Issues that you have personally vacillated on

[SPC]

Having gone from a modal American conservative who holds libertarian positions on cultural issues to an anarcho-capitalist Rothbardian ideologue to somewhere in between the two aforementioned characterized viewpoints, there have been a few issues where I have changed my position, which of course is a healthy process so long as it is shaped by responses to new information rather than an abandonment of fundamental principles. On immigration I was originally reflexively in favor of "securing the borders" until I saw the enforcement of border controls as an inherent infringement of individual liberty. However, I now see this as a confusion between the idea of a nation and a state, and I now see an invitation-based system as a lesser evil in this regard, with more rigid citizenship standards than we have today. On foreign policy too, I initially held hawkish viewpoints before immersion with the Ron Paul crowd swayed me to the opposite extreme. However, empirical evidence seems to testify against the ridiculous "The US is the greatest evil in every international conflict" paradigm, and I am now not necessarily opposed to the use of military force to advance Western interests, provided it is cost-effective (imposing majority rule on ethnically heterogeneous states in the Middle East still does not qualify). Aside from those 270 degree turns, I do not think I have had any other complete about-faces, although my positions may have become more nuanced.

Does anyone else have similar experiences?

[Murica!]

I had a change of mind on the necessity and legitimacy of the State, otherwise no.

[Antonio the Sixth]

There is no issue where I've gone from being fully convinced of position A to being fully convinced on position B. There are several issues where I've refined my views by acquiring more knowledge (I guess economic democracy would be one, as well as drug legalization). There are other issues where I still have some doubts or think a case by case basis is more appropriate (free trade for example, or wearing religious symbols in public places). But these are fairly rare.

[TNF]

I am constantly re-assessing how I view the world and which positions I take on specific questions in response to what I read, learn, and do in the real world.

[Oakvale]

More vacuous than vacillating tbh

[Foucaulf]

I can think of two right now: euthanasia and the need to act on global warming.

My sharpest change of mind has to be on retributive justice in general (from "why don't white people hang criminals in the open" to "no one deserves to suffer").

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Nuclear energy and GM crops (in opposite directions weirdly enough - I used to think that nuclear was the only real solution for climate change and its green opponents were nothing more than Luddite hippies and that GM was overrated, unneeded twaddle, but now I'm increasingly cynical (if not outright contemptible) of nuclear after the industry continues to sabotage itself and waste valuable time and money; and I'm more suggestive to GM after realising the scale of the demAnds required to feed the world while allowing for space for non-agricultural demands. Bono songs alone won't feed the poor.

[H. Ross Peron]

Health-care: Generally prefer the German model, although I'm not entirely unsympathetic to single-payer

Minimum income: Gone back and forth on whether this is the best use of social welfare spending because it may mean less money being spent on say daycare programs

Death penalty: I support it in theory, what I've vacilitated on is in its practical application under current American conditions. Some tentative studies have indicated that the death penalty does reduces murder slightly.

[Boston Bread]

The only issue where I complete switched positions is marijuana where I switched to the pro-legalization side. For other issues like energy, gun control, what should be public instead of privately owned I've altered my stances somewhat over time but not the philosophy or aims underlying my views. I'd like to think that all my policy changes have been due to new knowledge, but my feelings and situation have had an effect too, like the degree to which freedom, equality, and security are important to me.

[Intell]

Was an authotorian communist with a strong emphasis on morals and religion in middle and high school, then I grew up and  went to  college and went to roughly the political views that have now, though I am slightly moving more socially and economically to the left now. Now a standard third-way liberal and progressive with some conservative positions.

Just checked, my records, my political ideology when I turned 17 (July 2007) my political compass  score was: E: -8.71, S: +4.09

[Brewer]

Almost all of my positions honestly, aside from the death penalty, marijuana legalization, and gay marriage.

[VPH]

Surveillance: I used to be very very anti-surveillance, viewing the NSA's activities as a clear violation of privacy. However, seeing the foiling of terror plots and realizing that I really have nothing to hide, my views shifted to being more accepting of surveillance for public safety.
Abortion: My views on abortion as a devout Catholic have gone from staunchly pro-life to mostly pro-choice, although I kind of waver on late term abortions. Safe, legal, and rare is generally my motto here.
Gay Marriage: Yes, as embarrassing as it is to admit that I once opposed marriage equality, it's true... I kind of just listened to religious figures speaking out against it, but as I have grown up, I realized that love is love.
Death Penalty: I used to be in favor of the death penalty for crimes like murder. Now, I am opposed to it on moral grounds since recent botched executions have come up in the media.
Hemp Legalization: While I still oppose legalizing marijuana, I realized that hemp=/=pot and that hemp probably has some very beneficial uses.

[Mr. Smith]

Used to be more pro-choice, completely opposed to the death penalty and strongly free speech.

Could've been Snowstalker or TNF back in High School.

But enough bigotry and hatred and knowledge of clever escaped convicts have convinced me that some people really are too dangerous to keep alive and that without some hate speech restrictions. Still against it, but at this point only because of expenses.

I used to also be more critical of fundies,...until I met Dawkins-esque assholes and Objectivists who were just as bad, and they all failed to come up with anything beyond "pure logic" BS for their selfish views. The worst of fundies I've dealt with a least seemed o think their views were giving o something greater than themselves, and far more accepting of the unorthodox little changes.

I used to be a Scoop Jackson-esque neocon,...then I looked into how many stupid wars and dictator installings came of it all, and I found out how Camp David worked out just fine. That and looking at how much could've gone to education and other domestic issues quickly turned me against neoconservatism...even "liberal internationalism".