How have your political beliefs/identity changed since joining DU?

[More Than A Feeling]

I used to be the target audience for the DLC: socially moderate, and fiscally conservative. I was not onboard with the populist critique of corporatism. In fact, I was under the influence of Econ 101, with its inadequate , simplified assumptions. I defended the minimum wage and progressive taxation for conservative reasons ("we already have them, so why change?"), not progressive ones. The only things that kept me from becoming a liberal Republican were gay marriage (I supported it wholeheartedly, and still do) and the fact that, as an atheist, my loathing of the Christian right knew no bounds, and I did not want to be in bed with them under any circumstances. I was not a fan of labor unions, or feminists. I bought the myth of U.S. global military dominance.

Today, I am the target audience for the Progressive Democrats of America. I'm socially and fiscally liberal, and I'd love nothing more than to see those corporate embezzlers get shut out of the system for good. I know that markets need strong doses of regulation in various forms and degrees to ensure the safety of consumers and workers, and to ensure a level economic playing field for all involved. I'd love to see the tax cuts for the wealthy removed, and the loopholes that allow them to avoid paying their fair share shut down. I eagerly await the revitalization of organized labor through the Employee Free Choice Act, and I'm fully onboard the Feminist agenda. It'd pretty much have to WWII to get me to agree to support a war, and I hope that I'd have the courage of my convictions to join the military and fight.

So, yeah, I pretty much flipped my ideology completely, while retaining my party identification. How about you?

[triguy46]

1. Let's see, I just got up...

Nope, I'm still the same yellow dog I was when I joined.

[Connonym]

2. I've become more aware on social issues

I've always been a progressive on issues such as gay marriage but I think since coming here I've gotten a better realization of how awful the discrimination still is. I don't think I've become more liberal (although my family would disagree), I think I have become more knowledgeable about liberal issues and more vocal in my support of a progressive ideology. Which reminds me http://www.progressivepatriotsfund.com/ check out Russ Feingold's Progress Patriots. DU has opened my eyes on a lot of issues, edified me on many more issues and has provided me with hope knowing that I'm not alone in my progressive beliefs and that maybe the conservatives won't be allowed free reign to destroy everything after all.

[hyphenate]

3. No real change

I don't think. Shaped even as a child with liberal parents--they were both immigrants from Canada, blue collar, the whole gamut. And with Brookline, Massachusetts as my hometown, it was pretty well established that the Kennedys were close to god and all. (I was 7 when JFK was assassinated)

Even in high school, we were pretty liberal, despite the school being one of the oldest in the country (Latin). Some of us were campaigning for McGovern in 1972, even though we were only 16.

However, I really didn't start getting more involved in politics until 1988 with Dukakis--I liked him a lot, and was royally pissed off when the GOP slung mud all over him. He was definitely, though, the better of the two major candidates. I swore that I would ignore Poppy for his entire term and I pretty much did so. But my ire went to its zenith with the shit aimed at Clinton and then the 2000 election.

My life was always aimed at the Arts and Entertainment as my chief preoccupations, but I had had enough of those assholes and became more eager to discuss politics.


However, as an aside, I did vote for John Anderson in 1980.

[Fire Walk With Me]

4. Not much; I still think that the entire political system needs a revamp

and that the Demos are the ones most likely to accomplish it. I've come to center upon Kucinich as the most likely candidate to tackle the real problems we face.

I've actually had to mellow out regarding pursuing the truth. BushCo and the NWO are more dangerous than most think, but I'm tired of trying to convince anyone of that, until the world economy begins to show the shifts they're working on. The price of oil is a hint. India rises, America falls. We either remove and isolate those who wish to run the world, or lick their toes for the rest of our lives. Voting doesn't really matter. It's not too difficult to understand.

[NMDemDist2]

5. yup, you just told my story n/t

[Hell Hath No Fury]

6. I have always been a liberal...

but have shifter even further to what I guess would be a socialist Democrat, a la Norway and Sweden.

I have come to see the danger of having commodities/services that truly should belong to the people (oil/gas/electricity/water/health care/SS) being operated by private/for profit hands.

As a small business owner I have no problem with the concept of capitalist, but I believe in strong, pro-worker/pro-environmental protections -- business at the expense of either is just wrong, to me.

So I guess you could say I have been "radicalized" by George W. Bush and DU. :)

[NewWaveChick1981]

7. My ideology is the same.

My beliefs haven't changed---they've just become even stronger, even though they were strong to begin with. I have learned, though, that I am definitely NOT in the minority, and that's a great feeling. :)