In the US anyways, I had always associated "the left" with equality values, the side of science, truth, sanity. Pro civil rights. Etc. I have no love for conservative values (oppression of marriages, religion, etc.) But online I see so much censoring of things the left doesn't like. Not even arguments, just screaming racist/bigot/etc. Look at those protests: it's just people screaming slogans and yelling down anyone that talks. (Like that famous Bernie rally where people got on stage and said they'd shut him down if they weren't given the mic right now.)
So I don't bring it up as much - some folks get really upset when I do. And it's always the same. "He's racist! He's an idiot!" If I lived in a liberal/urban area I think it'd be very hard to have friends if I let my views known. I bet there's tons of people like this and it's gonna be a big shock when the votes come in.
> I had always associated "the left" with equality values, the side of science, truth, sanity. Pro civil rights.
Those are core libertarian values, too. Where the left differs from libertarians, though, is the left does not value property rights and tends to believe in centralized economic planning, price fixing, etc.
It's not fair to compare the democratic left with the autocratic communist movements, just as it's unfair to compare the democratic right with autocratic nazist/fascist movements.
So I don't bring it up as much - some folks get really upset when I do. And it's always the same. "He's racist! He's an idiot!" If I lived in a liberal/urban area I think it'd be very hard to have friends if I let my views known. I bet there's tons of people like this and it's gonna be a big shock when the votes come in.