I hope this is relevant for this community, because I don’t know where else to post this. I’m honestly scared to post it anywhere else.

I live in Eastern Europe. I’m a university student, and recently, we got an American exchange student. They’re a very outspoken liberal.

A few days ago, we took them out with a few mates out for beers (they’re under 21, so they didn’t drink, even though you can here if you’re at least 18) to break the ice and make them feel comfortable. We got talking and because I’ve never been to the US, I asked them what I thought was an innocuous question. For some context, I’ve been a communist for a very long time, and joined the communist party the day I turned 18.

I basically asked them: Why would I vote for Harris? How would that improve the situation in the US and abroad? I’m not too familiar with her, but her politics don’t seem too appealing, especially her support for Israel and her incarceration background.

That made them launch into a screaming rant about how I’m a conservative for doubting her abilities and deserve to be jailed for wanting to infringe on the rights of women. There were a few more insults targeted at me for asking that question, I didn’t really understand them. The entire time, I was not even saying anything, I was honestly too shocked to react, but they just kept screaming until they got up and stormed out in a rage after calling me a Trump supporter, misogynist, and a fascist. My mates were equally confused. We tried to figure it out, but everyone is equally stumped.

I’ve been thinking about that entire situation for a couple days, and I’m so confused about their reaction. They even refuse to speak to me now.

What have I done wrong? Can someone please explain? ☹️ I really don’t understand what happened. We have liberals here of course, but even the worst ones never behave like this.

  • stink@lemmygrad.ml
    ·
    3 months ago

    American politics are purely based on identity that this point. To the liberal mind, there are only two teams, and you're on the other team unless you give your undying loyalty to your team.

    I have so many coworkers who think me criticizing the sitting president or his heir to throne makes me a republican. Any possible grievance I have will be countered with "but trump will be worse?! Check mate."

    Every single person I know who spent a semester abroad is even more insufferable. They will talk about this trip to europe the rest of their life, inserting it into every conversation to give them a false sense of being well traveled.

    • PocketFish@lemmy.ml
      ·
      3 months ago

      Thanks for the comment. It’s really strange, because here, there’s very little politics-based tribalism. Sure, you have some crazy right-wingers and ancaps that have sprung up after our socialist system was murdered, but if this student is anything to go by, they’re still tame by comparison.

      I can see how this student would get isolated, then come back to the U.S. telling everyone how horrible our country is because nobody wanted to talk to them.