Ideology and thought processes

[Alcon]

Regarding people who share your general ideology, political affiliation, etc.:

How comfortable are you, largely, with how they think?

Do you generally find your "philosophy of thought" (whatever you choose to make of that) most similar to your ideological similars and party-mates?

What bothers you most about the way those ideological similars tend to think, are more apt than usual to think, whatever?  Any tendency or fallacious process that comes up frequently that bothers you?

And, finally, how important is this all to you, both in respect of beliefs and political activism?

I don't know what sort of answer I'm looking for here, but OTC drugs are compelling me.

[Lunar]

I think it'd be nice if more liberals were more holistic in their thinking.  Instead of focused completely on there here and now, say, of a factory closing down, to think more of the entire picture that includes incentives for someone to build a factory.  Or say, not view the one factory closing in China for the eight chemical ones being built in the sunbelt as an acceptable trade-off.

[Nixon in '80]

Republicans are generally stupid and believe what they believe for the wrong reasons.

So are Democrats.

I'm not comfortable with the though processes of most liberal Republicans, Republicans in general, Californians, Americans, or human beings.

I'm not saying I'm better than most people, I'm saying they are worse.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I've said alot to friends of mine that Conservatives deny reality and Liberals twist it. Not all of them of course, but I seldom see a Liberal claim there is no problem with healthcare, they just tend to hype it up, Conservatives on the otherhand, claim there is no problem with healthcare and any attempt to reform it is socialism.

Basically the debate sometimes gets caught between doomsayers and people with their head in the sand. And I would rather be the doomsayer.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

I tend to believe that anyone who takes those labels seriously for their political views (and isn't very young) is at best an irritant and at worst a threat to democracy.

In saying that, as I have said before, I have no real political beliefs anymore. Well, any positive ones.

[afleitch]

In saying that, as I have said before, I have no real political beliefs anymore. Well, any positive ones.

You will always exercise 'political' beliefs to an extent because you form social relationships. Even if you have no care for the effect of politics on the self, or yourself you will hold consideration for the effect it has on your social group/s or at the very least your loved ones to the extent you will hold a political opinions that are not to their detriment.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

In saying that, as I have said before, I have no real political beliefs anymore. Well, any positive ones.

You will always exercise 'political' beliefs to an extent because you form social relationships. Even if you have no care for the effect of politics on the self, or yourself you will hold consideration for the effect it has on your social group/s or at the very least your loved ones to the extent you will hold a political opinions that are not to their detriment.

Sorry I should have said "Political". Everyone has political (small p) beliefs - one's run-of-the-mill personal philosophy which would clearly reflect your mundane political habits like voting, participation, etc but whether I hold anything which could coherently be called an ideology or set of beliefs in the way most people here do, the answer is no. Actually I'm tending towards thinking that politics is something of a distraction, or that Weber was right and Marx wrong, political activity is determined by the cultural "superstructure" so to speak (which is vaguely but not really related to the material). Thus what matter is more what the American people think in the widest, most general sense possible, then what Barack Obama does. To a certain extent. So I guess I do have a political belief system.

[afleitch]

In saying that, as I have said before, I have no real political beliefs anymore. Well, any positive ones.

You will always exercise 'political' beliefs to an extent because you form social relationships. Even if you have no care for the effect of politics on the self, or yourself you will hold consideration for the effect it has on your social group/s or at the very least your loved ones to the extent you will hold a political opinions that are not to their detriment.

Sorry I should have said "Political". Everyone has political (small p) beliefs - one's run-of-the-mill personal philosophy which would clearly reflect your mundane political habits like voting, participation, etc but whether I hold anything which could coherently be called an ideology or set of beliefs in the way most people here do, the answer is no. Actually I'm tending towards thinking that politics is something of a distraction, or that Weber was right and Marx wrong, political activity is determined by the cultural "superstructure" so to speak (which is vaguely but not really related to the material). Thus what matter is more what the American people think in the widest, most general sense possible, then what Barack Obama does. To a certain extent. So I guess I do have a political belief system.

You still have an active and expressed ideology if you are prone to quote thinkers/philosophers etc in discussion for example. You're simply evoking the personal name rather than the 'ism.' It's still a compartment.

There is no escaping politics or Politics. Even the hermit will be 'political' in retaining his autonomy if someone acts against (and all p/Politics is the excertion of action/pressure by word or deeds and it's reponse, which in itself is an excertion) his self interest. Work up the chain and that person may be involved in the Political process as by extension is the hermit, even if he has severed social contact (bearing in mind that politics is the result of socialisation at any level).

So I would agree that politics is determined by a 'superstructure', but there is no escape from that. That's why many of those with functioning autism/Aspergers (there's those 'isms' again...) find Politics appealing. It is socialisation on a macro level that is measurable, managable and to an extent impersonal.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

I completely agree with all that. It's just Irish Politics.

(My superstructure comment was more on how change happens when people start to think differently - usually an intellectual minority but soon spreads - think "modernism" or "enlightenment" as much more important than the mundane reality of 'politics'. Of course cultural shifts are unusual, the last real one of note was really the late 60s/70s one which has been reveraberating ever since, but I think that "tradition" so to speak is coming close to exhaustion. The culture war is now boring, not worth fighting about, if it still exists. Of course the things I refer to are huge epochal events beyond my control, but if I want to get 'involved' in some way, that is the way, not though political campaigns. And right now, the last possible adjective one could put to my life is "involved".)

Sorry for going OT.

[afleitch]

I completely agree with all that. It's just Irish Politics.

I'll never understand that so you have a head start However (and is this an example of not escaping the inescapable?) the effect of Irish 'politics'(and everyone elses politics) came to Glasgow - about 10 people arrived in Glasgow Central Station from the Prestwick Airport train. They didn't look like they were on holiday...

[Josh/Devilman88]

My views are my views and I don't care for labels. But like all views they can change due to inward and outwards events/ learning.