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Just a reminder... no matter how much you listen or try to genuinely understand them.. this is almost always the outcome when you discuss things with a leftist... Either you agree with them, or they get offended, make personal attacks, and walk.
Every interaction I have with the left leaves me wanting to have less to do with them than the time before, and this is sad since I associate more with left ideals in many cases than right ones.
@freemo What do you consider to be the qualifying factors for a "leftist"? It could be that your observed outcome is a result of your definition.
@LouisIngenthron Largely based on their own self-view. To be clear since i am left of center I'd be a leftist (assuming we are counting anyone on the left side of center).
But in general most americans seem to be on the extreme ends of the spectrum with little in the middle. So leftists like me are a bit of an edge case, a minority.
That said there are clear exceptions, myself, you, a few other people on this server for sure. Its largly the general population and leftists since so many lean to the extreme end in both behavior and opinion.
@freemo Ah, okay. I tend to define 'leftists' as "Bernie supporters" lol
@LouisIngenthron A suprisingly large percentage of people whoa re simply left of center do tend to concentrate at the extreme "bernie supporter" end of that spectrum. So the distinction is less than it could be.
But yea its usually the 95% of the left that is on the extreme end that is the problem. The 5% or so closer to the middle not so much.
@freemo I strongly disagree with your distribution percentages.
That *might* be accurate if you're only talking about the subset of the left that uses microblogging websites, though.
But I think you're falling prey to the vocal minority. If the far-left extreme folks were really in the majority, then Bernie or Liz Warren would have won the primary in 2020. But even in a Dem party primary, which should already have a pretty strong leftward lean, they chose Biden, who is much more of a centrist (or "flip-flopper", or "opportunist", or whatever, but he's definitely put a rightward distance between himself and the straight-up-socialists in the party).
@LouisIngenthron While the numbers are probably biased they would be biased to include my city and the people around me as well. To be fair being in a city, and a particularly liberal one im sure that is a legitimate skew on my perception. But it is certainly not limited to microblogging. I've seen this issue in most group settings in my city.
Inb4: in case someone says "maybe its me" oddly enough the problem is virtually non existent in the time i spend outside of the USA, which is why i try to rarely if ever be in the USA.
@freemo I've lived my whole life in blue cities in red states, so I may be biased in the opposite direction, but most card-carrying Democrats around here think AOC and Bernie Sanders are at least a little bit nuts.
@LouisIngenthron The people I know who fit that description are rare gems of friends I would never let go... sadly my experience is that here, in Philadelphia, people are pretty extreme. That said I will say most people in person go out of their way to hide their political views and judgement, its not like online. But in the end they eventually do show their colors and have a rage quit episode eventually.
My maid was a great example of this, she saw my guns so she assumed I was right leaning despite being left. Sure enough one day she just ghosts me and doesnt show up and i find her dacebook and there is the long rant about me and republicans and how she hates them and how she just quit... lol, never voted republican a day in my life.
@freemo Yep, I get that a lot too because of my general appearance and demeanor, lol. I can't tell you how many times I've been standing in a restaurant waiting for takeout just to have a Florida Man © walk up to me and start a conversation about how *this time* the deep state can't weasel their way out of it and Biden is going to prison. I've found the best thing to do is just mutter "yep, uh huh, sure buddy, good luck with that" as I slowly step away.
@freemo The crazy thing is how they never have even a nanosecond of self-reflection or consideration of the bewildered expressions of everyone around them. They just assume we all secretly agree with them despite all evidence to the contrary.
@LouisIngenthron Yea, usually when their at that point their emotions are completely in control.
@LouisIngenthron Oh those are the worst.
I recently had a tow truck driver pick me up ont he highway. I almost always open-carry when im out of the house so he saw my gun on my hip and i guess he assumed I was some racist republican. The whole ride home it was nothing but racist stories and pejoratives. It was disgusting.