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Deleting people you know that are Trump supporters - it feels so great
- Thread starter rokkerkory
- Start date
doesn't feel great...
My aunt has fallen down the rabbit hole in the last few years - granted, she was already into some thing, it's just been heavily amplified in the last few.
since the late 90s, she got into Falun Gong... which, I don't care what you say - is a cult. I've said for years to any family that would listen, that she was in a cult... and they all laughed it off, said it gave her purpose and was no different than tai chi. Nahh. It's a cult.
With Trump, they saw it as the way to attack the CCP... and so she went ALL in for Trump.
She claimed to be in DC on Wednesday, afterwards was posting about how it was Antifa... and that was it for me. I unfriended her and let her know.
I feel sad for her, sad for my cousin, for the whole family.... because she's gone
My aunt has fallen down the rabbit hole in the last few years - granted, she was already into some thing, it's just been heavily amplified in the last few.
since the late 90s, she got into Falun Gong... which, I don't care what you say - is a cult. I've said for years to any family that would listen, that she was in a cult... and they all laughed it off, said it gave her purpose and was no different than tai chi. Nahh. It's a cult.
With Trump, they saw it as the way to attack the CCP... and so she went ALL in for Trump.
She claimed to be in DC on Wednesday, afterwards was posting about how it was Antifa... and that was it for me. I unfriended her and let her know.
I feel sad for her, sad for my cousin, for the whole family.... because she's gone
I don't agree that it feels great. It makes me sad that people I cared about, people I respected, people I thought were smarter than this have allowed their realities to become so completely warped.
I'm in the UK and I cut off a couple of my extended circle after the Brexit vote and that was fine as we weren't close. This weekend I cut off one of my formerly closest friends, someone I still love, because he's spent the last three years being radicalised and I feel incredibly sad about it. He dipped his toe in with Jordan Peterson, got into terfery and got progressively worse as he started posting shit from right-wing disingenuous free speech warriors. Covid broke his brain and he's been an anti-mask and anti-lockdown denialist for the past year who now retweets anti-BLM shit, far-right grifters, covid charlatans, Charlie Kirk and his ilk, QAnon accounts, Trump (before the ban) and his only response to the terrorist insurrection was to call them "harmless larpers" who "we should be reaching out to because they're economically anxious" and anyway "the liberal elites are the real problem and Keir Starmer is worse than Trump because he tried to fight Brexit". This guy is Scottish and voted remain in 2016. He thinks he's still on the left because he still agrees with some leftist economic policies but it's always this class reductionist "stop talking about minority or lgbtq stuff to focus on the real issues" shit so even his remaining leftist politics are suffused with social conservatism.
I called him out on it and said I was genuinely worried at how radicalised he'd become and how he needed to snap out of it before it was too late and he called me a disingenuous liar who wasn't actually concerned and I was just a shallow thinker who is brainwashed by the liberal consensus.
I snapped and chewed him out before cutting him off and I feel awful. It needed to be done but I will never feel good about it.
I called him out on it and said I was genuinely worried at how radicalised he'd become and how he needed to snap out of it before it was too late and he called me a disingenuous liar who wasn't actually concerned and I was just a shallow thinker who is brainwashed by the liberal consensus.
I snapped and chewed him out before cutting him off and I feel awful. It needed to be done but I will never feel good about it.
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My closest friends are all left-wing, understand how complex shit is in the world and also cut ties with shitheads. So I'm happy that I don't have to box anyone out of my social circle du to them being AfD fans, Coronazis and all that shit.
Same for my direct familiy members, they also often listen to us any my siblings.
But I don't have any problem with booting anyone who turns out to be such an asshole
Same for my direct familiy members, they also often listen to us any my siblings.
But I don't have any problem with booting anyone who turns out to be such an asshole
I deleted my entire Facebook and Twitter accounts after starting an active Discord group with my closest friends.
I know that's not an easy thing to accomplish for many, but being one of the lucky ones who it worked out for, I'm quite better off mentally.
EDIT: to note — I didn't just leave those accounts because I was plainly just seeing their bullshit all these years, but I was actively trying to disarm it and getting into arguments all the time and just could not make ground no matter how civil I was. I saw a ton of misinformation even before Trump was elected, a lot of it being birther conspiracies about Obama and such. I admit myself that after Trump got elected, I became far less civil, but it was an active and not passive disgruntlement that pushed me off of Facebook in particular. Twitter was always sort of a secondary concern but after receiving a few casual (i.e. non-doxxed/no indication the threatening parties had my personal info) for sharing news articles from complete strangers, I decided it was also time to leave that platform.
I know that's not an easy thing to accomplish for many, but being one of the lucky ones who it worked out for, I'm quite better off mentally.
EDIT: to note — I didn't just leave those accounts because I was plainly just seeing their bullshit all these years, but I was actively trying to disarm it and getting into arguments all the time and just could not make ground no matter how civil I was. I saw a ton of misinformation even before Trump was elected, a lot of it being birther conspiracies about Obama and such. I admit myself that after Trump got elected, I became far less civil, but it was an active and not passive disgruntlement that pushed me off of Facebook in particular. Twitter was always sort of a secondary concern but after receiving a few casual (i.e. non-doxxed/no indication the threatening parties had my personal info) for sharing news articles from complete strangers, I decided it was also time to leave that platform.
Just recently found out someone I friended on FB do to us meeting through a game on Steam was a supporter. Said that the president did nothing wrong in the Capitol invasion. As soon as I saw that unfriendly the shit out of him. Pretty upset aboutit too.
Stopped talking a friend when she starting criticizing the BLM. I confronted her about it and she used some Candece Owens tweets to support her arguments lol. I didn't delete her from my social media to see if she would come to her senses when she decided to share the I love goya post from trump I delete it her.
We are not americans so it's really sad to see people fall for the grift when it's so clear that he hates people like us. I was not surprised tho cause she married an american and he turned out to be a trump supporter so with how easily influenced she is it was only a matter of time.
Around the beginning of December she sent me a voice note through a friend saying that She didn't vote for our current president cause he has a LGBTIQ+ agenda and she would never support it and other nonsense. So nothing of value was lost and I'm glad she is no longer a presence in my life.
We are not americans so it's really sad to see people fall for the grift when it's so clear that he hates people like us. I was not surprised tho cause she married an american and he turned out to be a trump supporter so with how easily influenced she is it was only a matter of time.
Around the beginning of December she sent me a voice note through a friend saying that She didn't vote for our current president cause he has a LGBTIQ+ agenda and she would never support it and other nonsense. So nothing of value was lost and I'm glad she is no longer a presence in my life.
As someone from the UK I did the same but for Brexit voters, to the point I have 1 real life friend left 👍🏻
I don't tend to delete people, but my tendency to write long, inflammatory essays about how evil and thoughtless Republicans are (I have done this on and off for the past decade) kinda made most of the conservatives I know delete me on Facebook instead.
I think there's like one open Republican still following me on FB and I mostly just keep him around to see how stupid their talking points have become.
I think there's like one open Republican still following me on FB and I mostly just keep him around to see how stupid their talking points have become.
Deleted over 2/3 of my Facebook. Did it when COVID broke out, didn't pay much attention to political views until then. Keep family and my basketball kids family on there for now. After I am done coaching this year I am cutting the cord all together on friends and family. Will only use it for my hobby groups after that.
Still shocked at some of the stupid crap I see daily from the people that I still have on there.
Still shocked at some of the stupid crap I see daily from the people that I still have on there.
I know several people in the UK, from different circles, who went off the deep end after discovering Jordan Peterson. Their paths are exactly the same as the one you describe. Peterson, various free speech grifters, then Covid denial and anti lockdown. It's so depressing.
I deleted Facebook altogether a few years back but other friends sometimes send screen grabs of the insanity taking place on there and it blows my mind.
I don't have many people on FB friends list, around 30 I think. I just keep the account to keep in touch with non-tech savvy (real world) friends and relations. And partly so friends of my late wife can see how her kids are growing up.
My dad is pro-Brexit and racist - but he lives 200+ miles away, doesn't use the internet, and I rarely talk to him. We didn't have a great relationship before Brexit so nothing really has changed.
My wife's mother lives locally and is one of those posher middle class types who has become radicalised by the Daily Telegraph and its hall of horrific columnists. Thankfully although she's a FB friend she does not post on the service - she's on their mainly to keep in touch with what the grandchildren are up to. I wouldn't have a moment's hesitation in blocking her the moment she posted any hateful right-wing nonsense.
Back just before the Brexit vote one of my friends from university accused me of being radicalised by Tories like David Cameron in my opposition to Brexit. He knows as long as he's known me I'm left of centre. It seemed such a weird thing to accuse me off. I just blocked and moved on.
I'm lucky,. All my friends and close family are great people who are anti-racist and anti conservative selfishness; my family and friends are into racial equality, Pro-EU, feminist, pro trans-rights, pro LGB, pro welfare/NHS etc.
I'm sure there are plenty of racist uncles, aunts, and cousins in my family. But when I moved away from the north to live in London (and then the south west) I moved out of that circle of peripheral family that had been part of the first half of my life.
Cut the hate out of your life, your life will be better for it.
My dad is pro-Brexit and racist - but he lives 200+ miles away, doesn't use the internet, and I rarely talk to him. We didn't have a great relationship before Brexit so nothing really has changed.
My wife's mother lives locally and is one of those posher middle class types who has become radicalised by the Daily Telegraph and its hall of horrific columnists. Thankfully although she's a FB friend she does not post on the service - she's on their mainly to keep in touch with what the grandchildren are up to. I wouldn't have a moment's hesitation in blocking her the moment she posted any hateful right-wing nonsense.
Back just before the Brexit vote one of my friends from university accused me of being radicalised by Tories like David Cameron in my opposition to Brexit. He knows as long as he's known me I'm left of centre. It seemed such a weird thing to accuse me off. I just blocked and moved on.
I'm lucky,. All my friends and close family are great people who are anti-racist and anti conservative selfishness; my family and friends are into racial equality, Pro-EU, feminist, pro trans-rights, pro LGB, pro welfare/NHS etc.
I'm sure there are plenty of racist uncles, aunts, and cousins in my family. But when I moved away from the north to live in London (and then the south west) I moved out of that circle of peripheral family that had been part of the first half of my life.
Cut the hate out of your life, your life will be better for it.
This. It felt shitty and made me angry when I deleted a few FB friends years ago because of their support for Trump.
Most of them were friends from high school (way too many people I went to HS with turned Republican).
Honestly, the biggest difficulty for me has been contending with the fact that the people who raised me are so willing to support such a wretched human being unquestionably. I've always known our views differ, but the past few years have elevated it far past "you vote red, I vote blue, and we don't talk about it much otherwise."
I have always maintained a reasonable relationship with my family, but seeing the openness of their Trump support in the face of me actively expressing hurt over it - hurt for myself, my partner, my friends, people I love and care about without even going down the hole of everyone in the world who is also hurt directly by these systems of power - that has really made me question everything in a way I've never quite had to before. I understand it's a privileged sentiment, but it has done a number on my mental health the past few years and the fact that their unabashed support only grows in the face of everything going on just makes it feel worse.
I have always maintained a reasonable relationship with my family, but seeing the openness of their Trump support in the face of me actively expressing hurt over it - hurt for myself, my partner, my friends, people I love and care about without even going down the hole of everyone in the world who is also hurt directly by these systems of power - that has really made me question everything in a way I've never quite had to before. I understand it's a privileged sentiment, but it has done a number on my mental health the past few years and the fact that their unabashed support only grows in the face of everything going on just makes it feel worse.
I can excuse supporting an unapologetic racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, nazi piece of shit for 4 years but I draw the line at spouting some call to arms bullshit on twitter for the 100th time in 4 years
My general feelings as well. This isn't something I look forward to doing, and I've done it a few times over the years now. These people have been brainwashed and it breaks my heart to see them turn towards this gross idol that lies to them 24/7.
Could you just once comment in a thread without acting like a sanctimonious know-it-all?
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Felt good about deleting my FB account last year. Found out recently that an uncle and a cousin of mine were Trump supporters well.
Yeah, I've been reconnecting with a lot of high school friends and old military buddies in the past few years and it's wild how many have gone in that direction, but also happy to see a good number of those that didn't. My first ex ended up being a Qaren as well, but it is what it is.
One of my closest friends is a Trump Supporter but we don't let politics get between us on the subject. Even with Trump bashing I post, she always let it slide and our friendship is still pretty damn amazing. My aunt is a black sheep and she is one of those blind supporters who thinks he can do no wrong, including her husband. Her hubby believes, for some reason, he's gonna be the savior of America and Cuba (he's Cuban..)
Yeah a lot of mine are horrified by everything going on as well.
But I have seen a lot of Gen Xers go from slightly conservative to straight Trumper over the past 5 years. And weirdly their love and support for him seems to increase over time.
Jordan Peterson is a fucking blight on this earth. He's been the gateway drug for so many previously decent people that are now junkies for far right propaganda. I thought he was gone from the spotlight after he got addicted to benzos and started doing that wacky all meat diet his daughter was pushing which fucked up his health and also exposed him as the charlatan he is but he's somehow making a comeback now and I'm sure there'll be a new generation of people who will fall for his sophistry and grand narratives.
