I'm 28 (at the time of this writing), and I've been a fairly regular memeber back in the day, but then almost stopped posting entirely. I think I had grown tired childish aspect that all webboards seem to attract. Past couple of months, I've been rediscovering my drug use and what it means to me. Seeing as there is almost no "real life" community for a serious discussion on DMT, what it means about the nature of our universe, or how much of society drives people's motivation to do things they really would not want to do otherwise.
Politics ties directly into those kinds of entheogenic experiences because it gives you a perspective that's removed how the media frames current events. There's a certain limit to discussing drug experiences and politics, though, because you have to converse with other people on a level they can relate to, while sticking to facts & logic.
It's hard to say what it is I do right now. I have Lyme Disease, so I'm not doing anything at the moment. But before that, I worked in psychology and also recorded music on the side.
I talk to people from all over the political spectrum, and I find it's very rewarding to talk to someone who disagrees with you. It's almost always civil, at least with the people I know in real life. I tend to look at the goal of conversations is not to prove that you're right, but to try to prove yourself to be wrong. You end up learning more about the topic, and therefore, you are better able to debate it in a more serious format. Obviously, this goes out the window when things get petty, which is unfortunate.
I think it's a bit of a cop-out to say, "I don't belong to any political affiliation, so I don't label myself". I completely agree with it, mind you, but when Hilary Clinton described herself as a "Progressive" instead of a Liberal, I knew that angle was dead & gone.
On the social issues, I tend to fall under the Libertarian/Progressive platform. They're generally the same unless money is involved. But in terms of individual rights, torture, and such, they're spot on :yes:.
Economically, I've gone back and forth. I find that both the right & left standard positions essentially simplify things so that it makes people who believe in them think the answers to our political problems can be found by switching to either a Laissez Faire model, or a Communist model. It's obvious to me that modern economics is far too complicated a thing to create absolutes which will make the entire thing work. With that being said, I tend to favor the Left philosophy of providing social programs which not only help people, but can even help the economy function more smoothly. I'm someone who thinks we can do all those things while also keeping taxes low. I'm crazy, I know.
-------------------- The very nature of experience is ineffable; it transcends cognitive thought and intellectualized analysis. To be without experience is to be without an emotional knowledge of what the experience translates into. The desire for the understanding of what life is made of is the motivation that drives us all. Without it, in fear of the experiences what life can hold is among the greatest contradictions; to live in fear of death while not being alive.
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