By an old Ricks dorm mate who I've been Facebook friends with for 15 years. My political views were apparently not appreciated. So much for civil discourse.
It happens to the best of us. I've been trying to unfriend all the political adds in my facebook. I counted today 2 out of every 3 posts were all for the Orange guy. Facebook is getting out of hand with the politics this year if you ask me.
I don't remember ever putting up a political post on my FB page. I will throw an occasional like to a friend's post.
One of my FB friends put up a post saying, "Vote for Candidate A because it will really, really annoy the opposition!" After some careful thought about my response, I stated, "If that is your best argument in favor of Candidate A, that's rather sad." He did take my point.
1. Maybe your friend unfriended everyone and closed their account. I have done this more than once. Nothing personal...
2. Maybe it was a mistake. Quite possibly, they just hit the wrong button...
3. Maybe it is for the best. It's like my grandpa used to say, "If you loan a buddy ten bucks and you never see him again, you got off easy!"
4. Maybe you should take the position that no one can stop being your friend. Send them cookies. Stop by at random times without calling first. Ask them if they are offended, committed a grievous sin, or started reading anti-you literature.
5. Yeah, you should probably stop at #3. No one likes the people who do #4...
I tend to stay out of politics on Facebook. I will occasionally comment on a friend or family members post, or hit a like button, but I very rarely post anything on my stuff. I have an extreme right-wing cousin who blocked me five years ago because I had the audacity to claim, after living in Europe for a few years, that a national healthcare system is nothing to be scared of.
alsd Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I tend to stay out of politics on Facebook. I will > occasionally comment on a friend or family members > post, or hit a like button, but I very rarely post > anything on my stuff. I have an extreme right-wing > cousin who blocked me five years ago because I had > the audacity to claim, after living in Europe for > a few years, that a national healthcare system is > nothing to be scared of.
I can relate. I have a family full of right wing conservative Christians. They aren't as bad as some people are, but most of them are fans of the pres... and most have not been outside of the United States for longer than a vacation. They have no concept of social democracy and think it's socialism and there is no talking to them. I had to delete a bunch of them from Facebook.
knotheadusc Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > alsd Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I tend to stay out of politics on Facebook. I > will > > occasionally comment on a friend or family > members > > post, or hit a like button, but I very rarely > post > > anything on my stuff. I have an extreme > right-wing > > cousin who blocked me five years ago because I > had > > the audacity to claim, after living in Europe > for > > a few years, that a national healthcare system > is > > nothing to be scared of. > > I can relate. I have a family full of right wing > conservative Christians. They aren't as bad as > some people are, but most of them are fans of the > pres... and most have not been outside of the > United States for longer than a vacation. They > have no concept of social democracy and think it's > socialism and there is no talking to them. I had > to delete a bunch of them from Facebook.
Yeah, I have a bunch of extreme right wing family who has not only never left the United States, they have never traveled outside of Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. They are the ones who are the most certain about how the world works, what other places are like, and how different governments work. But me, having spent three years living and working in China, having traveled regularly to the Middle East and South America, and having lived in Scandinavia and working in Europe for much of the past decade, am a "libtard" and ignorant fool who falls for the liberal media bias and has no idea on what is really happening in the world. I just roll my eyes at them.
And they think you're being "uppity" when you tell them how things are in other places...
I have a few cousins who think they're smarter than I am simply because they're a little older and have dicks. It doesn't matter that I've lived abroad for years and have two master's degrees. I have one cousin who thinks his stint as a life insurance salesman makes him more knowledgeable about public health than I am, even though I studied it in graduate school and worked in the field. He's a fan of 45 and has never left the southern United States... and traded booze for religion and guns.
These right wing responses are incredibly easy to handle. It generally only takes two or three simple questions directed at them to show fundamental contradictions in their views, and then I simply point them out and watch them fold. It’s especially easy since there is not a great deal of diversity in their opinions. Once you talk to a few, the rest are like NPC’s. (Gaming term meaning ‘non-player characters.’) Their homogeneity develops from insular influences and a tendency for leftward opponents to react, slap their foreheads, and confirm to the right that they have influence and clout.
Always respond calmly. Always make a joke of them. After dealing with me, they often simply delete their posts. Sometimes a genuine human connection occurs because I’ve made everyone drop the stereotyping. Other times they’ll make a face saving gesture like ‘hmm I’ve decided debating is stupid’ and vanish.
They hate not having the last word. In the case of ‘liberals fall for the media,’ I would say ‘prove it. How do you know that?’ In fact that line is just a good staple to live by and takes zero effort.
alsd Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- >... a national healthcare system is > nothing to be scared of.
We here in Canada manage to live with it.
Literally. :)
How it affects my life is that I and my compatriots can access unlimited medical care and never receive a bill. Seems like more than a good deal to me.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/2020 08:25PM by Nightingale.
I’ve never been on facebook, and my better half keeps her’s politics free.
But I’ve heard about a lot of families and circles in Alberta ripping themselves apart over politics lately, which is too bad because civil discourse is very badly needed right now (and I believe is our civic duty, actually).