Let's Talk About Friends.

[Sigblaster]

No, not the TV show.

I know people who have lost friends recently due to their opinions on current events. COVID, racial tensions, upcoming elections, the police, Supreme Court decisions, etc.

What's weird about their stories is the radical 180 degree turn that some of them have seen in their friends. People they have known for 20 years or more, and were like twins or at least kindred spirits in their most basic beliefs, find themselves diametrically opposed. None of my friends have changed, so I know it's not them.

One amusing thing I've noticed is when they're commiserating, they try to add weight to their loss by citing the time they've known them.

Friend 1: "I've known this guy for 22 years, since we were in high school!"

Friend 2: "Yeah, well I grew up 2 houses down from this guy, and we've been friends for 36 years!"

Me: "Friends are not fine wines. They don't necessarily get better with age. They're more like Krugerrands. You keep them or dispose of them according to their value."


Krugerrand

 

[Sigblitz]

I haven't been posting in a few threads because it's just so heavy, man. I might get called a racist because I think police should be able to defend themselves, or you shouldn't call a pull rope a noose just to bush your BLM crap.
I might get accused of stifling the economy because I don't want to bring the China flu home, or I might be called a racist for recognizing the flu is from China.
I might get banned for posting hot pics of Hillary, so I'm just not going to do it. I don't need the Ban Sigblitz campaign. I'll stick with laughing at everyone's corny jokes and pumping them up for rep so I can buy stuff at the INGUN store.

 

[churchmouse]

I haven't been posting in a few threads because it's just so heavy, man. I might get called a racist because I think police should be able to defend themselves, or you shouldn't call a pull rope a noose just to bush your BLM crap.
I might get accused of stifling the economy because I don't want to bring the China flu home, or I might be called a racist for recognizing the flu is from China.
I might get banned for posting hot pics of Hillary, so I'm just not going to do it. I don't need the Ban Sigblitz campaign. I'll stick with laughing at everyone's corny jokes and pumping them up for rep so I can buy stuff at the INGUN store.

1....yes you will get busted for the Billary thing
2.....Absolutely no "Hot" pics exist.....
3...We are trying to prove you are not Mbills.....

 

[maxwelhse]

Almost a year ago I lost a 12 year relationship that I put more into than you'll ever know and politics were cited in the around 4 sentence email she was kind enough to end the relationship with.

In retrospect this is a good thing (as evidenced by after a decade together getting an email to end it) as god only knows how she feels now that the world has ended, but I feel like I have a pretty unique perspective on this one and the perspective isn't exactly sunny.

On the brighter side, this is a great song that pretty much sums up my opinion on the whole "people change" thing.

[video=youtube;7Lb9dq-JZFI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Lb9dq-JZFI[/video]

 

[churchmouse]

This insanity has finally put an end to me and my dads side having anything in common which we never did anyway.
Blocked them all out on FB.
Blocked the phone numbers.
Letting them stew in their liberal soup.

And it actually is a relief.

Most of my friends and I are somewhat like minded.

 

[Sigblitz]

1....yes you will get busted for the Billary thing
2.....Absolutely no "Hot" pics exist.....
3...We are trying to prove you are not Mbills.....

I'm sorry. I was on Ambien when I posted.

 

[churchmouse]

I'm sorry. I was on Ambien when I posted.

Man I was worried about you for a minute.

 

[Trigger Time]

This has happened before in Americas short history. History repeats itself. We will not heal this divide without there being bloodshed.
Not calling for it, just stating fact

 

[maxwelhse]

This insanity has finally put an end to me and my dads side having anything in common which we never did anyway.
Blocked them all out on FB.
Blocked the phone numbers.
Letting them stew in their liberal soup.

This is an area where I'm actually pretty lucky. Within the family, I'm on the more liberal end of things because I don't just blindly agree with everything the party, or Trump, does. Sometimes I even disagree with it. Even after openly admitting that I don't really need to follow politics all that carefully because I already know how I'm going to vote for the next 200 years, and it will be the pro-freedom candidate that has the highest odds of actually winning (which so far in my life has meant straight ticket Republican), this disobedience to the party line has made me a rebel.

My Dad has a literal Trump train in his basement. The Bradford mint one... and he shows it to everybody.

 

[Alpo]

Well, I've moved further right...or the Overton Window moved further left. I think I'm dead center politically at this point.

Most of the graves that I want to **** on are in another state. Waste of gas anyway as good IPA is available locally.

 

[Sigblitz]

Well, I've moved further right...or the Overton Window moved further left. I think I'm dead center politically at this point.

Most of the graves that I want to **** on are in another state. Waste of gas anyway as good IPA is available locally.

I'm further right from the center, but I celebrate your move. Hope you don't mind me drinking PBR.

 

[churchmouse]

Well, I've moved further right...or the Overton Window moved further left. I think I'm dead center politically at this point.

Most of the graves that I want to **** on are in another state. Waste of gas anyway as good IPA is available locally.

I grew up with the hard line "D" lever pulling UAW union working KKK member nut jobs. Man that was a tough indoctrination to shake off. Once I stepped into the light it was pretty much neutral center for me. But since Clinton I have left anything like that tarnished thinking (in my mind no knock on folks that do) and wish we could get back into lock step with the 2 documents that started this whole thing. But as long as we do not primary these bags out (both sides) of those comfy seats up on the hill after a couple of go rounds we will be a socialist society before my time ends.

 

[Expat]

I'm sorry. I was on Ambien when I posted.

That could be what brings out the mbills persona.

 

[Expat]

I have a bunch of family that are left wing kooks, but they are family and I will fight you if you **** with them.
so I guess I can put up with their FB craziness. So far they have put up with mine.

 

[churchmouse]

I have a bunch of family that are left wing kooks, but they are family and I will fight you if you **** with them.
so I guess I can put up with their FB craziness. So far they have put up with mine.

The crap I put up with from the family I mentioned they can take a leap for all I care save that most have passed but their idiot offspring still waste oxygen.
There were a few for real fist fights with a couple of "Uncles" and cousins in my leaving that crew behind. They learned not to **** with the hippie if you get my drift.

Now CKW's family is a for real group of people. Love them each and every one.

 

[KG1]

You get to really know who people are when talking politics.

 

[WebSnyper]

I live 900 miles or so from extended family (anyone besides the wife and kids). I don't do facebook and neither does my side of the family, so don't see anyone's political stuff.

My side of the family didn't travel much before Covid.

My inlaws (MIL and the fella she married which was after I married my wife) would come before the Covid stuff for like a week to 10 days at a pop when they did come, and I'd only talk politics with them when I absolutely had to reply to some comment. And in those cases it would not be just be because we did or didn't disagree, but rather because they either had no reasoning or logic behind something and/or because they would have very inconsistent thoughts on things and I'd ask them why and could never get any real logical conversation back. Clearly they were taking what some talking head said and regurgitating it in a sound bite but had no idea the why and couldn't make any logical discussion on it. That said, this was like that before all the current stuff. I can't imagine having a discussion with them on any of the current situation as it would be a disaster I'm sure.

I actually like talking to people with differing points of view if they have some reasoning and logic and can articulate some things. Makes it interesting and I may learn something and I may change how I look at something. I know I don't know everything and never will. That said, I've got no time for those that can't do that or that want to get butt hurt, etc.

 

[BugI02]

This has happened before in Americas short history. History repeats itself. We will not heal this divide without there being bloodshed.
Not calling for it, just stating fact

I pretty much agree with you; with the caveat that the last time that happened, it didn't heal the divide, it just established a clear victor and vanquished. That unhealed wound underpins some of the current divide and I have no illusions over what will come of round two. But if that's what it takes to save the republic, c'est la guerre

 

[indiucky]

Well, I've moved further right...or the Overton Window moved further left. I think I'm dead center politically at this point.

Most of the graves that I want to **** on are in another state. Waste of gas anyway as good IPA is available locally.

I've moved further left, my hair is longer, and I strum a mandolin all day.......Gay marriage becoming law of the land helped out...I could finally quit that fight with a "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's" and reach across the aisle to folks I agreed with on other matters....I'm probably Libertarian leaning classic liberal at this point.....

 

[BugI02]

You still seem pretty normal, so one supposes you started out pretty far to the right