• macniel@feddit.org
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    4 months ago

    american politeness requires that we not talk about politics

    Is that really a thing?

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      People who talk about politics and religion at work tend to get hated at best and fired at worst.

      People who talk about politics and religion on social media risk getting lectures from relatives and losing friends.

      So yeah, people do not talk about politics and religion in America a lot of the time.

      Honestly, the only reason my mother-in-law and I have maintained a really good relationship over the decades is because we just don’t talk about religion or politics. My wife and I are pretty much on the opposite side of the map from her on both. So we just don’t talk about it rather than become enemies. Maybe that’s not the right way to go about things, but it’s saved a lot of stress where we don’t need it.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          I have no idea. I was just explaining to the person above why we don’t talk about it much.

          And these days, with MAGA fanatics, there’s also the possibility of actual physical harm.

          • rayyy@lemmy.world
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            4 months ago

            the possibility of actual physical harm

            Not only physical harm but social, economic, career and mental harm. They will definitely hurt you because the truth hurts their feelings.

        • joneskind@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          I don’t know about everywhere but in France we can talk about religion and politics everywhere we like without risking much. Sometimes we’ll argue loudly for about an hour, and then the next day everything is forgotten. Or at least that was the case. I don’t know how it will go if the fascist far-right wins the election tomorrow though…

          • fartsparkles@sh.itjust.works
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            4 months ago

            That’s one of the things I’ve loved about France since university; a deep and unbridled passion for politics and no shame in standing up for what one believes in.

            Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day.

        • Martin@feddit.nu
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          4 months ago

          No, but it’s getting more and more so here (Sweden) too with the ongoing polarization.

      • rayyy@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        we just don’t talk about it rather than become enemies.

        She surely won’t worry when they cart you and your wife off to Gitmo because you probably had it coming to you.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          Would it be better if we ruin our relationship with my wife’s elderly mother? What would it achieve? Do you think she would vote differently? How would that improve anyone’s life in any way?

    • SuiXi3D@fedia.io
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      4 months ago

      In my experience, yes. Mainly because for as long as I’ve been alive, if you have a dissenting opinion people tend to get very heated.

    • Senokir@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Obviously we still have political protesters and things like that but nowadays things are so divided politically that it is typically a topic that you would avoid in everyday conversation. If you were to bring up anything political with your coworker at a get together after hours for example and you find that you are on opposite ends of the political spectrum it could make it very difficult to work together at best and potentially endanger you at worst.