Meghan, just came across your Substack and I am so glad! Long-time fan here. This piece is richly worded, brilliant, inspiring, and also rather funny. I am an American who grew up in a solid Democrat-voting household so also an x-life-long lefty, but I also used to live in Canada in the 80s. I remember the co-op friends of mine who seem sooo similar to your family. The beat-up cars slathered with anti-capitalist and NDP bumper stickers, the RC co-counselling meetings, the adorable and scruffy activist children with unusual names we were so proud of, speaking truth to power at rallies against logging in BC (we lost that miserably). The eschewing of deodorant, the relentless Marxist rhetoric and the goat's milk from a local witch's farm. I have been trying on different ways to think about and describe "leaving the left." As you convey, it's not only about leaving the left, it's about opening up to the value systems of others. It's freeing, fun, and interesting, even as it is destabilizing and scary with painful consequences--loss of networks, friends, and resources. Being shunned is terrible for human beings, worse than death. So celebrating the benefits and new community as you do here is so important for many of us wandering about in the political wilderness. As you say, it's about conversations, learning, trying on other points of view and at times finding surprising and refreshing value. Realizing just how narrow minded and snotty and horrid and superior the left really can be. Feeling a necessary shame about my own participation with such a blinkered world-view and people I may have hurt. It's also about circling back round and cherishing the "progressive" values "from the left" that I still hold and folding them in. There's a dark side to all human worldviews, and x-lefties like us who feel "politically homeless" are repelled and horrified by the darkness we see in our own friends and progressives in power as they relentlessly push harmful ideologies and policies. But it is just human nature, the dark side of all humans that progressives have ignored again and again at their peril. It is always about power. Humans of all stripes hold on to power in the ugliest of ways when any group gets it, and that is what we are seeing in this moment. But like you, I still care about the most vulnerable people, which is why I fight for women in prison who are being attacked by men. (Thank you, Meghan for all your leadership and excellent writing on this issue!) I still care deeply about the natural world and believe in protecting it for its own sake, not just for the benefits to humans. I still care about women's rights. And the early progressives cared about the well-being of children and fought for them: just as we do when we fight against gender indoctrination and the sterilization, drugging, and mutilation of children. Again, thank you for all you do Meghan, you are so appreciated.
Meghan, just came across your Substack and I am so glad! Long-time fan here. This piece is richly worded, brilliant, inspiring, and also rather funny. I am an American who grew up in a solid Democrat-voting household so also an x-life-long lefty, but I also used to live in Canada in the 80s. I remember the co-op friends of mine who seem sooo similar to your family. The beat-up cars slathered with anti-capitalist and NDP bumper stickers, the RC co-counselling meetings, the adorable and scruffy activist children with unusual names we were so proud of, speaking truth to power at rallies against logging in BC (we lost that miserably). The eschewing of deodorant, the relentless Marxist rhetoric and the goat's milk from a local witch's farm. I have been trying on different ways to think about and describe "leaving the left." As you convey, it's not only about leaving the left, it's about opening up to the value systems of others. It's freeing, fun, and interesting, even as it is destabilizing and scary with painful consequences--loss of networks, friends, and resources. Being shunned is terrible for human beings, worse than death. So celebrating the benefits and new community as you do here is so important for many of us wandering about in the political wilderness. As you say, it's about conversations, learning, trying on other points of view and at times finding surprising and refreshing value. Realizing just how narrow minded and snotty and horrid and superior the left really can be. Feeling a necessary shame about my own participation with such a blinkered world-view and people I may have hurt. It's also about circling back round and cherishing the "progressive" values "from the left" that I still hold and folding them in. There's a dark side to all human worldviews, and x-lefties like us who feel "politically homeless" are repelled and horrified by the darkness we see in our own friends and progressives in power as they relentlessly push harmful ideologies and policies. But it is just human nature, the dark side of all humans that progressives have ignored again and again at their peril. It is always about power. Humans of all stripes hold on to power in the ugliest of ways when any group gets it, and that is what we are seeing in this moment. But like you, I still care about the most vulnerable people, which is why I fight for women in prison who are being attacked by men. (Thank you, Meghan for all your leadership and excellent writing on this issue!) I still care deeply about the natural world and believe in protecting it for its own sake, not just for the benefits to humans. I still care about women's rights. And the early progressives cared about the well-being of children and fought for them: just as we do when we fight against gender indoctrination and the sterilization, drugging, and mutilation of children. Again, thank you for all you do Meghan, you are so appreciated.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences! Your kind words of support are much appreciated.