Is it possible to get more left wing as you get older ?

[not-bono-ever]

It sems to happenning to me.The more I see of centre politics, the more cynical I get

Anyone else ? ( please dont say me it just me )

 

[butchersapron]

I don't think it is no. You start where you end - the world changes.

 

[not-bono-ever]

aaargh - s/b in general forum

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I think it is.

Mum-Cat was a liberal party activist in her youth (when it was still the liberal party), pretty much took the thatcherite line in the 80s, and (I think) voted for Ken in the three London mayoral elections so far. I'm not quite sure how she voted earlier this year.

 

[butchersapron]

And that's proof of what? You mean your pathetic mum yes?

 

[strung out]

yep, i was a homophobic tory cunt when i was 11 or 12

 

[butchersapron]

yep, i was a homophobic tory cunt when i was 11 or 12

And kirbys gone as well.

 

[strung out]

things can only get better

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I think I probably have.

Certainly, my political position is more coherent now than it was 15 or 20 years ago. I feel more engaged with society now, probably. I used to give much less of a shit.

 

[Bajie]

Personally, no, I am just the same politcally confused person I have always been, though now less naive. As for other people, I am not so sure either if peoples views change that much really.

 

[butchersapron]

It sems to happenning to me.The more I see of centre politics, the more cynical I get

Anyone else ? ( please dont say me it just me )

People always try to understand and make sense of what's happening to them - when the conditions that have allowed people to make that accepted sense chnage they move on - not always immediately, but if those conditions are safeguarded by a left vote they will be. How many people think a left vote wil defend them? How are conditions going?

 

[AKA pseudonym]

dunno if i have got more left wing.. hold much the same views as younger but I have learnt a hell of a lot more... through activity, talking and reading.
which keeps me away from the darkside

 

[marty21]

depends how successful you are job-wise, if you've done well, then you may say a lot of left -wing things, but you have a lot more to protect. If you have kids, that can change things too, schools, crime, child-care all become more important.

luckily, I haven't got kids, and my career hasn't set the world on fire

 

[Citizen66]

I have yeah. Whether or not I turn into a reactionary grumpy old man remains to be seen.

 

[newbie]

I think age tends to move people along an imaginary third axis on the political compass ranging from radical change to security. Longterm responsibility for the welfare of others, beit children, elderly parents or someone else- rather blunts the zeal for upheaval, as does contemplation of the sheer effort involved in overturning and remodelling society

Not sure growing older has much to do with movement along the left-right economic axis though, that trend might be more to do with acquiring a personal stake in the status quo.

 

[Quartz]

Of course it is. I was raised in an environment where the sun shone out of Mrs Thatcher's arse. Then I left home and encountered the real world. Sure I retain some right-wing viewpoints, but I've got some left wing ones too, and some centrist ones, and some libertarian ones. And others! My politics defy overall categorisation. My attitude to politicians, however, is a healthy dose of cynicism. Just because I respect David Davis for his forcing a by-election on civil liberties doesn't mean that I'll vote for him or that I didn't see it as a prelude to becoming the leader of the Tories should Cameron falter.

 

[poului]

Sure I retain some right-wing viewpoints, but I've got some left wing ones too, and some centrist ones, and some libertarian ones. And others! My politics defy overall categorisation.

Dear god.

 

[joevsimp]

yes, but its 14 to 22 we're talking about, including three years at the University of Sussex (which isn't actually that left wing anymore)

andmostly cos i was a total twat back then

 

[Citizen66]

Of course it is. I was raised in an environment where the sun shone out of Mrs Thatcher's arse. Then I left home and encountered the real world. Sure I retain some right-wing viewpoints, but I've got some left wing ones too, and some centrist ones, and some libertarian ones. And others! My politics defy overall categorisation. My attitude to politicians, however, is a healthy dose of cynicism. Just because I respect David Davis for his forcing a by-election on civil liberties doesn't mean that I'll vote for him or that I didn't see it as a prelude to becoming the leader of the Tories should Cameron falter.

You must be very confused then.

Left and right wing are mainly economic positions. If you like a bit of both flavours you're centrist. If you want to hang criminals it doesn't make you left or right wing. You can be a left or right wing authoritarian.

 

[London_Calling]

To paraphrase Muhammad Ali: "If I believed at 50 what I believed at 20 I'd have wasted 30 years of my life". Perhaps the direction you go depends on where you started and what happened in the mean time.

 

[gentlegreen]

I consistently test as extreme left and extremely libertarian, but I'm also a 50 year old with a pension, a house, and a retirement fund ...

I certainly won't be voting "Liberal" again ... but unless the Labour party gets its act together, I won't be voting for them again either - having anomalously voted Blair in and then back in just before he teamed up with Bush.

 

[Citizen66]

I'm sure you just said you were 42 on a different thread...

 

[gentlegreen]

I'm sure you just said you were 42 on a different thread...

I was 42 - briefly - for about 12 months.

EDIT :-

You mean the really dull 9 paragraph "veggie" post ?

 

[Citizen66]

Perhaps, did you say you were 42 on it?

 

[gentlegreen]

Perhaps, did you say you were 42 on it?

No, but it would probably have been difficult to figure out what I was on about.

 

[Citizen66]

I looked back, you said "at 43..." and I read it as present not past tense.

 

[gentlegreen]

I wish I was physically 43 again. I certainly wouldn't want to be the person I was at 43 though.

 

[Quartz]

You must be very confused then.

Order can be seen as a subset of chaos.

Left and right wing are mainly economic positions. If you like a bit of both flavours you're centrist. If you want to hang criminals it doesn't make you left or right wing. You can be a left or right wing authoritarian.

Well yes; but if you want me to list everything, we could be here all day. My list was not exclusive - hence the 'And others'.

 

[Blagsta]

Of course it is. I was raised in an environment where the sun shone out of Mrs Thatcher's arse. Then I left home and encountered the real world. Sure I retain some right-wing viewpoints, but I've got some left wing ones too, and some centrist ones, and some libertarian ones. And others! My politics defy overall categorisation. My attitude to politicians, however, is a healthy dose of cynicism. Just because I respect David Davis for his forcing a by-election on civil liberties doesn't mean that I'll vote for him or that I didn't see it as a prelude to becoming the leader of the Tories should Cameron falter.

you're a liberal

 

[dylanredefined]

Voted unthinkly conservative when younger .Have the horrible feeling I may have actually believed in caring conservatives.Which makes me more of an idiot than I was already.