Ask Lemmy

1. Bigotry and prejudice is always bad, even if it's not against a "protected class". Hating on white people, straight people, cis people, men, or anyone else for the way they were born, what their ancestors did makes the world a worse place. Heck, "white" itself is a nebulous concept that changes over time and is different depending on which racist you're talking to. Just because someone resembles your oppressor does not make them your enemy.

2. Kind of related, but I don't broadly judge categories of things. I was at a party recently and someone asked me if I liked anime, and I responded that I like some anime. Most of it I don't like, but that's not specific to anime. In my experience, roughly 80-90% of all media is somewhere between "garbage" and "mediocre", and it's the 10-20% at the top that I look for. A lot of my favorite bands happen to be metal, but I'm not going to like every band that uses distorted guitars.

Perhaps another way of phrasing it is that I usually find that the parameters which define genre are often separate from the parameters that determine my personal enjoyment.

My theory is that most people are more concerned with the social groups around media than the media itself.

I keep getting downvoted because I advocate always voting left. Even if currently the democrats aren’t left wing, they are more left than Republicans. And if you keep voting for the most left candidate then over time they’ll keep shifting more and more left. Republicans will learn they’ll never win unless they start moving left so they’ll move left, then the Democrats will move more left.

Letting republicans win because the current democrat isn’t left enough is, IMHO, stupid.

One of the things people constantly disagree with me about is children. Specifically how hard it really is to raise one, and that everyone isn’t meant to have them.

Many people don’t understand that where children begin, you end. There isn’t going to be time for things you used to do on your own time, at your own leisure. There are no natural born parents, people that can function on little sleep and overwhelming circumstances. You give up peace, money, autonomy and you don’t stop parenting until you’re gone. There are a large number of people who feel like one day, they’ll become a parent and that will be their identity. Some people start their journey in parenthood wholeheartedly believing their child is an extension of themselves; not a developing, unique person that may or may not be completely different- like no one else in the family.

Having children is the most important job that you will ever have. You don’t get to quit when you realize that maybe you aren’t cut out for it. That’s why it’s important to know yourself, and work on your trauma and shortcomings before they bleed into your children. If you aren’t prepared to make sure they have the absolute best you can provide them in all aspects of life; why are you having them? If you aren’t ready to let your priorities fall to the wayside while you guide a tiny human into themselves, you aren’t prepared.

That having a better education is directly tied to income levels, so talking down to 'idiots' is actually some bougie bullshit.

I don't like neopronouns

In America its still not ok to be an atheist. Truly weird that it is ok to be part of several different mutually exclusive cults who all believe things that if they were not connected to a proper religion would get you laughed at but if you don't have a cult its not ok.

That we should renationalise all public services here in the UK. I genuinely believe that. I'm essentially a left of centre capitalist, but I believe private companies using shared national infrastructure for shareholder profit under the lie of 'competition' is bullshit.

I get why the whole "colorblind" thing ended, but what we replaced it with is even worse.

Well I guess it's that I have a difficult time understanding trans folk. My belief is that we should be working towards accepting and loving our bodies regardless of how they are formed, with all of their flaws intact. I feel complicated towards cosmetic surgery as a result of this belief.
Obligatory caveat: I still love trans people, you're ALL valid and I continue to learn from you.

That Lemmy can be just as bigoted, hostile, and close-minded as the sites it set out to replace; it drives out views which aren't in line with the gestalt majority. This thread, then, mostly gets answers which are on the mildest end because those who actually hold opinions out of step with the majority know damn well not to speak up, or, well... be immediately othered.

I’m a Democrat who values the 2nd amendment and doesn’t think we should just ban guns in the U.S. Stronger regulations and safety measures? Sure, absolutely. But I do think people should have the right to own and use firearms for recreation, hunting, personal protection, etc.

I believe privately owned cars and on-street parking should be banned in cities, except for very few regulated exceptions, and replaced with municipal car sharing.

Religion and spirituality, broadly considered, are not inherently evil. That organized religion can justify great evils is a function of human weakness, nothing more.

Then again, this is coupled with a 'there is no god but that we create ourselves/god has no material existence, but is no less powerful for that'' POV, which is admittedly a weird one that I've been pulling at for a bit. Nothing to do with the nature of our reality or first causes, everything to do with our relationship to reality.

I think that gender dysphoria is a mental illness, as it causes mental distress if not alleviated with transition, but that it's not shameful to have it any more than it's shameful to have autism, conversion therapy has been scientifically proven not to work, and just as people with diabetes manage their condition with insulin, transition is the best way to manage it so people with it can live happy lives.

At this point I don't really have anyone I identify with.