What a fantastic question! Well I certainly have gone through a lot of political views during my life which has turned me into somewhat of a politico. I started out a very moderate conservate like my parents, staunchly anti-communist, anti-socialist, Reagan loving, super patriotic, and somewhat religious.
My Early Teen Years
As I got older I got more involved with my church and took on more extreme conservative viewpoints on issues like abortion, science, and family values. I took it upon myself to be a shining example to everyone in regards to my faith. I suppose this put me firmly in what was known as the “Religious Right” during that time.
My Late Teen Years
Had I never gone to college or moved away from home, I probably would have stayed in that general area, but my life experiences opened many different avenues of thought to me. Moving away from home and living in less privileged communities, I realized that a lot of what I had been taught as a youth was simply not true.
When I worked for minimum wage, I began to realize that we marginalize a lot of people who work very hard. The disparities I have found in the education system have only amplified these views. In short, people are largely products of their environment. I realized I was somewhat privileged as a Caucasian male of European descent. We are all victims of modernity and post-colonialism in one way or another.
College
My studies took me in different directions and begged me to analyze the plight of many different groups of people, religions, philosophies, and general belief systems. Learning how the existing capitalist/colonial economic and political systems perpetuated stereotypes, exasperated differences among the lower classes, and guaranteed a recipe for social conflict really moved the needle for me on social issues. My faith evolved similarly, going to a much less extreme version of monotheism, eventually taking me to my current religious beliefs which align fairly neatly with Unitarianism.
My Views Today
Despite it all though, I still believe a free market capitalistic system is much superior to socialism. I have zero desire to live under a communist system, but would like to see greater opportunities given to each person and believe government should step in when companies or individuals are not “playing by the rules”. Perhaps that is why I love education so much….it allows me to be a participant in this most uplifting movement of the human spirit.
One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.
Plato
In short, I am socially liberal, and economically conservative so in the United States this would make me a bit of a wild card. I am one of those scary independent split-ticket voters who has no great loyalty to either of the main two parties; the Republicans or Democrats. I tend to like to make the candidates and parties work for my vote, sometimes until the last minute.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading The Lifetime Learning and Education Blog! Have a last few days of 2023! Check out some of my other articles if you have a moment.
Discussion Question: How Have Your Political Views Changed Over Time?
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What are your thoughts on this?