Thank you for speaking out how you do. I’m a lifelong Democrat/Harris voter. I left the progressive movement on Oct 7, 2023, after watching the progressive’s odd celebration of Hamas invading Israel. I supported the BLM peaceful protestors in 2020 but disagreed heavily with the rioters. I disagree with Defund/Abolish the Police. I’m a social worker in law enforcement. We need well funded and trained police. I got called racist when I was speaking out against the violence and these crazy policies.
There has been a refusal on our side of the aisle to acknowledge when our policies and side have gone crazy. Identity politics has damaged the reputation of the Democratic Party. And the mere questioning of identity politics produces vitriol and outrage. It produces support for Trump in my opinion. I believe in a full fledged working class agenda to help all Americans. But too many on the identity left instead obsess over calling half of voters racist, sexist, and privileged.
They ask people of color to view themselves as victims. Which coming from a social worker, is unhealthy and dangerous. They treat white people in poverty as being in the same group as Elon Musk and write them off as privileged. The suicide rates among men in this country are horrific but if you listen to progressives you’d think men had no problems at all and in fact are the problem.
I just became disillusioned by the aggressive anti-common sense approach, cancel culture, and the elitism. Nuance is gone and I want it back. I got tired of dehumanizing people by treating them as categories of an identity group rather than an individual. And don’t get me started on how they took a soft on crime approach that only enabled/worsened drug addiction, theft crimes, carjackings, etc.
I’m still an FDR Liberal. I believe in economic policies that protect the American people and ensure a good standard of living. I don’t believe in assuming someone is only either oppressed or an oppressor. And yet, even saying any of this out loud became taboo on the left.
I don’t like Trump. But I can see why someone who was once a Democrat would flock to him.
Ana, I think liberals like us are the majority but people have been afraid of being cancelled and losing friends so they don’t speak out. Behind closed doors, I get a lot of people who say something to the effect of, “I agree with everything you’re saying. I can’t say it in public because of the backlash. But I agree with you.”
I am familiar with Meghan Daum from her op ed pieces in the LA Times. I used to enjoy them. Neither she nor yourself were in any way unfair or inaccurate in your reporting on Trump during his first term. There was nothing you said about him that wasn’t true. The intensity of the reaction against him, rather than being sheepish groupthink was more a cry of exasperation. Since Reagan, conservatives have dominated both American politics and the framing of issues. After the debacle of the Cheney administration we got a chance to finally get us on track and then people decided to go with this ultra right wing clown instead. I think a lot of us felt betrayed and we’d had it up to here with decades of this bullshit. Electing Bozo the Clown was a huge setback and the final insult. Electing an outsider is fine but you don’t just go with the first jackass who comes along.
Conservative policies have created the situation in which a household requires two incomes to stay afloat so they have no place to gripe about how people live their lives. I grew up in the 70s in SoCal (“Dewd, not even!”) and my mom did not have to work because my dad made enough but as soon as my brother and I were old enough to know how to use a key she was out looking for a job. She hated being home. That worked out well for my brother and I also. Funtime! Today, my wife and I have no kids because we are not breeders (high five) and we both think that anyone over 18 or so who does not have a job is kind of a bum regardless of their gender. Fuck this male breadwinner bullshit. What a joke!
Thanks for having Meghan Daum on, it’s nice to hear the voice of someone whose words you have only read.
I've been thinking a lot about all of this Left and Right, or more accurately, perhaps, Left vs. Left and Left vs. Right nonsense. It seems to me that I was sometimes getting offended because it often comes across, to me, as the Left is this horrible thing and the Left is that bad trait, and as I identify as being on the Left, it often feels like a blanket statement that is a personal attack on my ethics, morals, intent, compassion, intelligence, etc. While I understand that there are people on both sides who speak louder, gatekeep, and bully, I just don't think of those people as Left or Right or as representing either side; I usually just see them as acting like assholes. The sooner we stop giving the lowest common denominator the legitimacy of representing an entire political leaning, the better, you know? Each side has disagreements and each person is an individual first. Instead of pitting factions of each side against one another, let's focus on our common humanity. I don't give a shit who talks to whom or what people believe; I see everyone individually and care how they treat me (and others, of course) and don't trust people who can't respectfully communicate with people who are different than them, whether racially, politically, religiously, or otherwise. It's time to stop labeling bad behavior as Left or Right and instead call people or groups of people who behave inappropriately out as individuals. So instead of us saying the Left calls me names and says I'm racist (or whatever shit they spew), say some people who insist on acting like assholes and attacking people are doing or saying such and such. This gives them less power and whittles them down to what they are: a small percentage of people as a whole who aren't worth our time or grief. I apologize for rambling and maybe not making a ton of sense. I'm just saying we would do better to not separate and segment ourselves into oblivion and throw out the baby with the proverbial bathwater but to instead call out people and groups of people individually who deserve to be shamed not for their alleged political affiliations but for their hurtful and often cruel actions. Oh, and Ana, thank you for saying you understand how people could fear what Trump might do, I have been getting the impression that you think people who are legitimately afraid of what might come with his presidency are idiots. I respect you, and your opinion matters to me, so when you say blanket statements about the Left due to the actions of a few, it hurts my feelings because I feel like you see me like you see those who are purposefully mean and hurtful. (Not that I'm a saint in any way, shape, or form!) Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and I hope everyone is safe. 🕊️♥️🤲
PS I would be remiss to not add that I find it harmful when people don't have their facts correct when it comes to women and safety. The facts are that in the US, at least 20% of females will be raped or have someone attempt to rape them (that's a seriously huge fucking number!); and about 30% of these attacks will be on girls between the ages of 11 and 17 (😞); and fewer than 40% will report rapes to the police (not to mention the fact that for every one thousand rapes that are reported, less than 60 will result in arrests, about 10 will get prosecuted, and only about 5 will do any time. WTAF?!); also, 1-in-4 females in college will be sexually assaulted (again, a huge fucking number!). This is NOT crap data, and downplaying the risks that females legitimately face in our society (as your guest did 🤬) does very serious harm by making it seem that females don't need to be consistently vigilant and aware of their safety and by inadvertently and offhandedly belittling the pain and true experiences of survivors who have been victimized by these violent crimes.
Thanks for the conversation Ana. Would you consider finding a way to have both speakers on the video at the same time? It could add to the conversational feel of the podcast because we'd be able to see how the other speaker is receiving what is being said like a live back-and-forth conversation. 🙂
Thank you for speaking out how you do. I’m a lifelong Democrat/Harris voter. I left the progressive movement on Oct 7, 2023, after watching the progressive’s odd celebration of Hamas invading Israel. I supported the BLM peaceful protestors in 2020 but disagreed heavily with the rioters. I disagree with Defund/Abolish the Police. I’m a social worker in law enforcement. We need well funded and trained police. I got called racist when I was speaking out against the violence and these crazy policies.
There has been a refusal on our side of the aisle to acknowledge when our policies and side have gone crazy. Identity politics has damaged the reputation of the Democratic Party. And the mere questioning of identity politics produces vitriol and outrage. It produces support for Trump in my opinion. I believe in a full fledged working class agenda to help all Americans. But too many on the identity left instead obsess over calling half of voters racist, sexist, and privileged.
They ask people of color to view themselves as victims. Which coming from a social worker, is unhealthy and dangerous. They treat white people in poverty as being in the same group as Elon Musk and write them off as privileged. The suicide rates among men in this country are horrific but if you listen to progressives you’d think men had no problems at all and in fact are the problem.
I just became disillusioned by the aggressive anti-common sense approach, cancel culture, and the elitism. Nuance is gone and I want it back. I got tired of dehumanizing people by treating them as categories of an identity group rather than an individual. And don’t get me started on how they took a soft on crime approach that only enabled/worsened drug addiction, theft crimes, carjackings, etc.
I’m still an FDR Liberal. I believe in economic policies that protect the American people and ensure a good standard of living. I don’t believe in assuming someone is only either oppressed or an oppressor. And yet, even saying any of this out loud became taboo on the left.
I don’t like Trump. But I can see why someone who was once a Democrat would flock to him.
Ana, I think liberals like us are the majority but people have been afraid of being cancelled and losing friends so they don’t speak out. Behind closed doors, I get a lot of people who say something to the effect of, “I agree with everything you’re saying. I can’t say it in public because of the backlash. But I agree with you.”
Thanks for this interesting conversation, even while recovering from illness, Ana. Feel better soon!
Great interview. I am so glad there are more honest people who don’t fall in the trap of far left.
I am familiar with Meghan Daum from her op ed pieces in the LA Times. I used to enjoy them. Neither she nor yourself were in any way unfair or inaccurate in your reporting on Trump during his first term. There was nothing you said about him that wasn’t true. The intensity of the reaction against him, rather than being sheepish groupthink was more a cry of exasperation. Since Reagan, conservatives have dominated both American politics and the framing of issues. After the debacle of the Cheney administration we got a chance to finally get us on track and then people decided to go with this ultra right wing clown instead. I think a lot of us felt betrayed and we’d had it up to here with decades of this bullshit. Electing Bozo the Clown was a huge setback and the final insult. Electing an outsider is fine but you don’t just go with the first jackass who comes along.
Conservative policies have created the situation in which a household requires two incomes to stay afloat so they have no place to gripe about how people live their lives. I grew up in the 70s in SoCal (“Dewd, not even!”) and my mom did not have to work because my dad made enough but as soon as my brother and I were old enough to know how to use a key she was out looking for a job. She hated being home. That worked out well for my brother and I also. Funtime! Today, my wife and I have no kids because we are not breeders (high five) and we both think that anyone over 18 or so who does not have a job is kind of a bum regardless of their gender. Fuck this male breadwinner bullshit. What a joke!
Thanks for having Meghan Daum on, it’s nice to hear the voice of someone whose words you have only read.
What happened with the girl, Ana? Also, i would love to see the whole bird image on your wall some day;]
I've been thinking a lot about all of this Left and Right, or more accurately, perhaps, Left vs. Left and Left vs. Right nonsense. It seems to me that I was sometimes getting offended because it often comes across, to me, as the Left is this horrible thing and the Left is that bad trait, and as I identify as being on the Left, it often feels like a blanket statement that is a personal attack on my ethics, morals, intent, compassion, intelligence, etc. While I understand that there are people on both sides who speak louder, gatekeep, and bully, I just don't think of those people as Left or Right or as representing either side; I usually just see them as acting like assholes. The sooner we stop giving the lowest common denominator the legitimacy of representing an entire political leaning, the better, you know? Each side has disagreements and each person is an individual first. Instead of pitting factions of each side against one another, let's focus on our common humanity. I don't give a shit who talks to whom or what people believe; I see everyone individually and care how they treat me (and others, of course) and don't trust people who can't respectfully communicate with people who are different than them, whether racially, politically, religiously, or otherwise. It's time to stop labeling bad behavior as Left or Right and instead call people or groups of people who behave inappropriately out as individuals. So instead of us saying the Left calls me names and says I'm racist (or whatever shit they spew), say some people who insist on acting like assholes and attacking people are doing or saying such and such. This gives them less power and whittles them down to what they are: a small percentage of people as a whole who aren't worth our time or grief. I apologize for rambling and maybe not making a ton of sense. I'm just saying we would do better to not separate and segment ourselves into oblivion and throw out the baby with the proverbial bathwater but to instead call out people and groups of people individually who deserve to be shamed not for their alleged political affiliations but for their hurtful and often cruel actions. Oh, and Ana, thank you for saying you understand how people could fear what Trump might do, I have been getting the impression that you think people who are legitimately afraid of what might come with his presidency are idiots. I respect you, and your opinion matters to me, so when you say blanket statements about the Left due to the actions of a few, it hurts my feelings because I feel like you see me like you see those who are purposefully mean and hurtful. (Not that I'm a saint in any way, shape, or form!) Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and I hope everyone is safe. 🕊️♥️🤲
PS I would be remiss to not add that I find it harmful when people don't have their facts correct when it comes to women and safety. The facts are that in the US, at least 20% of females will be raped or have someone attempt to rape them (that's a seriously huge fucking number!); and about 30% of these attacks will be on girls between the ages of 11 and 17 (😞); and fewer than 40% will report rapes to the police (not to mention the fact that for every one thousand rapes that are reported, less than 60 will result in arrests, about 10 will get prosecuted, and only about 5 will do any time. WTAF?!); also, 1-in-4 females in college will be sexually assaulted (again, a huge fucking number!). This is NOT crap data, and downplaying the risks that females legitimately face in our society (as your guest did 🤬) does very serious harm by making it seem that females don't need to be consistently vigilant and aware of their safety and by inadvertently and offhandedly belittling the pain and true experiences of survivors who have been victimized by these violent crimes.
TYT,
I have laboratory proof that
Bill Gates snuck NanoRobots
into Pfizer meds. Benadryl,
insulin, dental anesthesia,
vaccines, etc.
They're building microchips
& fractal antennae on brains
as t/ultimate surveillance
& mind-control tool.
All life on Earth not plant-based:
has 3 to 5 years to live w/o
t/antidote. It is already FDA-
approved, cheaply produced by
large chemical companies, &
there's enough to detox t/entire
world. There will likely
be wildlife dying b/c we can't
reach them all. Birds for exa:
can evade capture too easily,
so there's going 2B 'bird-kill'.
This disclosure &/or fundraiser
for my non-profit (& host) will
likely break your internet if you
don't upgrade your bandwidth
before t/show.
I also have t/chem-trail results
showing t/bots are in rainwater.
It's in beef, dairy, deer, squirrels,
you, me, & we're not going to
get rid of it until there's a
bot-killing-bot.
Please call me J.P.
as soon as possible at;
507 30 777 49
~5pm PT Jan 20th.
Thanks for the conversation Ana. Would you consider finding a way to have both speakers on the video at the same time? It could add to the conversational feel of the podcast because we'd be able to see how the other speaker is receiving what is being said like a live back-and-forth conversation. 🙂
Conversation and discussion of differing viewpoints is much more enriching, to say the least.