Changing Political Views

[CountArach]

No this isn't me changing my political views, no need to get excited

What I was wondering - specifically from our older Backroomers, is how much your political views have changed from when you were younger. You hear all the time that people's views change from when they are my age (ie - late teens to early 20s) to when they are in their 30s and 40s. Specifically most people say they become more conservative. I know that is what happened with my father (formerly a Socialist, now firmly in the Centre), and I was wondering if the story was the same the world-over.

So I ask - oh great older backroomers, have your views changed from when you were younger? If you are still 'young', then feel free to put down what you have observed about other people or just choose Gah.

[macsen rufus]

Sorry, had to vote GAH! on this one....

a) Left and Right are too broad, and frankly outdated, as concepts to describe how my views have changed.
b) When I was younger my political views were largely incoherent, as are those of most people who have had limited experience of life, the universe and everything. Reminds me of a sign one of my friends put up for the benefit of his teenage son: "Happy sixteenth birthday - leave home now whilst you still know everything"

I was a typical "angry young man" who thought things had to change, but looking back I was long on idealism but very short on understanding, either of the problems or proposed solutions. I still think things need to change, but having crawled through some of the dustier back corridors of power I think I am a lot more realistic and a lot more cynical about the chances that they ever will.....

The young have a tendency towards stereotyped "soundbite" politics - most who would, for instance, describe themselves as Communists, have probably never read "Das Kapital", and how many "free-marketeers" have read "The Wealth of Nations" etc etc?

Political extremism in the young is more of a fashion statement than a reasoned position - even in today's society where the tendency is towards extreme apathy. Those that do engage in politics tend more towards confrontational stances, and the older and more experienced you get, the more you value alliance-building, consensus, negotiation and persuasion. The old polarisation of "revolution" vs. "conservatism" mellows towards a more productive synthesis of "ordered change".

I have certainly lost a lot of faith in political parties, especially as their distintiveness has been eroded over recent years, and that they follow the focus groups instead of being opinion-leaders.

[Rhyfelwyr]

When I was very young (as in 10), I thought everyone should have the exact same pay whatever job they did. And when people said 'well then there would be no point in working hard', then I would just say that if they did not then they would be sent to prison.

I suppose that's not the standard 10 year old attitude, which seems to be to turn every £1 note (well not anymore I suppose), into a £10 note. But I was playing Red Alert 2 at the time and I thought the Soviets were the coolest team.

Since then I am a bit less left-wing and authoritarian, since I realise that not everyone may be happy with such a system. Maybe I will have to fuel my people with nationalism or something similar...

[Geoffrey S]

Who doesn't move to the (economical) right as they grow older? It's the shift from being given to earning things, from controlled to liberal environments.

[Odin]

yes, as I age I find myself leaning more toward the left on most social issues, I used to be far more conservative. I still am on a lot of things but I understand and recognize the other sides point of view and find it in many cases just as applicable and valid as mine.

[HoreTore]

I don't think I've changed very much. I have learned a lot more, become more nuanced and so on, but the core of my beliefs, my sense of justice etc haven't changed much. I'm still against the EU, for example, like I was as an 8-year old in '94, the difference between then and now is that now I know why I'm against it

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I was raised as a socialist (since both my parents were socialist) and am now centre-right, so I consider that a pretty drastic shift right.

[JAG]

Well since I am only 22, it is not your target audiance, however I shall give a response anyway.

When I started getting into politics and thinking about things - I was what, 14/15 - I was misinformed and completely bigoted and was a little wanna be fascist . When I really got into politics at the age of 16/17 and actually looking at the reality of situations and getting facts and the full story behind things, I became somewhat of a complete lefty - bordering on anarchist communism. Well actually not bordering at all, definitely becoming one.

Over the last couple of years though, some realities have sunk in which you just never wanna give in to when you are getting involved in causes, socialism and politics in general at a young age - such as Britain never leaving the capitalist economic system we have at the moment. My side made a bad case for our side and we lost the argument and Britain is changed forever. So because of this and a few other reasons I have somewhat lessoned my stance on many issues. Economicaly I am far less radical and socialist - I think most people would describe my views on the economy as 'far left' in our current political situation (and that is simply because I believe in higher taxation and a better redistributive model), but I don't wanna overthrow the economic system and I believe some taxes may need to be kept low, etc. Where my views haven't budged is on social and liberal policies. I am still somewhat of an extreme social liberal with serious sympathies towards anarcism, and I don't see that changing. After all, my side still has a shot at winning that argument - we are winning the social aspect, but not the more liberal aspect.

ho hum.

[Don Corleone]

I don't know that my stance on social issues has shifted all that much. Maybe a smidge to the right, but on social issues, I've always been rather centrist anyway.

But I've found my economic stance sliding somewhat left. Now, before you choke on your chocolate milk, you should understand that I used to a full-fledged, eager-beaver Capitalista. I had no sympathy, no mercy for those who were not successful. I almost had a Calvinist approach towards success, that it was pre-destined. In my mind, in a land with as many opportunities as America had to offer, you had no excuse. You could be as successful as you were willing to be. If you had some financial difficulties, it was all because you either 1) didn't work hard enough (and therefore didn't earn enough) or 2) didn't know how to control your expenditures.

As I've gotten older, I've come to see shades of gray in that regard. I still believe a self-motivated individual will always make better choices regarding their own financial outlook than a bloated government bureacracy will. But I also understand that not everyone will make wise decisions, and safety nets just make sense.

[JR-]

there is a wonderful old idiom that goes something like this:

"if you aren't left wing when you are young you have no compassion and soul, but if you are still left wing when you are old then you are a fool."

contrary to this, i have always been right wing in the UK sense despite being in my thirties now.

[Rhyfelwyr]

I almost had a Calvinist approach towards success, that it was pre-destined.

Scottish Calvinists tend to be lefties.

[Tribesman]

I used to think that most politicians were reasonably OK and that a few of them only fit into the absolute gobshite category .
Now I think that just about all are absolute gobshites and a few of them at a push might just squeeze into the reasonably OK category if you really stretch the limits of what can be deemed as reasonably OK .

[LittleGrizzly]

I would say if anything since i started taking an interest in politics at about the age of 15/16 i have moved slightly right, i don't know if this is so much down to my political views changing, i think its more to do with me shaping my actual views and becoming more informed over the last seven years...

[Mikeus Caesar]

When i was younger i leaned completely to the left. But then i was unemployed for 6 months and had lots of time to think, during which i realised that in this day and age, in any in fact, communism is utterly impractical. It just doesn't work and only leads to bad things. So now while i'm still leftist, i'm the kind of left that most of you Americans regard Europe to be - free healthcare for all and all that jazz. I would die to defend our right to free healthcare in Britain and Europe.

[macsen rufus]

I would die to defend our right to free healthcare in Britain and Europe.

I'm sure there's many anti-NHS jokes lurking in there....

[Viking]

Poor poll.

Since the three years ago I joined the Org, I have moved from center-center to center-libertarian; AKA no movement on the left-right scale, but a considerable movement still.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I used to think that most politicians were reasonably OK and that a few of them only fit into the absolute gobshite category .
Now I think that just about all are absolute gobshites and a few of them at a push might just squeeze into the reasonably OK category if you really stretch the limits of what can be deemed as reasonably OK .

I'll say the same thing to you that I say to anyone else who thinks politicians are bad - you try it. Come back, and tell me how it was.

Of course, some politicians are woefully inept (Mr. Brown), but not the majority.

[Lemur]

My political views are too all-over-the-map to fit into a left-right paradigm. For instance, I can truthfully state that I believe in the right of married gay people to carry concealed handguns. Where does that put me?

My views have certainly evolved over time, but I don't know that I could pin down a drift or direction to them. Thanks for including the Gah! option, a courtesy for those who can't quite slot themselves into a poll ...

[LittleGrizzly]

heh, the polls completely symmetrical at the moment, i was assuming more of a right shift...

[Redleg]

fiscial right - social center pretty much my whole adult life. Now when I was under 25 I would say I was more fiscial center - social center. However I have always been centered around the concept that the government must function in accordance with the constitution.

[FactionHeir]

Mine used to be more center left when I was a bit younger (not that I'm that old yet).
However, overall I'm probably still center-left on economical issues and more right than center for social issues.

[Gaius Scribonius Curio]

I feel that I'd be screwing up your poll if I voted (I'm only 18!!!), but I'd say that since I've been in Australia, and particularly over the last year, when I've been doing a lot of reading and thinking, that I've moved slightly to the left. I've always regarded Communism as idealistic and impractical and I've always been egalitarian, but recently I've found that I've been taking a much more socialistic line in debates and conversation.

So to the left, but only moderately. Moderation = happiness.

[rotorgun]

I was raised as a typical Democrat of the old school in New England, for social change, progressive, anti-war, pro working class, anti-big business, pro -union, and all that stuff. A classic liberal-but in a moderate way. Now I have found myself, after living through the Kennedy Assassinations, Martin Luther King's shooting, Viet Nam, Watergate, The Cold War (How we ever made it through that I'll never know), Jimmy Carter, Regan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, and now this era of double speak George Orwellian politics, to have become a bit more cynical. My views are still compassionate, but tempered with the knowledge that there are those out there who would really live off my taxes for the rest of their lives, while giving nothing back. I am still anti-war, but realize that every nation must protect itself from threats.


On economics, I agree with Don Corleone:

As I've gotten older, I've come to see shades of gray in that regard. I still believe a self-motivated individual will always make better choices regarding their own financial outlook than a bloated government bureacracy will. But I also understand that not everyone will make wise decisions, and safety nets just make sense.

To sum it up, I am much more Libertarian in my approach, as I cannot seem to trust my government that seems to be ready to implode any day. I say, let's have a drink and talk this through while we're doing something rewarding, like horseback riding on the trail, or fishing at the lake. In the meantime take the time out to help your neighbor once and awhile.

[PanzerJaeger]

The longer I live in the real world, the farther right I have slid. One exception would be social issues, where - barring abortion - I've gone the other way.

[drone]

I was pretty far right when I was younger, but age has mellowed me somewhat. Mainly it's just cynicism. I didn't trust government then, and I don't now, but now I also don't trust corporations and the whole consumer culture.