Long story. So bear with me but I think it's interesting.
I'm from Australia. So who the fuck cares about US politics right?
Well back in 2016 the media had me. I was a headline reader and would commonly say to people the likes of "Imagine if Trump wins! How fucked would the world be".
One day a guy from work sort of red pilled me in a weird way... He was a Pakistani and he told me "Who cares... We're not from the US. And they deserve it". It made me laugh (sorry pedes).
Now obviously he had an axe to grind from a Pakistani point of view but he sort of burst my bubble. Why the fuck would I care or stress being from Australia about Trump being president. I never cared before. That's when I realised the media had fucked me.
Anyway a couple of months later some barrister friend (had been having dinner once a week every week for several years) started ranting to me at dinner about Trump being president ending the world. I thought I could maybe help him and calm him down. Try and make him see that it doesn't matter that much. Long story short... We have never caught up socially since then. I've got lots of friends. And he was sort of a "single" friend and I'd just met my wife so while I was disappointed... It didn't stress me too much but it was an eye opener.
Anyway started becoming a Trump fan. Bet on him winning. He won but I learned for years to just shut up about it because people still really hate him here. And basically buy into the fact that anyone who likes him (or even doesn't hate him) is a racist degenerate.
Earlier this year lost another friend. Called her up during Covid to make sure she was alright because she is at high risk (cancer survivor). She started ranting about how fucking stupid Trump was. I backed off and was like "yeah he's got a hard job and who knows what the right decision is" and tried to be non chalant. She basically pushed me until she called me a "fucking idiot" and I told her that I'm not here to listen to her bullshit and to fuck off. She was a little bit of a "pity" friend of mine so was happy to fuck her off at this point.
Anyway feel I almost lost another friend lately. He's a good one who I don't want to lose.
Hes a smart guy. Professional, very educated and wealthy. He HATES Trump. But basically acts like he doesn't care.
So he'll send me "Trump is shit" articles or videos and then when I argue back he's like... "Ah I don't really care". But you know he does. At one point I basically confronted him about his attitude and said that his attitude was confrontational but it's not worth ruining our friendship. He backed down and apologised but I can tell he still HATES Trump and a part of that hates projects onto me.
It's crazy that the media machine is so powerful. That people in Australia lose friends over it.
Imagine being in the US and losing a friend over who the Prime Minister of Germany is.
Wore my MAGA hat out in public for the first time in Cairns today. Got a lot of double takes but legit had three guys say "Love the hat!" without a single negative comment
Australia isn't as lost as you think.
Good work mate. :)
Don't think it's lost. Know it's not. But still surprised at how the media works on otherwise intelligent people.
My mum is the same as your mate. Yesterday she sent me a meme of Dwayne Johnson with a poorly Photoshopped "Dump the Trump" on his shirt.
I replied asking her if she'd seen anything about Hunters laptop. No response. She hates Trump so blindly that she just refuses to listen to logic. My mum is such a smart lady it's so sad to see.
Same, but I'm Canadian. I have some incredibly smart and wise friends, but all of them blindly hate Trump, since they have no other perspective than the one the mainstream media, social media, and Hollywood pushes on them. Whole family hates Trump and are constantly bashing them. Its incredibly frustrating, since so many of them are beyond convincing. I don't really bother anymore since it always leads to a heated argument and kills the vibe when we rarely get to hang out with each other.
I've looked up to my older brother my whole life, he's set almost a perfect example for me to follow and I think he's one of the greatest people in the world. He too dislikes Trump, and it's made me realize and appreciate that the best of us can be swayed by the barrage of propaganda forced on us everywhere we look. You can't expect them to think the same way as us, when they've never really been exposed to an alternative news source.
Can't wait til Trump wins.
Propaganda works. Anyone who thinks it doesn’t effect them is deluded. You can counter it with digging for counter-information if you’re willing to put the time in, but it does work. Commercials work. Ads work. And intelligence may load some on countering it (don’t know of any research specific to that), but it doesn’t grant immunity. I have a physician friend, a psychiatrist friend, and a very successful businessman who have all lost their minds to TDS. All smart people, and overall wise people whose opinions I respect, but the propaganda has created blind spots for them.
Very sad to see isn’t it. I haven’t had a TV for nearly a decade. I’m allergic to advertisements, commercial news and reality TV - all of which are soul-suckers IMHO. I’m only exposed to ads when I’m watching sport and I cringe, deeply. It’s hard to fight back and help your friends when they are consuming such volumes of propaganda.
One of my first red pills was ironically a Frontline episodes on the topic called The Persuaders. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/
Give it a watch. It’s well done, and probably very interesting to watch in today’s context. It opened my eyes to how much commercials play on our emotions, and I found myself getting angry at the duplicity of how every commercial was claiming to be saying one thing, but was subtly saying something else entirely. I don’t get angry anymore, but I am always asking the question of “what are they REALLY saying?” No one is immune, but we can do our best to counter the poison.
Same. Rarely ever watch tv or netflix or any movies, and I haven't for years. I really can't stand actors, and I'm rarely convinced or entertained by people 'playing pretend' on TV. I should say that I do have several older TV series that I enjoy to re-watch, like The Office, Trailer Park Boys and Arrested Development, but I always struggle to get into new shows. This can be hard when I'm dating girls, since watching shows or movies is a common way for couples to spend time together, but I'm usually overcritical and it kills the mood, so I usually shut my mouth or recommend something else to do.
I only watch NBA and UFC, and the people I follow and support on Youtube. I've pretty much given up watching NBA after being a hardcore fan and a competitive player for more than a decade. It's unbearable to watch the NBA now, and I've lost so much respect for so many of these athletes that I looked up to, as a lifelong athlete. At least my respect for these NBA athletes is being replaced by UFC fighters, of whom I've pretty much obsessed over for the last 5 years.
It's much easier to identify and break free from the mainstream narrative when you aren't constantly consuming it. All of my friends consume a ton of Netflix and Hollywood movies, and they are all increasingly moving further left. This is up in Canada btw.
I’ve worn mine in Melbourne - not often, but I have. I wore it to my kid’s sportsball game once and another mother asked me if I was wearing it “ironically”. I said no I love the guy, she hasn’t spoken to me since. So go ahead, WEAR IT!
I strongly recommend getting Trump stickers for your car. Be loud and be proud! I’ve had them on my car for four years and haven’t had it vandalised yet 😎
Hahaha, I’d love to see someone walk around Inner West Sydney for a day wearing a MAGA hat. I’m certain they’d feel a little heat
Maybe they would, but it’s important to stand up for what you believe in. I’m a fat old lady with grey hair so I’m unlikely to get beaten up though.
It Melbourne? Your more likely to spot a Tassie Tiger I reckon
That’s in Cairns though ; )