“Trump does not want people to know about the entire vanguard of extremist weirdos around him—and what their plans are when he governs,” says Chris Hayes on voters finding out about the far-right agenda that is Project 2025.
american politeness requires that we not talk about politics in public and that encourages americans to ignore everything until it impacts them; broaching the subject will label you a malcontent.
People who talk about politics and religion at work tend to get hated at best and fired at worst.
People who talk about politics and religion on social media risk getting lectures from relatives and losing friends.
So yeah, people do not talk about politics and religion in America a lot of the time.
Honestly, the only reason my mother-in-law and I have maintained a really good relationship over the decades is because we just don’t talk about religion or politics. My wife and I are pretty much on the opposite side of the map from her on both. So we just don’t talk about it rather than become enemies. Maybe that’s not the right way to go about things, but it’s saved a lot of stress where we don’t need it.
I don’t know about everywhere but in France we can talk about religion and politics everywhere we like without risking much. Sometimes we’ll argue loudly for about an hour, and then the next day everything is forgotten. Or at least that was the case. I don’t know how it will go if the fascist far-right wins the election tomorrow though…
That’s one of the things I’ve loved about France since university; a deep and unbridled passion for politics and no shame in standing up for what one believes in.
Would it be better if we ruin our relationship with my wife’s elderly mother? What would it achieve? Do you think she would vote differently? How would that improve anyone’s life in any way?
Obviously we still have political protesters and things like that but nowadays things are so divided politically that it is typically a topic that you would avoid in everyday conversation. If you were to bring up anything political with your coworker at a get together after hours for example and you find that you are on opposite ends of the political spectrum it could make it very difficult to work together at best and potentially endanger you at worst.
It’s considered impolite to espouse political views here in Australia.
However, I’ve found that taking about issues rather than identities, with a modicum of diplomacy, is usually fine.
I think this would be a lot more difficult in the US with the issues at hand because you’re not deciding mundane things like whether to subsidise roof top solar but rather, whether autocracy would make a nice change.
You used an conservative American political dog whistle when you mentioned identity politics and you’re part of western hegemony as an Australian, so I would be a bad leftist if I let it be.
It’s a dog whistle here because everyone has an identity that comes attached w perpetually unaddressed needs and the ruling class of people only considers their own identity to be the national discourse; establishing that other identities are little more than causes for division.
american politeness requires that we not talk about politics in public and that encourages americans to ignore everything until it impacts them; broaching the subject will label you a malcontent.
Is that really a thing?
People who talk about politics and religion at work tend to get hated at best and fired at worst.
People who talk about politics and religion on social media risk getting lectures from relatives and losing friends.
So yeah, people do not talk about politics and religion in America a lot of the time.
Honestly, the only reason my mother-in-law and I have maintained a really good relationship over the decades is because we just don’t talk about religion or politics. My wife and I are pretty much on the opposite side of the map from her on both. So we just don’t talk about it rather than become enemies. Maybe that’s not the right way to go about things, but it’s saved a lot of stress where we don’t need it.
Isn’t that the same everywhere?
I have no idea. I was just explaining to the person above why we don’t talk about it much.
And these days, with MAGA fanatics, there’s also the possibility of actual physical harm.
Not only physical harm but social, economic, career and mental harm. They will definitely hurt you because the truth hurts their feelings.
I don’t know about everywhere but in France we can talk about religion and politics everywhere we like without risking much. Sometimes we’ll argue loudly for about an hour, and then the next day everything is forgotten. Or at least that was the case. I don’t know how it will go if the fascist far-right wins the election tomorrow though…
That’s one of the things I’ve loved about France since university; a deep and unbridled passion for politics and no shame in standing up for what one believes in.
Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day.
She surely won’t worry when they cart you and your wife off to Gitmo because you probably had it coming to you.
Would it be better if we ruin our relationship with my wife’s elderly mother? What would it achieve? Do you think she would vote differently? How would that improve anyone’s life in any way?
In my experience, yes. Mainly because for as long as I’ve been alive, if you have a dissenting opinion people tend to get very heated.
that and religion are no no’s.
i googled it and found lots of treatises on the subject
Obviously we still have political protesters and things like that but nowadays things are so divided politically that it is typically a topic that you would avoid in everyday conversation. If you were to bring up anything political with your coworker at a get together after hours for example and you find that you are on opposite ends of the political spectrum it could make it very difficult to work together at best and potentially endanger you at worst.
American politeness? No
It’s more of a thing so you aren’t constantly fighting with your family.
It’s considered impolite to espouse political views here in Australia.
However, I’ve found that taking about issues rather than identities, with a modicum of diplomacy, is usually fine.
I think this would be a lot more difficult in the US with the issues at hand because you’re not deciding mundane things like whether to subsidise roof top solar but rather, whether autocracy would make a nice change.
You used an conservative American political dog whistle when you mentioned identity politics and you’re part of western hegemony as an Australian, so I would be a bad leftist if I let it be.
It’s a dog whistle here because everyone has an identity that comes attached w perpetually unaddressed needs and the ruling class of people only considers their own identity to be the national discourse; establishing that other identities are little more than causes for division.