Re:Ask HN: Where Are All the Parties?
by User23 on Friday January 20, 2023 @12:08PM
(#34456196)
It's weird to me. I don't consider myself a conservative, because anyone with two brain cells to rub together can see that the "conservative movement" in the USA is a grift to part boomers and their money. Just look at the ads that play on Fox News and talk radio! How many vitamin supplements and gold IRAs do we need? Oh right, none. I do consider myself a traditionalist though: my basic political philosophy is pragmatically applying Chesterton's Fence. I suppose that means most people would consider my politics to be right-leaning. Even so, I have absolutely no trouble getting along with my far left friends, of which I have several. What's our secret? We don't poke at each other's sore spots. It's just that simple. When you know that you fundamentally disagree with a friend, you just accept that you fundamentally disagree, acknowledge it on the rare occasions it's necessary, and move on. At least in my social circle all of us know that shunning isn't going to change anyone's mind, it will just destroy a friendship. It's all downside with no upside and thus we don't do that.
[ Parent
| on HN ]
The gold and vitamins is because anything to the right of NPR has trouble getting advertisers. There's a podcast I listen to called The China Show that is dedicated to news about things going on in China that's critical of China. They have tons of listeners but have to have the absolute most awful advertisers like online gambling sites because nobody wants to risk being their sponsor and pissing off the Chinese government.
With regards to the Chesterton fence, I don't discuss vax politics with anyone at this point unless they signal that they have a deep understanding. That goes for most conspiracy stuff too. That's because even if they are totally open and desiring to hear to my position, the information is so segregated based on what media one pays attention to, I'll end up giving a big 30 minute stump speech explaining all the stuff they never heard of because they don't listen to alt. media and it's just annoying and a one-sided conversation that I'd rather not have. Better that they go listen to a podcast or something if they're interested than waste time on that sort of one-sided conversation.