What was your political "defining moment"?

[2Sheds_Jackson]

I was thinking about this last night while watching the news, and thought I'd get opinions from the rest of you bastages.

Can anybody pinpoint a moment when something happened to them to completely change the way they thought or looked at the world? I don't mean like the first time you saw ****s (though that's certainly a good one) - but like something that changed your political outlook?

Dennis Miller says he changed 180 degrees after 9/11. I suppose that's a big one for a lot of Americans.

For me, it was during the Clarence Thomas hearings in 1991. I'd begun being somewhat politically active, but I'd always been much farther to the left (I guess most people are when they're young). I'd heard a lot of accusations about bias in the media & how they would tailor their coverage to suit their ends, but I though that surely that can't be happening in America with everybody watching.

So I actually watched a couple of full days of hearings on C-SPAN. Then I would watch the evening news to see how they reported the day's events. I was shocked to see how all the National TV anchors would leave out very important items of testimony to make it appear much "worse" than it was. All the major networks were the same - picking & choosing only the sound bites that supported one side of the issue.

From then on, I began to seriously question what I saw in the media & made a real effort to find alternate sources of info. I became much more conservative as a result.

So let's hear it...

[NcDeuce]

Reading Black Hawk Down years and years ago, 9/11, and the dozens of scandals during the Clinton years.

[scm77]

9/11 was the big one for me. I never watched the news before, probably because I was young and didn't care. I was home sick on 9/11, and I watched the second plane hit live. I watched more CNN that day, then I had ever watched in my live. After that, I became alot more interested in what's going on in the world, which ultimately led to my decision to join the army next year.

[Tengu]

9/11 was big for me. I was ready to go home from school, and a teacher told me something big happend in NY and she told something about WW3. I could only think about joining the army all the way home p-) .

[Trigger]

1979. When the Iranians took Americans hostage and held them for over a year while our so called president did nothing. I was only 10, but I was like WTF?

So politcally, I'd have to say Carter let me down...and Democrats since then have done nothing but reinforce that opinion.

[farmgirl]

1979. When the Iranians took Americans hostage and held them for over a year while our so called president did nothing. I was only 10, but I was like WTF?

So politcally, I'd have to say Carter let me down...and Democrats since then have done nothing but reinforce that opinion.


I remember that so clearly, and the day that they were finally released.... I believe they were held for something like 444 days. That whole crisis left an impression on me as well. :|

[JiJoMacLE45]

The Gulf War, my cousin was a tanker in the 1st Cav, I remember going to the airport when he got home. I was glued to the TV as soon as I got home from school everyday until I'd go to sleep at night. I was only 14 or 15 at that time, but that's when I started to realize that this was not a very nice world.

. . . Oh yeah and the release of Michael Jackson's BAD album.

[MEGR]

By far 9/11. Before 9/11, I didn't give a crap about Bush, Gore, or the MidEast, or terrorism... Certainly, I still read stories of previous terrorism against us. Before, 9/11 i wondered why we didnt do anything about terrorism after all the crap they did to us.. However, when I saw the WTC go down, and saw Bush go out and finally bringing the fight to these bums, I changed dramatically.. I was always patriotic (even though going to a primarily liberal school), but my patriotism went up ten-fold when I saw the US response to 9/11.

[Maverick77]

Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan.


I always wanted to join tha Army but thats when I realised that there would without a doubt be brutal and bloody battles fought by my military generation in the years to come.

[Vance]

9/11 was the big one for me. I never watched the news before, probably because I was young and didn't care. I was home sick on 9/11, and I watched the second plane hit live. I watched more CNN that day, then I had ever watched in my live. After that, I became alot more interested in what's going on in the world, which ultimately led to my decision to join the army next year.
Same here...it also sparked my intrest in reading about terrorism and warfare.

[Tane Angle]

I'd say my biggest was around 1982 and 1983. My eyes were opened to the fact that Presidents and Senators and Congressmen, as good as they are supposed to be, can abandon people on a whim, and can refuse to authorize rescues for political reasons. I've been searching for a President who didn't do that ever since; I've yet to find one.

Iran 1979-1981, I wasn't so disenchanted. We were caught off guard, but at least there was an rescue attempt. At least it was tried. There was more bravery involved in that mission than imaginable. And not that spontaneous bravery is any less admirable, but people there knew what would happen if they went into Tehran, but they said "that's ok, send me anyways. I am willing to trade my life for a hostages."

I've been pretty disillusioned, pretty disenchanted, pretty jaded, since then. Before that, even after spending a decade surrounded by jaded Vietnam veterans who I looked up to-and still look up to-so much, I thought I knew what we stood for. I thought we stood for something. And I thought that we followed through on what we stood for. After that, I didn't know what to believe, except that I couldn't trust politicians.

Never leave a man behind, huh? I believed that. I didn't know what to believe afterwards. I try to believe in rescues today; I still hold out hope.

Have a good one, and just some thoughts...

[ikurinturbiini]

This may sound like smartassing but it's not.

http://hem.passagen.se/habsfan/brezhnev.jpg

My defining moment politically was in 1982. That's when the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev died.

The political climate in Finland in the '80s was sordid. Opportunistic politico maggots were busy kissing the Soviets' asses. The official line was that CCCP is our friend and that NATO, USA and EEC (now called EU) are baaaad. This was the time of socialist-inspired "Peace-marches" where idiots, morons and halfwits filled the streets to protest against American missiles placed in West Germany - while Soviet Union, the peaceful workers' paradise, was waging a bloody war in A-stan and preparing to roll over Poland in case they got any funny ideas about being an independent state.

Our own war veterans were labeled as warmongers and enemies of peace, because they had fought against CCCP and lived to act as a silent reminder of what it means to live next door to a blood-thirsty psychopath.

On the other hand, the vast majority of population knew that in fact the Soviet Union was a tyranny without equal. We were lucky to exist as an independent state. It's safe to say that the involuntary "friendship" with Soviet Union was deeply unpopular, and that the poor Russians, Estonians and other nations suffering under Commie tyranny were subject of both pity and ridicule.

I'm sure many people from former Sov-Bloc countries share these sentiments and recognize some of the things discussed here. While not under the direct command of Kremlin, Finland and her politics were a disgrace to the Western values we claimed to represent.

So, the old Soviet leader kicks the bucket. Big deal. I was in my teens, and the only thing I knew about CCCP is that it's a big ****ing country and that they play mean ice hockey.

At school I heard of Brezhnev's death on the radio. Who cares. But when I got home, I realized that every TV show that they normally showed in the afternoon was cancelled, mainly American cartoons and sitcom, and that the radio was playing solemn classical music to mourn the great Soviet leader. Then the papers, TV and radio were full of that old man and his greatness. This went on for several days until they buried the old bastard. Then it was back to normal.

So I started to think: WTF? What exactly has that old dead guy done for us and our country? Why do the suits on TV keep telling what a marvellous place CCCP is, and how much we love them, how much we want to be their friends, and how they only want peace when that American cowboy dude who used to be an actor only wants to fill the world with his nasty nukes?

So I started to find out. And boy, did I ever find out. About the wonderful place that was Soviet Union, about the great system they have, about their grand history full of glory and triumphs, about the happy family of nations united voluntarily under the red banner, for progress, peace, and democracy.

That was my politically defining moment. Thank you.

[weedman]

Reading dozens of books about history and political ideologies :)

[Dennis G]

I have always been very conservative; 9-11 only reinforce my belief in the evils of Liberalism

[memphiz]

I have always been very conservative; 9-11 only reinforce my belief in the evils of Liberalism
Im just curious, when you speak bad of the 'Liberals' are you refering to Canadians?

[Loco]

My political defining moment was at 9 years old when I saw a terrorist action in the first seat, although I didn´t know by them, it was definitive for me.

[Romulus]

September 11th got me more involved with politics, but it was the aftermath with the Democrats that changed me forever. I used to be a die hard Democrat through and through. Voted for Clinton in '96 and Nader in 2000. During the build up to the Iraq war my party started to show its true colors. Tom Daschle and Charles Rangel made me step back and relize this was not the party for me. I mean the way they chastized our commander in chief sickened me to no end. I don't care who the f*** is in the white house, you respect the oval office. The way Trent Lott was treated in reguards to the speech he gave at Strom Thurmans birthday party was ludicrous, this coming from a party who has a former member of the KKK in the senate. That was my political defining moment.

I can't say I'm 100% Republican but I sure as hell will never call myself a Democrat again.

[EvanL]

9/11.
Before then i didnt pay attention to politics.
I used to consider myself a liberal cus growing up everyone around me voted for the liberal party.
BNut when i started learning more and more about the things that they have done, i am very turned off of their ideas.
I consider myself a moderate conservative.
I could relate myself to someone along the lines of John McCain.

[Truthsayer]

I have always been very conservative; 9-11 only reinforce my belief in the evils of Liberalism

So you are saying that the 9/11 was the best thing that could have happened for the Conservatives?

Looking at how many that 'switcheed' views after it I sure looks like it.

Does that mean that the 'Conservatives' was behind the 9/11?

No, ofcourse not. And you post about how evil any Liberals are in connection to that attack is just as stupid.


My political choise was growing slowly over time, from the start when I might have been some 10 years old when we read about all the political partys and later around at 13 years when we once again read social studies and poitcal partys and did group-works on them. I choose to work on an right-wing party that identified with and have continued later with voting for them.

Argued politics online since I was some 18 years old, back on BBS's then. (Before the internet was growing and normal people used it...todays kids are so lucky. ;) )

[EvanL]

dennis G has been around for a bit. i presume he is in his late 40s early 50s.
i have no problem with him being a conservative. but he sure has nothing to back up why he is a conservative other than liberals are evil.

[Abolith]

I guess mine was when I watched a soldier save someone's life here in the states. some moron decided to try and cross a busy intersection and was about to be hit (Army or Marine I dont really remember) when the soldier reached out and grabed his sry ass and yanked him back.

I think it was then that I started to think that soldiers were the "good guys" willing to give thier lives to protect us and people who didn't like them, or tried to hurt them were "Bad guys" (Hey I was very young). after that I bonded very close to my Grandfather (WW2 vet) and turned my back on my Dad (anti-military fool, who to his credit still served as a Tank Cmdr in the army).

[Caribou Kid]

I started paying attention to politics when Saigon fell in 1975.. I will never be able to erase the sadness in my heart when I saw the footage of thousands desperately clamouring the gates of the U.S. Embassy, madly fleeing the impending Communist steamroller heading their way.

The imagery of helicopters evacuating staff off the rooftop, and the subsequent disposal of said helicopters off the decks of the ships waiting offshore was probably the pivotal moment in my life when I realized that the freedoms of a Western lifestyle were not embraced by all the nations of the world.

I swore to never again believe or put faith in politicians or the political process. They have yet to regain my confidence or restore my lost faith in politics and politicians...... :(

29 years is a looong tiime to be jaded..(sigh) :|

The world would be a better off place if we could all just get along... :hug:

[WolverineBlue]

I had the pleasure of spending about six weeks with kids my age (high school) from Novosibirsk Akademgorodok when we had an exchange program with them in 1987. Russians came to my school (boarding school) in Andover, Massachusetts, and we had the best time. I shared a mailbox with a guy named Sasha, and he rowed with us as well. I got to know them, know that even a Komsomolyets was a human just like us.

One of the Soviets always wore a Che Guevara pin, but we all got along just the same. Our visitors, the Russians, were so blown away by our supermarkets, malls, fun things to do. I practiced my weak Russian, and they would always be able to correct me in English.

This was during the USSR's painful transition in Afghanistan and with Gorbachev. I failed to keep in touch with my Russian friends. And I regret it. But that was my defining moment in terms of realizing that we are all citizens of this Earth.

And of course, 1980, Lake Placid, when the US college kids smoked the CCCP in hockey -- friggin' great stuff. woot

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Leaving school and not being able to find a job then a year later there was the miners strike plus a whole lot of other stuff I have voted SNP in every election national and local since.
http://www.snp.org.uk

[WolverineBlue]

Leaving school and not being able to find a job then a year later there was the miners strike plus a whole lot of other stuff I have voted SNP in every election national and local since.
http://www.snp.org.uk

You obviously are a Celtic supporter -- go 'Gers!

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Leaving school and not being able to find a job then a year later there was the miners strike plus a whole lot of other stuff I have voted SNP in every election national and local since.
http://www.snp.org.uk

You obviously are a Celtic supporter -- go 'Gers!
Not so I hate football with a passion but love boxing my Dad however is a big Rangers fan, its worth noting that in Scotland your political stance does not reflect in any way what team you support. :)

[WolverineBlue]

Leaving school and not being able to find a job then a year later there was the miners strike plus a whole lot of other stuff I have voted SNP in every election national and local since.
http://www.snp.org.uk

You obviously are a Celtic supporter -- go 'Gers!
Not so I hate football with a passion but love boxing my Dad however is a big Rangers fan, its worth noting that in Scotland your political stance does not reflect in any way what team you support. :)

Half of my family is from Galashiels... :P

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Leaving school and not being able to find a job then a year later there was the miners strike plus a whole lot of other stuff I have voted SNP in every election national and local since.
http://www.snp.org.uk

You obviously are a Celtic supporter -- go 'Gers!
Not so I hate football with a passion but love boxing my Dad however is a big Rangers fan, its worth noting that in Scotland your political stance does not reflect in any way what team you support. :)

Half of my family is from Galashiels... :P
Yep rugby country, football is a minority sport round those parts, the local news http://www.bordertvarea.co.uk/index2.htm is a good place for a look at whats happening round these parts.

[Mark Sman]

First time I filed income tax. I'll never forget it. I'm all for paying taxes since they support the government, but it is an annual reality check. Emphasis on check.