When I differentiate between MAGA and the right, I’m speaking to Trump’s hold on the party rather than the policy piece. I have many views to the right of center, though obviously I’m socially progressive - as you are - but only to a certain point. I don’t care who marries who, don’t care what clothes you wear (m/f), don’t care if there are gays in the military, and don’t care whether mothers work or don’t work.
On the other side, I don’t care about guns or prepping (have a compound if you’d like, go ahead), don’t care if a community hangs the Ten Commandments at school, don’t care if flag burning is outlawed, don’t care if trans are barred from military, and would be okay with required military service.
What I do care about is the decline in civility and trust, which is present in all spheres of functioning now. At one time my relationships with medical providers were based in mutual interest in wellbeing, whether mine or my kids’. Now - and I live in a small, cozy town rather than the DFW metroplex - my interactions are based on providers’ need to record for protection and bill. Government corruption just grows and grows and grows, and no one seems to care, while service declines. My shock over party acceptance of poor behavior started with Clinton, not Trump.
I care about oversight and protection. These are being chipped away at (well, currently eliminated completely). I care about abortion, but am not for it or against it. What I am for is a solution to unwanted babies. I would like to ask that abortion center protesters show their foster parent or adoptive parent proofs in order to continue screaming at impoverished 18-year-olds or mothers of already-more-children-than-she-can-manage. I would like late term abortions made illegal.
I would like the social safety net to make more sense. SNAP is vulnerable to misuse and does nothing to encourage healthy eating. It’s an addict’s dream. Pizza bagels for their kids and Pepsi for themselves. It’s disgusting. And that’s assuming they don’t trade the benefit for drugs or cigs. I would like Medicaid made less vulnerable to misuse. I’ve never encountered fraud, but every day I see our money squandered by people who are not incentivized in any way to behave thoughtfully, as with the SNAP.
I would like social security to pay enough for people to live with dignity. Perhaps the rest of you in this thread are shielded from the reality of poor people, but every week I see at least one person who works full time and still lives in poverty (defined as not enough money to pay bills, keep a car running, etc). Old people: are we really - we, the wealthiest nation on Earth - forcing old people to live on $12k a year after a lifetime working as nursing home aids and fry cooks? Why?
I would like to see the concept of shame returned to our country. Are your workers on food stamps or Medicaid, Mr. Bezos, while you sit on piles of gold like Scrooge McDuck? Shame on you. Oh look! Here comes the government to say you can’t operate that way because it’s exploitive.
I’m against teaching transgenderism in school, and am vigorously FOR teaching academics. Same goes for religious education. Choose a private school or teach it at home. School is for math, literacy, and science. I am against medical interference in sex before age 18 and think it should be private pay, as any body mods I might want are.
I don’t know - I’m moderate and want the fuckery of polarization and hate to stop. Which is what I see Trump fanning to his personal benefit, with the result being the MAGA cult.
