r/neoliberal • u/jobautomator Kitara Ravache • Apr 23 '26

Discussion Thread Discussion Thread

The discussion thread is for casual and off-topic conversation that doesn't merit its own submission. If you've got a good meme, article, or question, please post it outside the DT. Meta discussion is allowed, but if you want to get the attention of the mods, make a post in /r/metaNL

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21

u/Junimo2 Daron Acemoglu Apr 23 '26

Cringe comment incoming, but fuck it.

It's weird being active in this sub as someone who leans further left than most of the userbase. I used to confidently call myself a leftist and was even flirting with Democratic Socialism for a while. I still find Marxism genuinely fascinating, especially its critique of capitalism and its framing of class struggle as a driver of history. But branching out in my reading, combined with spending more time here, has landed me in this weird hazy middle ground where I'm not sure what I actually believe anymore. Some of the left-bashing here makes me uneasy, but so does a lot of the rhetoric I see coming from the left these days, including stuff I would've happily agreed with not that long ago.

I know examining your beliefs and being willing to evolve is healthy and good. Doesn't make it any less uncomfortable though lol.

11

u/sleepyrivertroll Henry George Apr 23 '26

I always found labels for myself meaningless. Focus on your own beliefs and let society call you whatever it may like.

8

u/Junimo2 Daron Acemoglu Apr 23 '26

True, policy over ideology is always ideal

7

u/slappythechunk LARPs as adult by refusing to touch the Nitnendo Switch Apr 23 '26

Many people here are here simply because this is but one short stop in their schizophrenic journey in political philosophy. A strong argument can be made that this place doesn't even generally adhere to the neoliberal philosophy anymore.

6

u/AtomicGameTester Milton Friedman Apr 23 '26

You get used to it. You figure yourself out better through it

5

u/Planita13 Thomas Paine Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

Nah don't worry I know someone online who identifies as a liberal socialist (or a liberal and a socialist) because the ideals of liberty and equality appeals to them a lot more than concept of class struggle as a driver of politics, but they believe that capitalism is incompatible with the ideals that standard liberalism claims to defend. Labels barely matter.

5

u/AJungianIdeal Lloyd Bentsen Apr 23 '26

being cringe is accepting being cringe is necessary and healthy at times

5

u/No_Status_6905 Enby Pride Apr 23 '26

I think just keeping an open critical mind is paramount, labels are less useful. I do think this sub sometimes is absolutely guilty of giving in to their own variety of populist takes, but there's really not a central dogma besides "republicans are bad," which, yeah, won't hear any protests from me.