political leanings all in the genes?

[egb_hibs]

that's what some boffins are saying:

apparently the responsible and self-disciplined are more likely to vote republican while show-offs and those open to new experiences favour the democrats, and these thinks are allegedly genetically influenced.

it might just be me but the fact that the democrats do well in the cosmopolitan cities and with the young and the republicans in the countryside seems to suggest at least one other explanation for the alignment of these character traits, but what do i know. that said, i have always suspected that essential personality types do manifest themselves in line with the surrounding culture, eg 'the fanatic' is essentially the same whether he chooses religion, international socialism or national socialism. but i'm not convinced such bammers are wholly genetically formed. i guess they might be though.

most worryingly, as the article discusses, this study seems to be about the left-liberal establishment pathologising their opponents. that chimes with a recurring habit from eugenics to false consciousness.

"THE race to become the most powerful politician on earth is well under way, and the US is gripped by election fever. In newsrooms and bars across the land, liberals and conservatives are slugging it out, trying to convince each other that their way of thinking is right. They may be wasting their breath.

According to an emerging idea, political positions are substantially determined by biology and can be stubbornly resistant to reason. "These views are deep-seated and built into our brains. Trying to persuade someone not to be liberal is like trying to persuade someone not to have brown eyes. We have to rethink persuasion," says John Alford, a political scientist at Rice University in Houston, Texas."

source

[Keepitgreen]

If my mother said to me: go ahead and decide your own political leanings, attitude, even religion, does that make her a leftie?

[egb_hibs]

Originally Posted by Keepitgreen

If my mother said to me: go ahead and decide your own political leanings, attitude, even religion, does that make her a leftie?

it would make her genetically predestined to do so, it seems.

i think folk that say these things rarely mean it incidentally - would she be happy if you became a nazi muslim fanatic, who demanded she don a burqa and not speak to people with different coloured skin?

maybe she would be delighted, but i think what people often mean when they say such things is 'please be a nice right on sort like me'. that's not to say it's not well meaning, of course it is, but as i say, i don't think people really mean these things, other than as another way of saying please be exactly like me. it's the orthodoxy of the day.

[Brainwrong]

Originally Posted by egb_hibs

it would make her genetically predestined to do so, it seems.

i think folk that say these things rarely mean it incidentally - would she be happy if you became a nazi muslim fanatic, who demanded she don a burqa and not speak to people with different coloured skin?

maybe she would be delighted, but i think what people often mean when they say such things is 'please be a nice right on sort like me'. that's not to say it's not well meaning, of course it is, but as i say, i don't think people really mean these things, other than as another way of saying please be exactly like me. it's the orthodoxy of the day.

It's funny you should say this 'cause I was just thinking about this the other day. I thought; I should really want my son to be a jambo as it would mark him out as an individual by not just doing what I do and supporting Hibs. I've also been asking myself if I could ever love a child of mine who became a Jambo. I'm not so sure and hope it never happens...


More related to Keepitgreen's post; I feel the need to be impartial as a dad, give a balanced view but fuck to I find it hard when it comes to football. Same with the Tories, I suppose.

[egb_hibs]

Originally Posted by Brainwrong

It's funny you should say this 'cause I was just thinking about this the other day. I thought; I should really want my son to be a jambo as it would mark him out as an individual by not just doing what I do and supporting Hibs. I've also been asking myself if I could ever love a child of mine who became a Jambo. I'm not so sure and hope it never happens...


More related to Keepitgreen's post; I feel the need to be impartial as a dad, give a balanced view but fuck to I find it hard when it comes to football. Same with the Tories, I suppose.

i find it very hard to believe people can honestly feel this way.

presumably they feel that their views on politics, religion, morality etc are right or they wouldn't hold them - so why would they want their kids to hold views they hold to be wrong?

can people really honestly say they dont mind what choices the kids then make. i don't buy it. it's almost negligent in fact.

my view is i'm going to tell my kids what i think is right and why i think it. and also why other people disagree with me and why they do, as far as i understand their arguments.

and that those other people are clearly tits

seriously - i don't believe that parents really influence their kids that much. peer group and society are bigger factors i suspect.

[Keepitgreen]

Originally Posted by egb_hibs

i find it very hard to believe people can honestly feel this way.

presumably they feel that their views on politics, religion, morality etc are right or they wouldn't hold them - so why would they want their kids to hold views they hold to be wrong?

can people really honestly say they dont mind what choices the kids then make. i don't buy it. it's almost negligent in fact.

my view is i'm going to tell my kids what i think is right and why i think it. and also why other people disagree with me and why they do, as far as i understand their arguments.

and that those other people are clearly tits

seriously - i don't believe that parents really influence their kids that much. peer group and society are bigger factors i suspect.

But egb, I'm not saying that she wouldn't have minded what I did. In fact, she did exactly what you are advocating for yourself; explained her own views but also that other opposite views existed.

What she meant was that she wouldn't try to change anything I chose to do and that she wouldn't reject me for those choices. Doesn't mean she would agree with or like them.

Now looking back, of course at a young age one will be inclined to follow what your role models ie parents are doing. This may be the explanation for the supposed genetical stuff. However with the accumulation of knowledge and maturity comes more complex choices and as you say, other factors are involved like peer group and society.

I most definitely appreciate the approach that 'you can choose what you like and I won't always agree with it but I'll still be there'.

My original question was really a genuine one; does this stance make her a 'leftie' as I'm a bit clouded on what these terms mean exactly?

[Brainwrong]

Originally Posted by egb_hibs

i find it very hard to believe people can honestly feel this way.

presumably they feel that their views on politics, religion, morality etc are right or they wouldn't hold them - so why would they want their kids to hold views they hold to be wrong?

can people really honestly say they dont mind what choices the kids then make. i don't buy it. it's almost negligent in fact.

my view is i'm going to tell my kids what i think is right and why i think it. and also why other people disagree with me and why they do, as far as i understand their arguments.

and that those other people are clearly tits

seriously - i don't believe that parents really influence their kids that much. peer group and society are bigger factors i suspect.

I don't really want my son to be a Jumbo, it was my way of saying (by using an extreme example) I want him to question things, be his own man. I was being a bit tongue in cheek.
I think when folk say they don't mind what choices their kids make they're actually saying; whatever my kid does, I'll still love them. They might not agree with their choices but they'll still be there for them, to give them advice and support (especially when it goes tits up).

You have the right idea, I think. YOu've got to explain why you think how you do, why you think what's right is right and what's wrong is wrong.

I think parents do influence their kids in their formative years and the peer group thing only comes in later on. Some folk still go on to make the same mistakes their folks made! But then, that's true of a lot of things.

[egb_hibs]

Originally Posted by Keepitgreen

My original question was really a genuine one; does this stance make her a 'leftie' as I'm a bit clouded on what these terms mean exactly?

doesn't sound like it. a leftie would say what she said, but mean it as i described.

in my opinion, obviously.

[Colr]

Political alegencies change over your life, do they not?

[egb_hibs]

Originally Posted by Colr

Political alegencies change over your life, do they not?

indeed. although only in one direction.