How Do You Politically Compare To Your School/Workplace?

[TNF]

High School

Then (2005-2009) Definitely to the left of the average student, given that I supported Obama in a county that is 97% white, very rural, and hasn't voted for a Democrat for President since 2000. My friends who were political at the time were to the right of me, with maybe one exception, and even he was slightly to my right. Lots of Democrats, but they were all Kentucky Democrats, so make of that what you will.

Now (2015) Far, far to the left, obviously.


University

Then (2009-2013) I didn't decide that I was a socialist until right before my last semester, so it varied. The average college student in my area is probably more or less a moderate liberal, although again, pretty much everyone I spoke with about politics was noticeably conservative or libertarian. Needless to say I ended up far, far to the left of everyone outside of the few anarchists I became friends with during the four years I was there, but even then I could count the number of the far-left on campus probably on one hand.

Now (2015) Not much has changed, although I'm far less squishy on the issue of anarchism (it's a waste of time/petty bourgeois bullsh#t) than I was in college and far less willing to identify with 'democratic' socialism (not that I reject democracy, I just don't pretend that 'democratic socialists' or 'social democrats' are in any way actually committed to achieving socialism).


Job #1 (Office Assistant, Summer 2008)

To the left, again. My boss and his boss were Republicans and I was a 'progressive' Democrat.

Job #2 (Fast Food, Summer 2009 - Summer 2013)

More or less to the left, but had a lot of good conversations with the people that I worked with about unions, wages and hours, etc. Unsurprisingly most of them thought that unions were a good idea and that we should be paid more. Pretty much everyone had a 'live and let live' attitude as far as things like LGBT rights and drug use went, but then again the average worker was probably in their late 20s and terribly underpaid, so I guess it comes with the territory.

Job #3 (College newspaper, Spring 2012 - Winter 2013)

Most of my colleagues were liberals, although both of the bosses that I had while I was there were libertarians. So obviously I was to everyone's left.

Job #4 (Local newspaper, Summer 2013)

Only really interacted with one person, and as far as I know the paper is more or less allied with the local Democratic Party machine. So to the left yet again.

Job #5 (Fast Food (again), Winter 2014 - Summer 2014)

Returned to the bad place for most of 2014, and not much had changed. Everyone did seem a tad more willing to talk about unions and those kind of things. I'd say to the left mostly because there wasn't a clear ideology to speak of, but I did talk with a few workers about communism and they thought it sounded like a good idea.

Job #6 (Canvassing, Spring 2014)

The only place were I can say that I had more or less mainstream political views was doing canvassing with a union group. One of my co-workers is an active communist militant in Chicago, so there's that.

Job #7 (Big Box Retail, Summer 2014 - Present)

Not a whole lot of talk about politics, but when unions have been brought up (offhandedly), there seems to be positive response. I'm obviously far to the left of pretty much everyone, though.

Job #8 (Grocery store, Summer 2014 - Present)

My first ever union job, which is funny in that most of the workers there seem to be a little more conservative than I'm used to encountering, but this is also a Republican suburban area, so there's also that. I do have a few co-workers who are fairly politically progressive, though, and supportive of our union. I'm still far on the left of everyone else, though.

Job #9 (Substitute teaching, Autumn 2014 - Present)

Really not sure. Safe to assume that no one is to my left, though.