Unfollowed

 Three times in three weeks. It’s getting worse. After a number of years where I’ve unfollowed people on social media, I’ve found myself unfollowing three people in the week. 

For those out of the loop, unfollowing somebody on social media means that you’re still connected to the person, but you don’t receive their posts. It’s not as blunt as unfriending somebody, and there are times you will want or need to do this, but it’s a gentler way to save your own sanity. 

My other tactic for approaching friends with views which are polar opposite to my own, is to ask them to explain why they think as they do. Try to engage them in a constructive conversation about their views. Try and find out why they are thinking these thoughts. 

A case in point, a very old a dear friend posted something about how they thought JD Vance was wonderful and what he was saying in Europe was a great thing. In the last week, they’ve also posted some pro-Trump material. Again, disturbing, but as they are in Australia, they can’t do much about it. 

Let’s break this down. JD Vance was saying that Europe should be listening to hard-right, read Neo-Nazi, voices. These are outlawed in Germany, as they are outlawed here. We won't mention that he met with the leader of the Far Right party, but did not meet with the German Chancellor. 

Now, being pretty well read in history, I’m fully aware that the Nazi’s pretty much destroyed Germany – and killed millions at the same time. Killed for a failed ideology that pitted neighbour against neighbour. Look around the papers. Notice anything similar. 

I don’t think my friend was thinking of this. Then again, I don’t think my friend is really thinking when he reposts stuff from Andrew Tate. (I call them out on this too). We’ve also had some pretty intense discussions about abortion rights over the years. 

Rather than calling them a dickhead and a loser, I approached them gently and kindly. 

I asked them what drew them to this conclusion. The other thing I did was state that I can see the need for some disruption in the political system, but is this the change you’re really after, where power and funds go into the oligarchs instead of into the hands of the people. If I were them, I’d be very careful what they wished for. 

Thankfully, my friend took this with the intention it was meant and thanked me, nicely, for my viewpoint. 

I still unfollowed them. They’ve been in my life for years. I do like them as a person. I just can’t stand their unformed and reactionary political views. 

I'll continue to get my right-wing opinions from Channel Nine. At least their centre-right drivel is a bit more palatable than anything Newscorpse puts out. 

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