Political leanings and TCK?
I don’t want to be controversial, but I was wondering if being TCK makes you more likely to lean to the left, politics-wise.
Maybe this has already been researched - I’m probably one of the few on this website who hasn’t read any of the TCK books - but from my own experience of other TCKs, this does seem the case. I mean I know that in every school, be it international or not, you’ll get the full spectrum of political beliefs but by and large, but I haven’t met too many right-thinking TCKs.
Is there something about living different cultures, being the ‘outsider’ (at least for some of the time for most of us), having to adapt that makes you more likely to sit towards the tree-hugging liberal end, and less likely to sympathise with conservative right-wing end? I don’t know! I’m sure many other things shape ones views to politics, but TCK-ing has got to play a pretty big role, I’d imagine.
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49 Comments to “Political leanings and TCK?”
February 8th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I used to be certain that growing up the way we did would make us more inclined to lean left - we have more empathy, we’ve been exposed to more cultures and ways of life, we know patriotism is a fluid thing. But during our build-up to the war on Iraq I sent all my old TCK friends an e-mail expressing outrage about the war and criticizing Bush. I was appalled to get bunches of hate mail back. I thought, well, I can roll over and say no offense intended, or I can write and tell my old friends why I feel the way I do. I wrote a lengthy e-mail, sent it off, and a whole yahoo group open to one of my overseas schools grew out of that - we still meet there daily to discuss politics and life in general - but a lot of them are still “right” leaning, although I’d say the majority of us lean left. I started thinking about the ones who lean right and what made them different from me - I’m still trying to find an explanation for that one.
I have a feeling it has to do with a difference in outlook on life in general. I think people who lean right tend to view the world as a scary place where any variance from a narrow path of behavior puts all of society at risk, while those of us on the left tend to view the world more as a place where we all struggle together to make it through this world, and there are lots of ways we can support one another to achieve our goals.
A lot of the conservatives in that group only had one posting overseas, or their parents were so heavily indoctrinated in what they were doing that it seems to have rubbed off on them. Most of those of us who had several postings overseas or went through some intense experiences together seem to be more progressive. But I really can’t claim to know why we turned out so different.
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February 10th, 2008 at 8:50 am
I think it also has to do with how much of a national identity you maintain. I have one TCK friend who is relatively right-wing, because, as you said, he sees the world as a place where you have to make choices, and choose sides. Since he most identifies with his French-side, he sees himself making a French choice over, say, his Malaysian one.
He has an interest in politics too, and follows a Clausewesian model of the world. I disagree with him here, because I don’t really believe in the conflict that Clauswitz seems to advocate/predict.
That said, his father is French, his mother CHinese-Malaysian, and he lived in Thailand and Indonesia for the most part, with regular visits back to France. His parents, his father in particular, tried hard to make him “feel” French, and be proud to be French.
Possibly, that has an effect.
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February 10th, 2008 at 10:19 am
I hate politics. And I think it’s a side effect of living in Brazil for so long. All politicians are corrupt here, left and right. So I have little faith in any politician, and I hate takling about politics
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February 10th, 2008 at 10:41 am
I am quite liberal. My father says that that comes from my upbringing abroad. He says that most people who have lived abroad have a wider worldview than others. I would say that that is true to an extent, but it is also dependent on where you come from, and what your parents and friends think. I’d say that a lot of “American” TCKs are pretty liberal, but I could be wrong…
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February 10th, 2008 at 11:00 am
I don’t mind discussing politics so long as we don’t start sounding like the very politicians we are discussing - in other words full of BS!
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February 10th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Amen, Ayako… that’s what drives me most insane about politics, in general.
What’s true, what isn’t, what to trust in. Because I hate when people break promises/trust, it’s difficult to commit to any one party. Not that anyone’s making me. At this point, I vote for the lesser of what I consider evil…
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February 10th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Yours is an interesting comment. It made me think! I can imagine how surprised you were to get that hate mail back about being outraged at the war - I guess it’s not as simple as I first thought.
Since there are obviously lots of things that shape how you view the world and your general outlook, I suppose it’s not just the virtue of ‘being a TCK’ that is the factor. Perhaps it’s more about where and when you travelled and lived, and what the prevalent political climate was of the countries you went to. Not to mention any parental influences.
One of my closest friends in high school in Hong Kong had a diplomat mum and they’d lived in Moscow through the Russian coup in ‘91. The events she described sounded pretty intense. Similarly with expatriate children currently in Kenya (I lived there for 3 months last year on elective hence have a soft spot) with the frankly terrifying ethnic violence going on. I’m sure seeing something like that first hand would influence the way you view the world - although exactly how, I don’t know.
So! My conclusion must be - there is no clear cut conclusion Oh well.
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February 10th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Uncle, I’m afraid I don’t know what a Clausewesian model of the world is - beyond something about the inevitability of war? If that’s a theme, it certainly sounds right-wing rather than left.
I suppose what you said links in with jen. As in, the people who have a stronger sense of identity to one country (or have lived away from ‘home’ only once) tend to be more right-leaning. If I understand you correctly.
Whereas those of us who call ourselves ‘global citizens’ probably tend to be left-leaning.
That makes sense I suppose.
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February 10th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I know what you mean. I lived in India for 5 years where I hated any talk of politics. They were all corrupt, no matter what side of the spectrum they claimed to represent. In fact, they represented corruption more than any particular policy.
I think I was able to think about politics without feeling (quite as) sick after moving to the UK - I happened to come ‘of age’ at the same time and was allowed to vote.
Although the current talent on offer in the UK is pretty shoddy too.
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February 10th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
That’s pretty much what I intially thought. As a TCK an expanded worldview is pretty much handed to you on a plate. But I guess family/friends/other factors must decide how you end up ‘digesting’ it.
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February 10th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Yes! Lesser of the evils has been my voting policy since the beginning of my voting life.
It’s quite sad, I guess, that no party has ever got me fired up or passionate about the process.
(If I was voting with my heart, I’d vote Green. But they’d never win, so I know that would be a wasted vote, so I know I should do the “lesser evil” thing from amongst the main different-shades-of-evil parties. Sigh.)
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February 10th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I dunno, I tend towards a moderate, central view. I mean, in general I tend towards the left, but in practice I’m in the middle, I think because of the way I can look at anything from a variety of angles. Therefore, I can see the point in both left and right-wing stances, though naturally not in all things.
Remember, right now, left-wing politicians are known for peace-talk, whereas before that wasn’t the case. It all depends on your perspective.
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February 10th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I grew up mostly in Indonesia. Believe me, after 8 years of living through rigged elections, you gain a certain skepticism of democracy. Especially in the mess that followed Soeharto.
And then when I was old enough to vote in the US, my passport country, I had cousins in Texas saying that they “would vote for their Texan brother!”
Who said that famous quote? “The biggest argument against democracy is a 5 minute conversation with the average voter.”
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February 10th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
yes, I’m like that too!
because voting is mandatory in Brazil (and I’m a Brazlian citzen) I usually vote for the one I think is the “less evil” candidate.
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February 10th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
That and “If democracy actually worked, it would be illegal” which I saw scrawled on the inside of a public loo last year.
Argh I know. It’s not often you find people who are not cynical about politics.
But I think democracy is the least evil mode of government available, despite it all.
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February 10th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Fair enough. There are lots of factors (most unknown/unmeasurable probably?) which shape someone’s political outlook - so I guess TCK-ness is but one and I can make no generalisations!
I think I am more left-leaning now than I previously was - I too was more towards the centre. My parents received a subscription to The Economist newspaper for all my life pretty much, and I think having that lying around the house as occasional reading material rubbed off. That and possibly the BBC world service as a recurring morning theme in whichever country we we happened to be.
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February 10th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Perhaps… in countries where it actually more or less works.
Oh, I shouldn’t say anything. I’m pretty cynical.
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February 10th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
I think we need to be careful of how we word things in this thread. First of all, to say that people who are “global citizens” or are more wordly are liberal and those who are not wordly are conservative is a, excuse me to say it and I mean no offense, fairly ignorant statement.
The mere invention of “left” and “right” is fairly absurd, I know only a few people who are truly completely on one side or another, and most of the time these people allow their opinions to be formed by the political party/ side that they subscribe to without ever really analyzing the consequences of their political ideology or actions.
The reality is there are a million things which can impact someone’s political leanings, as mentioned above living in places where security is compromised can have an impact on people, but so can religion and so can your parents. To say that those who tend to lean right are people who are heavily indoctrinated is offensive in itself to those who might have opinions which lean closer to that angle.
For myself, I am neither. Depending on the country I have a different view of what might work, because you can’t say that you’re a liberal or a conservative and that’s what you are across the world, especially if you’re a TCK because you should know better than to t hink that one ideology can and should be propogated everywhere. Secondly, my opinions concerning political, social, and economic matters vary across the spectrum. People seem to associate this with being a “centrist” but really you know there’s a problem when the structure of “ideologies” can only be composed of “conservative”, “liberal”, or “some random mix of the two”.
To say that TCKs tend to be more “liberal” in the traditional sense, to me, is more of a reflection of the understanding TCKs have for the human situation (people naturally assume that liberals have more of a heart than conservatives, in my personal experience). I don’t think that conservatives are numb to this sensation, they just interpret the reaction thereof differently, being a TCK is not incompatible with conservatism.
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February 11th, 2008 at 3:27 am
I have to agree with this too.
People have a tendency to assume that “Left” is for young idealists, which “global citizens” might be seen to be. “Right” is interpreted to be, at best, for the wise.
It’s all so silly.
However, I do stand by my idea that when you have a solid identification with a country, it’s with the idea of that nationstate, rather than the people. And since “right” tends to be more state-inclined, people with a strong sense of “I am”, tend more to the Right.
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February 11th, 2008 at 7:15 am
I should have disclaimed from the get-go that I realise that I am using (irresponsibly throwing around) the terms left and right loosely.
I agree with you that we are talking about a spectrum rather than simply one option or another.
Similarly I agree that trying to pigeonhole is futile - many people, like you say about yourself, and myself too, may hold what could be called (irresponsibly by commentators who are irresponsible)’left-leaning’ opinions on one subject and ‘right-leaning’ opinions on another subject or in another country/situation/time. What can you call such an individual? Neither leftist nor rightist, so in many ways these terms ARE obsolete. They’re obsolete for making sweeping statements about people, but I still think they have a place for describing particular opinions or solutions or reactions.
I wanted to know if there was any association between being a TCK and tending to opt for more (indulge me here) left-leaning solutions to problems than right-leaning ones or vice versa. As in, in the very broad, quite probably unscientific “If you answered mostly c)’s: Congratulations! Your opinions tend to be more liberal” sense. If we had a group of 100 random mixed TCKs and asked a few questions, how many TCKs would show a preference for “mostly left-wing” solutions and how many would show “mostly right-wing”; would there be a swing in one particular direction of the spectrum or would it be a completely random spread. I know that correlation does not equal causation - even if we did prove association of one or the other, going on to measure how significant it is would be a pretty tall order.
I’m not for one moment suggesting conservatives are numb/heartless (!!) or that whatever constitutes “worldly” = liberal.
But I wondered whether having to be the “outsider looking in,” while still at a young, mouldable age, had anything to do with going on to identify with liberal values or conservative values.
I suspect it does. But to what extent, and exactly how, and what the contribution of family/economics/local scene is to the whole picture - a million things as you say - I don’t know. So I think the hypothesis will not be proved/disproved.
Anyway. I shall tighten controls around ‘left’ and ‘right’ in the future.
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February 11th, 2008 at 7:21 am
“People have a tendency to assume that “Left” is for young idealists, which “global citizens” might be seen to be. “Right” is interpreted to be, at best, for the wise.”
Again, it depends who you ask.
In inner-city East London, “right” makes you think of young British National Party supporters and “left” of ageing hippies and artists.
I suppose context is everything.
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February 11th, 2008 at 9:15 am
This is a very interesting thread, and I wouldn’t be put off by those who either refuse to discuss these issues because they might be offended, or because they hate politics in general.
In traveling around the world, one thing I have come to appreciate is the open exchange of ideas. In the US, there is so much pressure to conform, and it has become so taboo to discuss religion or politics for fear of offending someone, that it’s very difficult to actually communicate honestly and exchange ideas here anymore. And there is so much propaganda and disinformation that it’s difficult to understand the motivations of those on either side of the “left”/”right” spectrum.
It is very true that what is perceived as “left” or “right” varies from country to country. And I can also agree that we are rarely one way or another, but most of us are a blend - leaning one way on one issue, and leaning another way on others. I believe most people in the world want the same things - good jobs that provide not only a good living for our families, but provide a sense of meaning in our lives; the ability to raise our children and provide them with opportunities we may not have had ourselves; and the ability to feel some sense of security in a changing world.
How we see our options in reaching our goals may be what separates us or brings us together.
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February 11th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Hi there!
Hmmm, intense thread! I would have to say those were some sound words from Mariedl and I would have to agree with her in large part as well as Jen-h.
I think that issues of ‘left’ and ‘right’ while still technically politically valid have become obfuscated and really don’t mean much of anything in most countries in the western part of the world.
My experience of living here in Italy is very similar to Mariabay’s in Brazil. The overwhelming sense of political corruption and malasie that this country is going through really sheds light in the fact that we need to go beyond the traditional metaphysical needs for left or right politics and really steer clear from any type of extremism that negates peoples rights or suffocates one in brainwashing propoganda. With that, I would add, that Italy is in DIRE need of an entirely new parliment and senate, a new politcal system and a total removal of all the old political vampires that are still sucking the life blood of its nation. It needs more civil heroes like Beppe Grillo as was mentioned in a lengthy New York Times article. Italy needs an Obama! That may be the fact why these 20th century political identities no longer apply to the needs of a country nor the people. And why a new form of political dialogue and governance is needed overall. Something that acts positively and pro-actively for the need of its own country and it’s rapport with other countries.
I grew up in a family that never had any real ’strong’ political leaning and really when we spoke about politics we always tended to start from the cultural-historical perspecitve of a nation or country. I would say my views, like many TCKs, are liberal without categorizing it as left or right.
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February 11th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Yeah. I too think that most people in the world want those very things you listed. I’m wary of generalising but I think that’s a fair statement to make.
I think how we relate to others, or how we relate our aspirations with the aspirations of the others around us, may lie behind our political choices.
I wish I was in an anthropological field just so I could actually follow this through. It’s just empty theorising for now.
Oh well. My two p.
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February 11th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
India’s the same. Lack of honesty is taken for granted. It’s hard to imagine how any new change may occur because everyone in the country (and that’s a LOT of people - one of its other problems) is saturated in the same, like you say, malaise. You start feeling it just at the airport and it stays with you until you leave. Really. Fresh blood/new starts don’t seem like they’re around the corner.
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February 11th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Also, what is considered left or right depends on the country. In Sweden, I was “moderate” (as conservative as Swedes get), but in the US Midwest, I’m a flaming liberal with all kinds of society-wrecking ideas. Same opinions, different reference society. I’m not really sure you can talk about left and right globally really well without a real big picture view, and I’m not sure I have one. I just know the countries that are my homes.
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February 11th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
You’re right.
A frame of reference is pretty crucial to the whole ‘left’ ‘right’ ‘moderate’ ‘extremist’ talk, even if we do limit those words to describing opinions only.
I think I’ve subconsciously been using my own frame of reference, a combo of all the societies I’ve lived in, which, obviously, isn’t fair.
Hmmm. Ok. Until I find a better way of talking about this - and I think it’s still worth exploring - I’ll just…shut up.
I think I have a TCK cousin who has decided to study anthropology. Will definitely put ideas in her head and see what comes of.
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February 11th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
I have a TCK friend who’s studying anthropology… Let me know what ideas you put in her head, so I can try it too.
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February 11th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Uncle Dan,
I do agree with you on the “nationsate” point, however I think people often get bogged down in this and forget that there’s much more to “left” and “right” leanings than simply nationstate.
Starburst,
I would like to but can’t indulge you. All of those “tests” are based on preconceived ideals that assume that a person can’t be something other than “left” “right” or “centrist” leaning. The political spectrum is not as simple as that. These tests are formed asking questions which are blatant hallmarks of each side and from there generally take the “majority” of questions and state that you, or the person taking it, is “left” or “right” leaning.
Similarly, your example concerning inner-city East London is not counterintuitive to uncle dan’s statement. The term “young” and “old” are simply add ons which can be modified, yet the “left” and “right” analogy to idealism and pragmatism still stand (on the whole).
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February 12th, 2008 at 2:24 am
Let me first say that this is a very interesting thread and people are making great contributions to it.
I think the statement from mariedl is that it’s not possible to make sweeping statements about any group whether it’s political learnings, age groups or TCKs, etc…which is entirely correct because there will always be exceptions. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I myself won’t pursue this point further because I won’t join this discussion fully.
Starburst on the other hand is most likely aware of the above but made a few sweeping statements on purpose just to have a little bit of fun arguing about this topic.
So let’s just have fun without getting too heated up ok? :p We can get more heated up in our ‘whine’ threads where it doesn’t hurt anyone when we do that.
By all means state your views and state them with force, but don’t take anything too personally! (Not that anyone has been taking anything personally yet, but Ican see it getting personal if this keeps up.)
Remember the whole purpose of this thread is to have a little fun engaging in an intellectual discussion of all the things we disagree about in politcs - so let’s keep it that way - enjoyable!
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February 12th, 2008 at 5:42 am
I’m not getting heated up, I just think that some of the statements were a little too “sweeping” on the side of denigrating a certain opinion which was not defended. Hence I spoke
Ayako, There’s something you bring up in your post under the surface which is the culture of argumentation. I find that in the US people get offended during arguments much more than in some other cultures (and in my case France), when I started at a stateside university, I remember one day feeling horrible because someone I was having a, in my opinion, fun argument with got strongly put off and to the limit of offended because I was arguing with her politics…just a thought.
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February 12th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Hey sorry if it came across as me accusing you of getting heated up! To the contrary I only felt it might possibly get ‘heated-up’ soon precisely because of the point you have brought up, i.e. the culture of argumentation.
We are all TCKs here mostly but a mix of different cultural backgrounds and there’s also individual personality added to that equation too.
So like any mixed cultural group (and boy are we mixed and mixed in complicated ways!) we do have to take into consideration that aspect of culture. So, thanks for pointing it out!
You see - now that you’ve brought that out into the open it feels much better already.
Anyway my apologies for interrupting the conversation - please pick-up where you left off…I thought about deleting my previous post immediately after posting it but there is no ‘delete’ function.
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February 12th, 2008 at 7:58 am
Ayako,
So glad there IS no delete function because I think you brought up great points. Communication is always imperfect at best, but we can’t communicate at all if we don’t feel open about sharing our thoughts.
Mariedl brought up a great point about argumentation in general. I grew up in a family which loved discussing the issues of the day in detail - my parents were polar opposites politically and religiously, and I loved the ongoing debates. But in the US, as mentioned before, it is taboo to discuss these issues in the culture at large, and way too easy to step on someone’s feelings without even realizing you’ve tread on shaky ground.
From experience with the yahoo group I mentioned, I know these topics have the potential to cause a lot of hard feelings because they touch on some of our most dearly held ideals. In that group, we’ve had flare-ups, but our friendships have withstood the heat over time - a lot of us in that group went through war and a couple of coups together - it takes more than a little difference of political opinion to tear us apart.
But this forum is obviously different - we share the TCK bond, but most of us don’t know each other personally. That leaves a lot more room for miscommunication, misunderstanding and hard feelings.
Although the discussion here has been very civil to this point, it might help to have some ground-rules when topics like religion and politics come up - i.e., no personal attacks, treat each other with mutual respect, recognize that we encompass many views - something like that.
I understand and agree with the concerns and would not want to see the discussion blow out of proportion. That said, I think it’s a very interesting topic and I’m enjoying all the comments made.
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February 12th, 2008 at 10:21 am
It’s difficult to discuss this without getting embroiled in rhetoric, isn’t it?
‘Left’ and ‘right’ are absolutely resolutely NOT the be-all and end-all of politics. There’s a great deal more chaos to it than that, and I think all who’ve been looking at this thread have agreed. Those labels are a gross and maybe appalling oversimplification. You are evidently a purist and for that I salute you.
I’ve already said that I realise a PERSON can’t be described as such in good conscience (see earlier post) because people are complicated.
To be honest I don’t think the terms ‘left’ or ‘right’ really make much of a difference to my question, which was in essence do TCKs share a similar way of relating to people and larger issues and if so does this come across in their preferences for social policy. Hence, for all our sake, I will happily drop them in favour of any other terms which are less baggage-laden. Again, context is key. I have a feeling whatever kind of ’study’ we construct must be local-centric.
Any suggestions? I mean, I kinda get the impression you don’t think this is a question worth pursuing - which is fair enough really as I sometimes do embark on wildgoosechasesque questioning sprees (esp when I am procrastinating). Would be good to know your thoughts.
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February 12th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Ayako - you can see right through me. Thanks for stepping in and sorry you won’t join in the convo.
I think so far we’ve been respectful and civil.
It would be boring if we all held the same view. As boring as if the world was the all the same!
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February 12th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Very interesting thread.
It’s refreshing to see how civil and respectful everyone has been.
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February 13th, 2008 at 2:13 am
Good stuff, indeed! I share Starburst’s curiosity in seeing what TCKs TEND to do/say/believe!!… There are certainly some tendencies amongst us & I would love to see polls take place on this website so we could see where we sit on any number of issues! Is there such a function on this site? The forum on my website is dead BUT it’s got a great poll function which anyone can use to get the “feel” for the group.
I suspect that the type of TCK one is would have a great impact on one’s outlook as their lifestyles in the country TEND to be quite different.
- Missionary Kids TEND to live the closest to the local people whereas Military Brats TEND to live on bases very removed from local culture.
- Missionary kids often go to school with the locals whereas Diplomat Kids & Corporate Kids usually go to the pricey International Schools.
- Diplomat Kids & Military Brats are serving their governments so return to their home country often & (I’m going out on a limb here & making an assumption!) have more nationalist influence.
- Missionary Kids have the influence of their religion.
- Diplomat Kids & Corporate Kids TEND to have the influence of affluence.
I think these tendencies would have a very different effect on us.
So, Starburst you make the questions & we’ll take the poll to see if we do tend to lean towards similar views. (Preferably you can set it up so we can see the trend amongst the different types of TCKs too!) I look forward to taking it!
PS In case there’s no way to put a poll here, perhaps we can move this to my dead forum?… Unfortunately it would require registering there too
http://www.globalnomaddirectory.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl
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February 13th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Great idea Stef - I’m game to join in, and in the meantime, people might want to try out this political compass test and see where they end up on the grid: http://www.politicalcompass.org/
I ended up way left of Gandhi in the same quadrant. Again - the outcome of this test may have more to do with the questions asked than any other factor, but it’s interesting in any case.
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February 13th, 2008 at 10:04 am
I’m enjoying reading this thread!
I think a poll would be interesting.
Jen, I tried out that political compass you mention, and I was surprised to find that I am also in that same quadrant, although closer to the center. It surprised me because in many ways I am very conservative, although I did know that there were things in which I disagreed strongly with other conservatives. It’s just that — as many people on this thread have already said — when you’ve grown up in other countries where the same rules simply don’t apply, you can’t just adhere to a party line.
I wonder if I’d be farther from the center if it weren’t for my moral/religious beliefs.
Anyway, this is an interesting thread.
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February 13th, 2008 at 11:30 am
I ended up in the same quadrant as you two. I was also quite close to the center. That was a REALLY interesting test. Thanks for posting the link.
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February 13th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Man, I have to admit that any such poll will be forthcoming in the near-to-distant future as I’ve got my appraisal/interview coming up soon and it’s only in the past 48 hours that I have realised how much preparation is really needed!
Yes, procrastination is something I’ve lovingly nurtured something of a talent for (My true motivations for starting this thread come out at last). But even I can’t ignore a - well, let’s be frank - job interview next week.
So will throw it open to anyone else who may feel up to the task of creating such a poll…
Alternatively I’ll come back to it when my current life stress blows over.
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February 13th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
41 comments, wow, I think I will need to spend a Sunday afternoon reading this LOL But I only merely skimmed through some of the early posts and having just responded to the “open-mindedness thread” I can already see opinions shooting from various point-of-views by each person
Heated or not, TCKs just can’t choose sides! LOL
But anyways politics eh? I hate talking about this and I think the main reason is due to the fact that I don’t have a “side” although personally I am more “liberal” because I believe everyone should have a chance for whatever lifestyle, morals, ethics etc etc even if they are wrong. That just makes the world more colorful don’t it?
Seriously, if I say that in the States I will get a lot of shocking looks and be shunned forever! But people really need to be more “open-minded” and not have to judge things because of what they already think is wrong - human beings have reasons to do everything. If you confine a human being you will get negative results and we already see that happening.
So anyways back to politics, I tend to stay away from this because honestly politics in general is basically one man’s perception and many advocates of that perception. It really has no base for anything except experience, experience, history and experience. That’s my 2 RMB pennies
(doubt I made any sense though…)
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February 13th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
That’s true in Indonesia too… Most people figure that real change in Indonesia won’t happen until the all the people in power now die out.
One thing that generally needs clarifying is that we should mean “Liberal” in the academic sense, rather than the current American sense. Americans at the moment take “Liberal” to mean “Left”, though that’s not the original meaning of it at all.
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February 13th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
That’s true, but I’m inclined to think that TCKs who tend to lean more to the right have a sense of loyalty to a particular nationstate.
Non-TCKs generally come with this, ahem, pre-packaged.
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February 13th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Actually, there is a poll option!
Here’s an example of a poll that Cynthia made
http://www.tckid.com/group/how-did-you-find-out-youre-a-tck/
Just list your questions and we’ll put it up!
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February 13th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Again, “liberalism” is not synonymous with “open-mindedness”. There are many conservatives who are much more open minded and cater their political actions much more based on the well being of people in general than liberals. Maybe it’s just a trend I see around me but there is too often the use of “liberal” and “open minded” and “conservative” and “close minded” in every day speech. One of the big differences between the two is not necesssarily who cares more about giving a chance to everyone but the way in which you should give it. Conservatives (and here I am indeed making general statements) tend to view the importance of limited govenrment as a freedom of the people to choose their own way to live and what they want to spend their time and money on more while liberals tend to view the state as a backbone of the people more. (in short, it’s all a matter of what you view security as). But then again, these are based on European/American ideals of what liberalism and conservatism are (and some political philosophy). So that assumption is not only false, it is offensive towards conservatives (or anybody, for that matter, who is not a liberal as there is much more than liberal and conservative).
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February 13th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
As usual “labels” really are things that are vague and yes I admit I did generalize many things from understanding the terms “conservatism” and “liberalism” (hence the quotes).
As someone who only heard of the term “liberal” and “conservative” when being educated in the States, it is not surprising that I may have learned it that way. In the States “liberal” is associated with “open-mindedness” and “conservative” is associated with “close-mindedness” (I have seen this happening on my campus, it’s insane!). How they are defined elsewhere I do not know. In other countries, these will perhaps mean different things. Honestly, up to this day I don’t even know what they mean exactly but know how they are portrayed in the States and from that I have formed my own opinions.
But I will repeat this: politics in general is basically one man’s perception and many advocates of that perception. If it makes sense to someone, it will make sense to a certain number of people. Politics is and will always be a very controversial issue as this digs deep into what a person believes and what the individual thinks is right or wrong. One person may see it this way whereas another will see it a different way but they are both talking about the same thing.
Just as have been commented repeatedly, these terms mean different things in various countries and government systems. But from my point of view I have seen it through the American government system, not the best but that was how I was educated. And again I admit I do not know much about politics but only used those terms to explain what I believe in.
I am usually sitting on the fence (or at least try to avoid anything to do with politics LOL) but after having been in the US and China (hmm I think really more because of that LOL), there have been some things that I’ve seen that I believe can clearly justify what I think politically. There is probably no term to define what I believe in but maybe (just MAYBE) quote-unquote liberal.
And OMG I actually talk politics and I don’t make sense. Ah well…I tried - to be part of the discussion LOL
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February 14th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Hey Brice,
Thanks, I can see the poll Cynthia set up & it’s a good question, but can’t figure out how to set one up myself… Perhaps if it were more evident, there would be more polls, hence more of a feel for our community here
I can’t say I have the best questions all thought out, but I do enjoy taking part in surveys & seeing the data 
Some basic stats I do want to see are:
- % of Missionary Kids vs Military Brats vs Corp. Kids, etc, etc on this site…
- age range
- current physical residence
- passports represented
- countries represented
… That’d be a good start
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February 14th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Cynthia, I completely agree “politics in general is basically one man’s perception and many advocates of that perception”
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