[megous]

So have you tried actually believing something politically completely different from what you believe right now?

Because it's not really a choice. You can pretend play to advocate for whatever political ideology. The same way you can have sex with women even if you're gay or vice versa. You can choose your sexual behavior.

But political orientation is not really a choice. It is perhaps a result of your choices, early influences, social group, etc.

[kikimaru]

My politicial mindset, today, is vastly different to my political mindset from 5 or 10 years ago.

It helps that I live in a country with more than 2 dominant political parties; it lets me think in shades of gray (rather than in black-and-white).

[irishsultan]

But did you consciously set out to have a different political mindset than the one you had at the time? Because that's the only thing that matters (in this comparison at least).

[megous]

Mine too, but it took years and a fairly complete change of people I interacted with and longterm exposure to various ideas and life experiences. It was not a decision/choice. This kind of change is a long process of learning new ways of thinking and abandoning the old ways.

[JohnStrange]

This is independent of anyone's political beliefs, there should be limits to radical jihadists, radical anti-democratic communists, radical anti-democratic fascists of all sort, etc. You can choose to pursue your political aims with non-violent means and practice tolerance.

The idea is that you can believe whatever you want, but as soon as you start to propagate violence and pose an active threat against democracy - like e.g. making detailed plans to overthrow the government, advertising that only certain people should be allowed to vote, etc - there should be reasonable limits.

[megous]

I agree. The point is that one's political orientation is not a simple choice no matter how radical. It may not be as fixed as sexual one, though, but still difficult to change.

It's kind of a water a person swims in. It's the way he thinks. It's too meta for most people to even think about it as something chooseable.

[vacri]

Swing voters, the folks who decide every election in a modern democracy, would disagree with you.

[paradoja]

I don't think I agree with the grandparent, but usually swing voters don't change their political views, but rather political parties adapt their programs (or rather, propaganda) to appeal to them. So I don't think that's a good example.

[mantas]

Does existence of bi-sexuals dimmish existence of gay or straight people?