I'm Back

[RFK 2024]

Hi everyone, it's DabbingSanta. Following the November midterms, I decided to take a break for my mental sanity after a couple years of descending down the alt right rabbit hole and feeling betrayed at the election results.  In the process, I scrambled the password on my account and created a 10 minute email so I could not come back.  I hope this isn't considered to be ban evading or socking, but I really have no way of accessing my original account.  Mods, if you need proof of this, you can check my email address on here.  It's the same as the one on my Dave's Atlas account, which I'm still using.  I would appreciate not being doxxed though (it does have my real name in it).

I've had a bit of change in heart at my political views in recent months after reading some books and going on a week long retreat to the middle of nowhere.  I did not watch any news or read anything current, and it was the best experience of my life. I would still describe my social beliefs as conservative, but more laissez-faire, and my economic beliefs have shifted far to the left (or maybe not moved that far if you believe in horseshoe theory).  Socialism as an ideology alienated me by being so focused on culture war issues, and viewing things through the spectrum of race and gender over class.  A lot of what the original founding fathers of economic socialism said actually makes a lot of sense, and can be applied through any framework and be successful.  If you ignore politically charged issues, most working class people would agree. For example, being pro-life, it makes sense to provide a universal health care which actually works, as life does not end at the birth of a child.  I don't agree with abortion or euthanasia, but I also cannot agree with privatizing health care if that means millions of poor people cannot live effectively.  Likewise, instead of banning abortion, maybe we should fix the societal issues that are making mothers think abortion is the best choice.

Recognizing the failures of our system is more complex then any one ideology is important, as is distancing yourself from the rigors of modern day partisanship.  I am excited to read Tim Urban's new book on this, but I haven't found any time recently.  Multiple people in my life have cancer and it's been a tough journey for them.  Watching someone decline is hard, and it's made me think about how short life is, and how we are only here for a set amount of time as determined by God alone.  This has made me re-evaluate a lot of life choices.  I'm also busy in school, and I am planning a move to Alberta at some point in the near future for a huge job opportunity.  At some point soon, I plan on entering the political world in some form and making a difference in the community around me.  No promises though.

Overall, I think the right wing has been very successful in culture war issues, and promoting more and more people towards fringe and extreme ideological beliefs.  The median American or Canadian really could care less about most of these things, but sees a left that is socially unhinged and totally detached from reality and runs almost all institutions and corporations, at least at a surface level.  What the right fails to capture though is that deep down these institutions are rooted in a form of capitalism very distinct from what economists predicted, where mega-corporations hold a monopoly on nearly every faucet of our lives.  The damage done since regulations on these companies lifted has been immense for Middle America and the millions of lives which depended on small businesses, like mom-and-pop shops and local diners.  I am definitely not against capitalism in its original form, but the form of corporatism we see today is a huge leap from what our grandparents lived in during the peak of the American Dream.  I don't think trying to recreate this goal is realistic, but I would love to try.

So, hopefully this thread doesn't make everyone angry, but I know that's no guarantee.  I'm a little put off with the way politics is today, and after some reflecting I realize I was just as caught up in it as everyone else.  I think we all have a lot in common though, if we drop the divisiveness/culture wars nonsense and move toward a more perfect union.  I think we can mostly agree that we need to clean the environment and focus on sustainability so future generations can still live here and be healthy.  I think we can all agree we need to find a cure for cancer, and in doing so we need to dramatically increase funding toward both health care and scientific research.  Reaching out across the spectrum and addressing these universal issues will be pivotal in helping our society heal from neoliberal decline and the Trump era and move on toward something great.  

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Best of wishes, man.

[MT Treasurer]

Welcome back! I do sometimes wonder if any poster has ever truly left this forum forever (or if it’s possible to leave this forum forever, for that matter).

[Alben Barkley]

Welcome back! I do sometimes wonder if any poster has ever truly left this forum forever (or if it’s possible to leave this forum forever, for that matter).

You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave!

[President Johnson]

Welcome back! I do sometimes wonder if any poster has ever truly left this forum forever (or if it’s possible to leave this forum forever, for that matter).

There's a reason we say Atlas is like Hotel California: You can log out, but you can never leave.

[Alben Barkley]

Welcome back! I do sometimes wonder if any poster has ever truly left this forum forever (or if it’s possible to leave this forum forever, for that matter).

There's a reason we say Atlas is like Hotel California: You can log out, but you can never leave.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Welcome back, Santa! We have homemade cinnamon buns and lemonade on that table over there. 

[Liminal Trans Girl]

Glad to have you back

[Farmlands]

I've realized that if I leave Atlas, it's probably going to because of slow diminishing interest over time, which happens, rather than just logging off for good one day. I did manage to stay away for two months at one period, but I do enjoy the people and the numbers here. As long as I have balance in my daily life, that's what matters.

[Blow by blow, the passion dies]

Welcome back!

[Vice President Christian Man]

Welcome back. I also had a change of heart about the RW populist movement over the last 9 months or so due to its increasingly reactionary and xenophobic tendencies and its lack of focusing on economics that actually benefit the WC. I look forward to seeing more of your posts.

[Progressive Pessimist]

I initially wanted to post a typical sarcastic "yay..." response but I am willing to hear you out again now that you've had a bit of self-reflection about your past political views. I always respect peoples' abilities and attempts to self-examine. I do now genuinely welcome you back, but will miss your old username. Regardless of my thoughts about your previous persona, the name "DabbingSanta" always made me laugh.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Were you Dabaev, or did I confuse two "dab"-ers?

[RFK 2024]

Were you Dabaev, or did I confuse two "dab"-ers?

Nope, I was DabbingSanta.  I didn't realize there was more than one of us here lol

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Welcome back. Posters whose politics and attitudes mature definitely deserve a second chance and should be heard out.