While none of us were precisely born as liberals, the vast majority of us were raised as such.
If you could reach back in time to the past version of you that remained under the illusions of liberalism, what would you say?
“Isnt it weird how Finland has apparentely never done anything wrong? Remember that one punk looking dude in school who was talking about finnish concentration camps? Yeah look into that a bit. Oh also look into this transgender stuff a bit too, trust me.”
“Why is it we live in a democracy but our schools and jobs are dictatorships?”
US hegemony was never about exporting democracy, it has always been about clearing the way for western capitalists to exploit other countries.
The Supreme Court is not an effective check and balance on the power of Congress, it’s a bulwark against progress.
The Democratic party is also captured by corporate interests.
I thought Jon Stewart pointing out right wing hypocrisy would surely change minds, if only I could show it to them. So I’d tell 2004 jimmy that shit doesn’t matter, at all. Enjoy the laughs but it’s not doing anything
My dad was your typical “centrist” republican and I was raised not to have opinions on things. The idealized man in my home was basically Eco’s ur-fascist. All of my communications with friends were monitored. One time I got in trouble for being gay because I wasn’t homophobic enough in turning down my friend’s advances. That sort of home.
The one thing I’d hammer into my young head is that nobody else knows what the fuck they’re talking about, either, and that goes double for anyone who claims otherwise. Just trust yourself to do what’s right and it’ll be fine. You might make mistakes, you might do the wrong thing sometimes, you might make people upset on occasion, but whatever, at least you’re making an effort. The desire to help others regardless of their “worth” doesn’t make you weak.