(September 16, 2024 at 5:20 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote:(September 16, 2024 at 2:30 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: I was one of them for fifteen years. Most of us were interested in limiting government, keeping taxes low too.
Used to be where you went when you wanted less bigotry, weaker intrusion, lower taxes, and more weed. No point in litigating whether that was all a front, as my tender 18yr old self did not come into politics with all the right opinions, the benefit of lifelong experience, or the full catalogue of libertarian hot-takes since.
White supremacist->republican->libertarian->non participator. I like to think I've been getting better, lol. When white supremacy went left wing (in it's language and organizing principles as a propaganda strategy, calm down) I became a republican. When I had my come to jesus moment on white supremacy I became a libertarian. When I began to wonder whether I had fired a weapon at other human beings for the benefit of stock futures I became a non participator.
I do think that having been firmly in the tank for something I now know to be not only false, but wrong, is a valuable experience to have. So I hear people proudly proclaim that they've always been on the right side of every issue, or that theyve always seen things for "how they are".... and on the one hand I strongly duobt that - but when I accept it for novel values of all variables I think to myself......I'm glad to have been wrong and gone through that. I think it gives me clarity....but...I would, wouldn't I....rightly or wrongly.
(I would also like to point out that a weak us government is not a bad thing..from the pov that the us gov is a piece of shit with any power you give them....which as far as I can tell, is a bipartisan belief. Not that it matters, since we've made our government very strong where it intends to harm and very weak if it intends to help...skewing impressions and outcomes - my own included. It may be that the only reason, truly, that I haven't gone down the maga demonhole is that I think past governments were worse with this, not better. Listen to me for five fuckin seconds and you'll realize that I'm also a militant accelerationist. I don't disagree with maga about what's up - I disagree with them about who needs to be in a camp in the desert. Food for thought.)
There's a lot to chew on here, with agreement and disagreement, but I can't give this reply the response it deserves right now. I've got to fetch up dinner and handle bidness here, but I will return to give your response a deserving answer.