Why I became political
If you asked me 18 months ago who I would vote for in the next election, I would not have had a very solid answer. I may have chosen the party who stood for a value I was concerned about at the time, not even concerning myself about the other policies that party stood for. In fact, if it was not compulsory to vote in Australia, I probably wouldn’t have even bothered to vote. I thought politics, in general, was a waste of effort, time and space. And especially elections. I had some opinions about things, but they were not really informed. Or they were, somewhat, ill-informed.
I grew up in a household that always supported the conservative candidate. A part of me, as I got older would tend to vote more left. Maybe because I thought I was being ‘rebellious’, ‘controversial’ or more with the times, ‘unlike my parents’. I was very much influenced by the popular media to see the right as old, out-of-date, less compassionate and lacking understanding.
Why has my interest in and understanding of politics gone through a revolution over the last 18 months? Why have so many of my positions completely changed? Here are some factors:
1. LIVING IN EUROPE DURING AN INCREASE IN TERRORIST ATTACKS
I got very used to waking to the news of yet another Muslim extremist blowing up, driving over, knifing down or shooting up civilians in Europe. My WhatsApp would be flooded with messages from Mum and Dad, siblings and friends asking where I am, if I was close to the situation. This urges you to ask questions. Why is this happening in Europe? What are the government bodies doing to help this escalation of extremist terrorists? Why do they constantly not change the very things that are obviously causing it? And why do they cover the real reasons up, brushing it off as "just another unfortunate tragedy", urging us to just keep calm and live on. I walked through areas where integration had failed, that felt like third world countries, where old British pubs were no longer running, had been shut down and left a scene from a ghost town. I had to ask why acid attacks were on the rise in my neighbouring borough. I had to question why I had students claiming that homosexuals be pushed off buildings was ok. I saw too much aftermath of yet another terrorist attack where I went on holiday, from Nice to Berlin and in my own city. I went down the rabbit hole.. And the evidence I found captured my attention. There is a ' case for the death of Europe'. It is a very tragic plight, but as I have experienced first-hand, a very real one.
2. BREXIT and TRUMP.
Obviously I felt like the whole world went into shock and chaos when both of these outcomes became apparent. A television reality television star as president!? What next!? The media wants you to think a certain way. And these 2 events were more catalyst for me to go and do some of my own reading and research.
3. FINDING ALTERNATIVE MEDIA
There are news outlets, political commentators and ideas out there that the mainstream media are quick to oppose. They are thoughtful, digestible and straight talkers. I am thankful for finding new media alternatives that can give us the other side of an argument - you know, the one that is quickly cut and bullied, shouted down or rarely given enough time to justify themselves when you watch their advocates on CNN or Sunrise..? You cannot fully trust mainstream news outlets anymore. They are full of fake, exaggerated news articles. The gatekeepers and agenda-setting news teams cannot be trusted to give all the facts. No one can be- that is precisely why you need to watch and read a wide range of media. The complete shock of the whole Trump fiasco blew up the media, going completely contrary to all they were expecting, and giving a strong case for the fact that their reporting does not actually align with public opinion. Their bias is sickening. Finding sense on YouTube has helped me become aware. Learning political theory online has become easier, accessible and interesting. People, channels and podcasts that have inspired me: Douglas Murray, Stefan Molyneux, Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, Ayan Hirsi Ali and Joe Rogan (to name a few).
It is ironic that I used to consider myself as being rebellious and against the tide as a lefty, then made a full circle back to my roots of the right. But now I am here, I have realised that ironically, being in this position is actually the real counter-cultural, rebellious and unpopular view. It is here that you are more ridiculed and you must be ready to defend yourself. But it is also where ideas make the most sense to me. It is where with a bit of debate, conversation and understanding, most people will realise is their own position too. After all, the right's main political argument boils down to the belief that freedom is important. I don’t know about you, but free, classic libertarian ideas are something I value every day as a working, professional woman living in the 21st Century.
(See my video here of the way the left could drive us into totalitarian control through their regressive ideas: here)
#politics #history #left #right #islam #learning #political