time. I don't remember what I said, if anything. All that because she assumed that, like her, I despise Trump and his supporters, and I am not helping her fight them.

Not that she is doing anything herself to get rid of Trump. Except sending out intense hate waves.

Not every Democrat I know is as crazed with hatred as some of my relatives. But none of them are trying to be logical or objective, that I can see.

I am not glorifying Republicans. But now Democrats are more deranged. The hatred they feel for this president is so extreme that I am convinced it has little or nothing to do with reality.

I feel for Democrats. They have been trolled for 2 years now. They have felt powerless and voiceless and watched as Trump has vindicated many of their worst fears.

That being said they need to get a grip. You don't fight crazy with crazy. We don't need two Jokers in the room. They need to rally up and become a gods damned Batman and beat him on sheer tenacity of will.

 

[ElChupacabra]

I grew up in an extremely liberal family. They all still are, except for me. When I was young, I guess liberal ideas seemed natural, but after I started reading and thinking I realized how illogical some of it was.

Whether I am around my relatives, or friends and acquaintances, I often feel outnumbered. So I have more or less stopped talking about politics altogether, except on anonymous forums like this.

But sometimes I might open my mouth and let a couple words slip out, and then I get steamrolled, or at least completely misunderstood.

For example, I was with some of my relatives and they were enjoying a Trump-bashing session. I was carefully saying nothing. But one of them looked at me and asked what I think. So I had to think fast, which I didn't do very well. I said "I don't argue about politics with friends or relatives."

It turned out that answer was not ok with them. A young woman stood up and started shrieking. When Trump gathers up all the Jews and throws them in ovens, it will be MY fault for not arguing with Trump supporters.

She continued shrieking for a long time. I don't remember what I said, if anything. All that because she assumed that, like her, I despise Trump and his supporters, and I am not helping her fight them.

Not that she is doing anything herself to get rid of Trump. Except sending out intense hate waves.

Not every Democrat I know is as crazed with hatred as some of my relatives. But none of them are trying to be logical or objective, that I can see.

I am not glorifying Republicans. But now Democrats are more deranged. The hatred they feel for this president is so extreme that I am convinced it has little or nothing to do with reality.

It's a shame things have become this polarized, but here we are. A part of the problem is identity politics and how easily people follow their particular party instead of dealing with issues from a more practical perspective instead of an ideological one. Too often people are defending their leaders instead of the actual issue.

 

[Good4Nothin]

It's a shame things have become this polarized, but here we are. A part of the problem is identity politics and how easily people follow their particular party instead of dealing with issues from a more practical perspective instead of an ideological one. Too often people are defending their leaders instead of the actual issue.

They turn off their brains and think with the ideology. It would be ok if they defended their leaders, but they don't even see their leaders. They see an ideology.

Trump defends nationalism in a way that I think is rational and thoughtful. There is nothing wrong with nationalism, and in fact we need it. But the Nazi party was called the "National Socialist" party, so that proves Trump is a Nazi. The part that contained the word "national." It also contained "socialist," but never mind about that.

I think maybe the number one problem is that most people daydreamed through all their history classes, and never read a history book as an adult.

There are Democrats who actually think Russia is still our enemy as in the Cold War era. Even though before the Cold War Russia was our ally in WW2. Things change, and if you know anything about history you know that.

But I know Democrats who only seem to know what comes out of Rachel Maddow's mouth. And yes, she does think Trump is an idiot. All extreme Democrats think that. That is why they hate him.