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#Post#: 19152--------------------------------------------------
Friends with Surprising Political Beliefs
By: Nikola Date: August 16, 2019, 6:08 am
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When you meet new friends, politics isn't usually the first
thing you would discuss, although there can be little hints here
and there pointing towards one side of the political spectrum or
a particular political party. I find that these tend to be more
about what you're against rather than what you support.
It can be quite awkward, finding out that someone you have
developed a rather close friednship with, has surprising
political views. It happened to me recently. Luckily, it was
being revealed gradually and I haven't had to respond to it face
to face.
My friends are a Romanian-Chinese couple I met in London. They
met in Hong Kong and they actually got married in the Czech
Republic, a while before we first met. They're both teachers,
very intelligent, sophisticated, kind and generous, they play
various musical instruments and they love Hong Kong so much
they'd like to return there and live there with their little
son. When my friend told me about their plans, I asked if they
were sure, because of the current situation there. She said it
shouldn't be too bad and quoted her Chinese husband who felt
surprisingly little sympathy for the protesters. It gave me the
unpleasant feeling that he was in charge of how the situation
was being perceived in the family. I shared my concern with our
mutual friend in the UK, admitting I wasn't sure what to make of
it. She met up with them and said they weren't so confident
anymore that it was a good idea but they were going anyway.
Nevertheless, she got the impression they were actually hoping
China would go in hard before they got there, and didn't think
it would be a bad thing.
This way of thinking doesn't surprise me as much in him but in
her... I just didn't expect this in someone who grew up under
the totalitarian regime of the socialist Romania. I mean, I'll
still talk to them, I'm just a bit puzzled.
Has anything like this happened to you?
#Post#: 19153--------------------------------------------------
Re: Friends with Surprising Political Beliefs
By: SuKi Date: August 16, 2019, 7:37 am
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Yes, something fairly similar has just happened to me.
Long, long ago, in the far distant past, in the days before
social media, I made friends with a girl I worked with, a fellow
teacher at a language school. L, as I'll call her, struck me as
sweet, honest, clever, funny and affectionate, and over the
decades that followed I made every effort to stay in touch with
her and do stuff together.
Life got in the way, and we hadn't met for several years. But,
the world being what it is now, not seeing someone doesn't mean
you don't find out about them. Her Facebook posts started
popping up on my screen with great regularity, and I couldn't
help noticing that she was very pro-Israel. That, in itself, I
felt, was probably a good sign. In the UK, most decent,
liberal-minded people ( ie those who aren't rabid sexists,
homophobes and blood sport supporters) unfortunately tend to
have a very blinkered, knee-jerk reaction to the
Palestinian/Israel issue, and it seems to go without saying that
they, and all their friends and associates, will automatically
condemn Israel and its policies without question. Good, thought
I, at least L realises that the situation is somewhat more
nuanced.
But, as more Facebook posts appeared, a different story emerged.
It turns out that her stance on the Middle East is actually part
and parcel of an extreme anti-left campaign, complete with vile
Daily Mail vitriol and vociferous support of the far right
racist thug ( who calls himself) Tommy Robinson.
Needless to say, I shan't be inviting her over for coffee and a
chat any time soon.
#Post#: 19160--------------------------------------------------
Re: Friends with Surprising Political Beliefs
By: Nikola Date: August 16, 2019, 1:43 pm
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That's unfortunate. If you go down the extreme route you're
likely to put a lot of sensible people off and attract all sorts
of unhinged individuals instead. Maybe that's what they want.
#Post#: 19190--------------------------------------------------
Re: Friends with Surprising Political Beliefs
By: NealC Date: August 18, 2019, 4:02 pm
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There is not a lot of open sympathy for the Hong Kong protesters
among the Chinese here in NY, even among people and groups that
I thought would be very involved. I have been thinking about it
a great deal, and I really think it is because of embarrassment,
somehow connected to the idea of "saving face".
They would rather see freedom curtailed or change come glacially
slow if it meant China's dirty laundry would not be exposed to
the world. The protesters should be careful, I think the rest
of China is going to want the army to go in, and the curtain to
come down.
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