Is it OK to forswear family and friends for political beliefs?

[Vuk]

LOL did you just try to say Fox News is more credible than other news sources?

No, I didn't, but it is better than most.

[Kadagar_AV]

No, I didn't, but it is better than most.

Actually, keep my quote... The fact that you oppose me seem rather brilliant at the moment.

[HoreTore]

There is a difference here based on political factors.

What's described in the OP is of course nothing anyone(sane) sees as wrong. Goes for most opposition to dictatorships. The kind described by Lemur in the Obama thread, however, is clearly on the whacky side of the spectrum. That's a clear sign of fanaticism and cult-mentality.

[Fragony]

Might surprise you but most of my friends are lefties and import, we don't discuss politics all that much and yes that includes muslims before you ask. We just have fun, they know I disagree with them that's enough.

[Lemur]

@Vuk, as per usual, is a cascading fountain of sparkling disinformation. The video of scary black people he posts is from 2008. When Fox tried a repeat this year, all they could find was a single scary black man who was ... opening doors for old people. EVIL NEGRO INTIMIDATION!

As for the OP, I'd say it's a thing not to be done lightly, and dependent on judgment. If my close friends and/or family were supporting a cause or politico who was a clear and present danger, sure, I'd lay into them. But (a) even the most horrifying monsters of history usually had some sort of excuse or rationale to give a figleaf of justification to their crimes. The Khmer Rouge, Mao, Hitler, Vlad Tepes, take any one of them. All had their rationales. All had well-meaning people who helped them. If we refuse to engage, how do we persuade, and possibly peel away supporters?

(b) I'm not clear on how cutting someone completely out of your life is a convincing argument. My uncle, for example, is a Fox News Republican. He lectures me about how Wisconsin is a "socialist state," how liberals hate America, and when he's had enough gin he'll go off about how America should be split in two so "conservatives won't have to live with people who aren't real Americans."

Not clear how cutting him off would be helpful. I'd much rather be in his presence, calm and reasonable, and let the rest of my family observe the difference between us.

Anyway, what the current crazyfest reveals is that a measurable fraction of the right in America has convinced themselves that Obama is the Antichrist. The dangers of this sort of self-delusion should be evident. Just look at Vuk.

Meanwhile, some on the right continue to engage in a full-throated mental meltdown, such as this. (Warning: Profanity and hilarity.)

[The Lurker Below]

Sounds like this friends and family don't simply have the beliefs, they are being obnoxious with sharing them? It'd be reasonable to inform them you'd rather not hear that talk anymore. If they continue then certainly, ignoring them would be justified. But simply to have happenstance knowledge of their beliefs and completely forswear them on this basis would be shallow behavior itself. Quite a few acquaintences, some friends, and a few family frequently talk racist trash. It's easily enough ignored. But I have yet to see any of them demonstrate discriminatory behavior. That would be a different thing altogether. Belief does not equal behavior. Don't let their beliefs alter your behavior.

[Vuk]

Vuk, may I say that I object to your:

Everything you need to know about Kadagar_AV:
Originally Posted by Kadagar_AV
In a racial conflict I'd have no problem popping off some negroes.

The quote is indeed true, but VERY much taken out of context. Specially by the way you highlight it.

If I remember correctly, what followed before that was: In a war between aliens and humans I would go berserk on the aliens... or something along those lines... Then that quote followed... ... then the rest followed.

The discussion at hand was at what level you would fight. And YES, if there was an ALL OUT GLOBAL RACIAL CONFLICT... I wouldn't mind popping off some Negroes. I do however deem the chance of that ever happening to next to nil. Remember that this was the next link in the chain from alien invasions. Why would anyone NOT defend their race in an all out global conflict?

You make it sound like I in a bar fight would jump in on the white guys side. Or even worse, shoot the black guy for joy.

It frankly disgusts me that you use the quote like that.

You are of course entitled to, it is an actual quote of mine and I stand by it still. Most people on these boards, I sincerely hope, know that it is taken wildly out of context though. But remember that we do have new members, and stuff like that might alienate them from visiting these boards, and this sub forum in particular.

You object to me showing it, yet you stand by it? Tell me more about how not-crazy you are.
Sorry Kadagar, but it is not taken out of context. Something like that, in any context except a joke (which you admit it was not) is racist and crazy. True, it could be more so in one context than another, but the fact that you would say something like that not as a joke says enough already.

@Vuk, as per usual, is a cascading fountain of sparkling disinformation. The video of scary black people he posts is from 2008. When Fox tried a repeat this year, all they could find was a single scary black man who was ... opening doors for old people. EVIL NEGRO INTIMIDATION!

As for the OP, I'd say it's a thing not to be done lightly, and dependent on judgment. If my close friends and/or family were supporting a cause or politico who was a clear and present danger, sure, I'd lay into them. But (a) even the most horrifying monsters of history usually had some sort of excuse or rationale to give a figleaf of justification to their crimes. The Khmer Rouge, Mao, Hitler, Vlad Tepes, take any one of them. All had their rationales. All had well-meaning people who helped them. If we refuse to engage, how do we persuade, and possibly peel away supporters?

(b) I'm not clear on how cutting someone completely out of your life is a convincing argument. My uncle, for example, is a Fox News Republican. He lectures me about how Wisconsin is a "socialist state," how liberals hate America, and when he's had enough gin he'll go off about how America should be split in two so "conservatives won't have to live with people who aren't real Americans."

Not clear how cutting him off would be helpful. I'd much rather be in his presence, calm and reasonable, and let the rest of my family observe the difference between us.

Anyway, what the current crazyfest reveals is that a measurable fraction of the right in America has convinced themselves that Obama is the Antichrist. The dangers of this sort of self-delusion should be evident. Just look at Vuk.

Meanwhile, some on the right continue to engage in a full-throated mental meltdown, such as this. (Warning: Profanity and hilarity.)

Scary black people? Evil negro? Damn, I love how the left likes to play the races card. You cannot object to the left threatening people without hating blacks. I don't give a rat's ass if it is a white loony like Bill Ayers or a black loony like that guy. What I care about is the intimidation and threats, so drop your whiny race baiting.
Second of all, only one of the vids is from 2008, and the other from 2012. It doesn't matter when the videos were shot though, because I posted them to demonstrate that they ARE a violent organization when a poster was saying that they were not. Everyone knows that. Just seeing them out there in combat dress is gonna intimidate people.

You are forgetting something else, those dictators are only seen as evil monsters in hindsight. They usually are seen as 'the light and the way' (sound familiar) when they get power, and anyone who opposes them is considered radical, dangerous, and crazy (sound familiar).

Also, I never advocated cutting off contact with Obama supporters. I asked a poster a theoretical question because I doubted her thought out his statement fully, and made a humorous jab at Obama comparing him to Hitler.
I have friends and family members who vote for Obama. I think their action will destroy the country, but I don't hate them or cut off contact with them because I don't think they have bad intentions. If they start reporting me to Obama's real committee of disinformation or still support him if he starts sending people to re-education camps (and it wouldn't surprise me if he did), then yeah, I'd break off contact with them.