What Made You Change Politically?

[politicus]

I come from a conservative background with all four grand parents active on the right wing of the resistance movement, so my family was rooted in patriotism and respect for "God, King and country" - not the low tax, small government part of conservatism. Originally I had fairly  standard centre-right views on economics (but those are fairly moderate in Denmark).

The financial crisis and its effects on the life of people around me and friends in Ireland and Greece made me move to the left on socioeconomic issues. A journey that I am still on. I dislike both big government and big business and this place me in an odd spot, but clearly to the left of my family.
Getting more personally religious in my early 20s has also influenced me in being more engaged in social problems and people in poor countries.

Feminism was mainly the result of negative personal  experiences with sexism and working with street prostitutes in an NGO. Plus a general dislike of the sexist bad boy attitude "humor"  that Danish TV was full of in the late 90s and early-mid 00s.

I have always been a nature lover and reading more about enviromenmtal problems has made me ever more green. Basically knowledge of the issues tends to move me progressively further in the environmentalist direction. Seeing the effects of climate change while working in Greenland clearly reinforced this and seeing the results of deforestation in Laos and other places on travels has done that as well. But generally personal experience just seem to reinforce my views on this, not shape them.

I am still basically conservative on a lot of issues, such as defense, foreign policy, law and order, immigration, education and the belief in the need for a shared national culture. Also being anti-abortion and having a negative view of porn and prostitution (all though Danish conservatives are on the liberal side of that issue nowadays).

[politicus]

Circumstance changed me.  I wouldn't wish my life on anyone.  Nobody ever becomes a left winger through rainbows and unicorn farts.  I wish my life were stable and secure enough to warrant voting GOP. But when you're just hanging on and everyone around you is falling into the abyss... At least Nancy Pelosi will let you see the doctor.

That's actually quite common.