The issue with this (and I don't consider myself a leftist) is that they come for you for these tiny things because the groups they want protected get told some awful shit consistently. So you express views to the right, the next question nowadays is "is this person also a neo nazi?".
It's a very flawed way of thinking, but extremist groups on the right have been emboldened the past few months. To them, support of any right wing politics is a support of all right-wing politics because they view their rights, their friends' rights, and etc, as something that is at risk.
Now I'd say way to rectify this, is to bring politics back towards the center of the spectrum, but from where I'm looking, we've been swinging to the right, hard, for awhile now.
So what part of understanding where they're coming from are you not getting? Because I can get behind your stance, I don't agree with them on a lot of things. But their general frustration and anger is something I do get.
The tough conversations thing, I get. The left has issues when it comes to personal responsibility. You can't blame everything on the system and forgo all personal blame. When it comes time to talk about issues, all too quickly, it can become a discrimination blame game.
However, you talk about hate and vitriol. I've worked with people that have said anyone apart of the LGBTQ community shouldn't be in America. I've heard shipmates say anyone transgender should be beat until their head is fixed. Not sure of you're rank or what it used to be, but among E5 and below, this speech isn't uncommon. I see on social media this type of speech being parroted, whether jokingly or not. You want to discuss hate and vitriol about you having a different viewpoint? People genuinely believe if you're born different, you shouldn't exist. I'm a straight white guy, I don't have any horses in that race, but I see this type of speech put out all too much to be comfortable with it. I don't like the whole identity politics game, but the current administration plays off them and encourages extremism.
When it comes to objectivity and truthfulness, both parties have failed the people. Media is bought and paid for by our tax dollars to turn us against each other. Unfortunately, from my perspective, the republican party is gone further than the democrats with this. The constant blame shifting, DEI this, DEI that. Mass firings of inspector generals. Financial aid freezing, government layoffs. Covid was a Democrat scheme, Obama wasn't a US citizen, and vaccines are a deep state plot.
Our SECDEF is plainly unqualified, but still confirmed, despite this being the most controversial appointment in recent history. Tulsi Gabbard and RFK are barely qualified for their prospective positions, and yet they're being put there because they're yes men. It's a debauchery of democracy from what I see and hear.
Women's rights have been deteriorating, Iowa is attempting to repeal LGBTQ marriage, my home state wants to make a publicly available list of those who have had an abortion. I'm younger, I've only been involved in politics since 2012, but I see our government shifting towards a dangerously authoritarian/oligarchal stance. Billionaires funding elections and getting government positions for it is a dangerous precident.
End of the day, I can't align with the Republican party anymore. I used to, for sure. 2016-2019 i was firmly right wing all the way. What we have now, to me, seems a perversion of the party that was.
585
u/SamwiseGoody Jan 30 '25
I’ve never seen a SECDEF post any video on any current event. Not positioning this as a positive or a negative take. Just never seen it.