How did you change your political views?

[MrFun]

For those of you who used to adhere to one political party, only to change your support to another political party, what influenced your decision to change your support?

For instance, if at one time (if you're an American), you were a staunch Republican and you later changed your support to the Democratic party, how did you go about this change?

For this thread, anyone from any country can add their comments -- it doesn't even have to be necessarily political party, but more generally, liberal, conservative, libertarian, communist, socialist, and so on. For example, if you were once socialist, and then later changed to having a libertarian viewpoint, what caused you to change?

I myself have not changed -- I'm still a moderate liberal.

[DaShi]

Screwdriver through the temple. I'm a moderate liberal now.

[SlowwHand]

Moderates. HA!

I was like you both.
Then I joined the service.
Saw the world.
Saw how things are.
Realized that I, just like you 2 are, was full of ****.

[DaShi]

Hey, don't involve me in you sick little game. I want no part of it.

[SlowwHand]

[Ecthy]

my political leanings change anti-cyclical with German governments...

[Asher]

I don't think my political views have changed at all.

I used to be more left-wing, though, but only slightly.

[Eli]

I was 15, and I was a leftist(on Israeli security issues, i'm still undecided on economical issues).

On a scale of +5 to -5, where the - is the left, if Firelad is -4 then I was -3.

The period was the period of pre-Camp David, and I was ready to give up everything.
The line of thought was that as soon as we give the poor Pals their independence(67 borders) and Jerusalem everyone will be happy.

Then the Intifada started, and I discovered Apolyton.

The Intifada provided a reason to change opinion, but Apolyton was the final push.
I started arguing about stuff here and realized a truth.
If there are so many enlighted westerners, with everything in life, who were never harmed by Israel, who are not Arabs or Muslims, and THEY go as far as denying the very right of Israel to exist, then what about the refugees(and non-refugees) living in terrible conditions in the camps and in the territories and listening every day to Palestinian propaganda and who probably lost their homes in 1948 and personally suffered from the conflict and violence?
The Intifada was a proof and I changed my position.

[BeBMan]

I was strictly leftist some years ago, but changed slightly to moderate leftist. But in praxis I don´t care much about "left" or "right" anymore.

Why? Because it makes no sense to whine always about eg. evil US or evil Israel once you get a bigger picture. Ideology is just an obstacle when you try to learn more about this world. Stupidity can be found at all sides

[General Ludd]

When I was young, I was a fastist/stalinist. A couple of years ago I was a pacifist.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Moderates. HA!

I was like you both.
Then I joined the service.
Saw the world.
Saw how things are.
Realized that I, just like you 2 are, was full of ****.

Eh? you always say you are a moderate and proud of the fact. Or have you gone through all that in the past couple of months?

[Kropotkin]

I started out as a young marxist about the age of 13-14, matured somewhat into a ideological anarchist as I learned more about history and how societies has (not) worked out. As a young adult I've turned out to be more and more cynical and is now more of a sceptical nihilist. Im' still very much leftist though, even if I hardly agree with most leftists.

[Ecthy]

"matured into an anarchist"

[Az]

what's a fastist, Osweld?

I was always a leftist. When young, I was asked if I had the option of the death of all the people of china, and all the people of Israel, and I chose all the people of Israel ( including my own family, of course), since there were much more people in China.
Today, I don't know, I don't think about it. I just wish I am never forced to make such a choice.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Azazel
what's a fastist, Osweld?

Er... I believed in doing things quickly. Really.