yeah looks like it to me. there's a section of maga/post-maga people that are pro-russia, antisemitic, patriotic originalist types. They see a few of the problems with capitalism and our political process but filter the information through a thick lens of chauvinism and patriotism so come to fash and fash-adjacent conclusions.
I’m realizing just now that my friend is one of these. He just dropped me with a bomb the other week that led to me thinking I’ve been hanging out with wrong person without knowing this entire time: referred to the Weimar Republic as socialist.
He’s several decades older than me, I’veknown him since I was a child. He’s a white, former environmental science professor and Peace corp volunteer in Niger. He was teaching in Haiti just before the coup and has done a lot of work in Haiti.
I was always under the impression he was a leftist, albeit with some ideological inconsistencies. Then he fell into the anti-vax rabbit hole. He’s stated that he thinks cops are necessary and that people want cops to exist.
He’s talked about ‘woke’ language once. He said once he thinks minors should not be able to get a sex change. This sounds like the opinion of someone who is not necessarily a transphobe but one who has transphobic friends and he’s willing to ‘hear both sides’ just fit in.
I dunno, I think he’s reading nakedcapitalism too much and getting sucked in by the reactionary types that have their stuff occasionally posted on that blog.
I feel that the anti-capitalist sentiment that has been brewing in this country has been commandeered by the right. We’ve lost so hard on that front, because too many gullible libs and leftists exist and chuds are ruthless.
Sounds like maybe he could have been a leftish liberal who got pipelined rightward by culture war stuff over the last 3-4 years.
Not sure what the "primary" contradiction might be in this type of person's mind. It kind of sounds like he's been caught up by the "capture" of the word "left" by liberals combined with the cynical co-opting of leftist rhetoric by the right, which funnels unprincipled but otherwise leftish people into ideologically-incoherent rightism.
What's his opinion on Haiti? Perhaps if you can get through to him with comparisons to Cuba (actual Cuba, not western propaganda) it could unravel some brainworms?
He’s an American who is strongly anti-imperialist and anti-USA, it’s why I still cling on to the hope he’s a leftist despite those other things. But being ‘anti-imperialist’ nowadays doesn’t mean much, I’ve found out. His opinion on Haiti is inline with every leftist voice I’ve ever heard. It just seems like when it comes to local stuff, he sounds more and more like a chud.
Hmm anti-imperialism is interesting and promising, isn't it? That's a line even leftish libs in the US don't seem to get. So do you think maybe he's a leftist that's been caught up in culture war propaganda? Especially if he's financially comfortable, it's pretty easy for ideological drift to happen without strong principles and a community (which largely hasn't existed for the left in the US).
If that's the case maybe it's better to do case-by-case targeted education on specific topics. Like, if you think he's a somewhat leftist person that's just being swayed by culture war stuff, pushing back on the culture war stuff and tying things back to leftist principals may be a good strategy. Like how no one is doing surgery on trans children, that's a made-up issue to rile up Fox News watchers (which is being used to manufacture legitimacy for removing children from homes and trafficking them). Maybe try and help him understand the difference between liberal corporate co-opting of popular rhetoric, and actual grassroots/leftist movements? It's like the corporation donning the mask of a marginalized group, making reactionaries target the marginalized group rather than the corporation.
I dunno him obviously, sorry if the spitballing is annoying. but I think talking through agitation/education tactics for situations like this can be useful
This sounds like the opinion of someone who is not necessarily a transphobe but one who has transphobic friends and he’s willing to ‘hear both sides’ just fit in.
It's the opinion of somebody who's been subjected to transphobic disinformation, as "sex changes" ( = surgical reassignment of primary sexual characteristics like orchidectomy, vaginoplasty, metoidioplasty, phalloplasty etc.) is not a form of gender affirming care for minors that is practiced anywhere in the world. The idea that trans kids' genitals are operated on is pure fascist fearmongering and disinfo and it is exclusively spread in TERF and far-right circles and media.
Gender affirming care for kids before puberty is always just social transitioning, nothing else. Medically transitioning only makes sense once they're old enough to grow secondary sexual characteristics that could trigger dysphoria. At that point, you normally still do not start transitioning, but stall it by using puberty blockers, and only when they're old enough to legally consent to medical procedures themselves can you start with HRT (age of that varies, but it's 14 in a lot of places). Genital reassignment surgery exclusively happens when they're 18 or older. Anybody telling you otherwise either doesn't know what the fuck they're talking about or they're lying to you.
also Israel is the client state of the USA, so it’s the other way around.
Looking at how much influence AIPAC seems to have in US politics, it's hard to say that the US-Israel relationship isn't some sort of... symbiosis? Co-dependency?
It's an incestuous relationship for sure but without the USA Israel would lose so much and probably wouldn't be a thing anymore. The general chud conspiracy is that it's the other way around, that da joooooz control the USA through AIPAC and lobbies, and while they hold a shit ton of sway it's not really the case.
Standard boogaloo fashy shit really, also Israel is the client state of the USA, so it's the other way around.
yeah looks like it to me. there's a section of maga/post-maga people that are pro-russia, antisemitic, patriotic originalist types. They see a few of the problems with capitalism and our political process but filter the information through a thick lens of chauvinism and patriotism so come to fash and fash-adjacent conclusions.
I’m realizing just now that my friend is one of these. He just dropped me with a bomb the other week that led to me thinking I’ve been hanging out with wrong person without knowing this entire time: referred to the Weimar Republic as socialist.
Any other warning signs? Wonder if he can be de+re-radicalized
He’s several decades older than me, I’veknown him since I was a child. He’s a white, former environmental science professor and Peace corp volunteer in Niger. He was teaching in Haiti just before the coup and has done a lot of work in Haiti.
I was always under the impression he was a leftist, albeit with some ideological inconsistencies. Then he fell into the anti-vax rabbit hole. He’s stated that he thinks cops are necessary and that people want cops to exist. He’s talked about ‘woke’ language once. He said once he thinks minors should not be able to get a sex change. This sounds like the opinion of someone who is not necessarily a transphobe but one who has transphobic friends and he’s willing to ‘hear both sides’ just fit in.
I dunno, I think he’s reading nakedcapitalism too much and getting sucked in by the reactionary types that have their stuff occasionally posted on that blog.
I feel that the anti-capitalist sentiment that has been brewing in this country has been commandeered by the right. We’ve lost so hard on that front, because too many gullible libs and leftists exist and chuds are ruthless.
Sounds like maybe he could have been a leftish liberal who got pipelined rightward by culture war stuff over the last 3-4 years.
Not sure what the "primary" contradiction might be in this type of person's mind. It kind of sounds like he's been caught up by the "capture" of the word "left" by liberals combined with the cynical co-opting of leftist rhetoric by the right, which funnels unprincipled but otherwise leftish people into ideologically-incoherent rightism.
What's his opinion on Haiti? Perhaps if you can get through to him with comparisons to Cuba (actual Cuba, not western propaganda) it could unravel some brainworms?
He’s an American who is strongly anti-imperialist and anti-USA, it’s why I still cling on to the hope he’s a leftist despite those other things. But being ‘anti-imperialist’ nowadays doesn’t mean much, I’ve found out. His opinion on Haiti is inline with every leftist voice I’ve ever heard. It just seems like when it comes to local stuff, he sounds more and more like a chud.
Hmm anti-imperialism is interesting and promising, isn't it? That's a line even leftish libs in the US don't seem to get. So do you think maybe he's a leftist that's been caught up in culture war propaganda? Especially if he's financially comfortable, it's pretty easy for ideological drift to happen without strong principles and a community (which largely hasn't existed for the left in the US).
If that's the case maybe it's better to do case-by-case targeted education on specific topics. Like, if you think he's a somewhat leftist person that's just being swayed by culture war stuff, pushing back on the culture war stuff and tying things back to leftist principals may be a good strategy. Like how no one is doing surgery on trans children, that's a made-up issue to rile up Fox News watchers (which is being used to manufacture legitimacy for removing children from homes and trafficking them). Maybe try and help him understand the difference between liberal corporate co-opting of popular rhetoric, and actual grassroots/leftist movements? It's like the corporation donning the mask of a marginalized group, making reactionaries target the marginalized group rather than the corporation.
I dunno him obviously, sorry if the spitballing is annoying. but I think talking through agitation/education tactics for situations like this can be useful
It's the opinion of somebody who's been subjected to transphobic disinformation, as "sex changes" ( = surgical reassignment of primary sexual characteristics like orchidectomy, vaginoplasty, metoidioplasty, phalloplasty etc.) is not a form of gender affirming care for minors that is practiced anywhere in the world. The idea that trans kids' genitals are operated on is pure fascist fearmongering and disinfo and it is exclusively spread in TERF and far-right circles and media.
Gender affirming care for kids before puberty is always just social transitioning, nothing else. Medically transitioning only makes sense once they're old enough to grow secondary sexual characteristics that could trigger dysphoria. At that point, you normally still do not start transitioning, but stall it by using puberty blockers, and only when they're old enough to legally consent to medical procedures themselves can you start with HRT (age of that varies, but it's 14 in a lot of places). Genital reassignment surgery exclusively happens when they're 18 or older. Anybody telling you otherwise either doesn't know what the fuck they're talking about or they're lying to you.
Looking at how much influence AIPAC seems to have in US politics, it's hard to say that the US-Israel relationship isn't some sort of... symbiosis? Co-dependency?
It's an incestuous relationship for sure but without the USA Israel would lose so much and probably wouldn't be a thing anymore. The general chud conspiracy is that it's the other way around, that da joooooz control the USA through AIPAC and lobbies, and while they hold a shit ton of sway it's not really the case.
:sicko-wistful: