(1) A thread about critical thinking, effective communication, and teamwork.
Today some things happened that prompted me to write this:
Today some things happened that prompted me to write this:
(2) Donald Trump reached the top of the business world in his chosen field then reached the top of the American political system in a relatively short time.
He mastered critical thinking, effective communication, and teamwork, among other skills.
He mastered critical thinking, effective communication, and teamwork, among other skills.
(3) I'm a 47yo woman looking back on a successful career in my chosen field. I'm from a low income, rural, liberal, Christian family. I earned high grades in college & became a NZ govt policy analyst. I then retired for medical reasons.
(4) I learned in my career that I needed to master critical thinking, effective communication, and teamwork skills. I now seek to apply those skills in everything I do, including my hobby of US political Twitter in support of POTUS Trump.
(5) Until around July 2016 I was a progressive/ SJW/ liberal (although I bounced between that and an expedient moderate economic conservatism at times). I had no idea my left wing political beliefs were so misinformed at the time.
(6) The Trump candidacy was the main catalyst in a night-and-day reappraisal of my beliefs and values in not just politics but every area of my life. I am inspired every day by the President's values, skills and life story. What a time to be alive.
(7) Because of Trump, I learned why American conservatives typically understand concepts like freedom and individualism in a radically different way than what I grew up with. When a person is redpilled, there can be a massive mental shift.
(8) I'm now more aware of my God-given (or, natural) rights and responsibilities and those of others. I am free to choose what I say and do, how I respond to things both in my mind and in the world, and I strive to accept the consequences of my choices.
(9) In my liberal upbringing people would often "talk the talk" about the term "boundaries", but they would seldom "walk the walk." As a direct result of learning about individualism, I now set and enforce boundaries. Many people don't like that.
(10) How all this relates to my hobby of reading and writing about US politics on Twitter is:
(11) I identify as a free speech purist, nowadays. Other than the equivalent of yelling "fire!" in a crowded theater, I can choose to say whatever I want. You can choose whether or not to read it, think about it, or say anything about it.
(12) I believe that an individual can take offense at something another person says. That's about THEM. Unless the person is compelled to hear it (eg in a courtroom, school etc), taking offense at mere words is not the problem of the person saying the words.
(13) Often when I see online examples of people taking offense, my view is that developing thicker skin online is a positive life skill. Claiming that some adult to adult online speech amounts to "bullying" is pathetic IMO.
(14) Children being the targets of bullying is another matter entirely. Since I stopped being an SJW I have never claimed that I was being "bullied" online. If someone wants to speak to me rudely, that's their choice. I have choices too.
(15) What I like seeing, is when fellow Trump supporters value critical thinking, effective communication and teamwork, like Trump himself does. I've observed patterns of subgroup behavior that I don't like seeing. I can choose to ignore it, and I do.
(16) IMO there are now several loosely organized factions or subgroups within the US right wing (or whatever term you want to use to define it). It's more than just the GOPe vs everyone who hates the GOPe.
(17) I actually respect and value some of the politicians that many people would consider part of the GOPe. I'm pretty sure President Trump does too. I respect him enough to use his skills to navigate his role in leading the party.
(18) Every day I see examples of people making claims without sound logical reasoning or adequate evidence. These same people may also show what I consider less than effective communication & teamwork. While proclaiming we're on the same side.
(19) Just because someone says they want to MAGA doesn't mean they do. I assess their words and actions and make up my own mind. IMO this is the essence of individual freedom and self determination. To think for oneself.
(20) If you also strive to think critically, communicate effectively, and use teamwork to achieve a shared goal such as supporting the President and his agenda, then that is a good basis for our relationship, however fleeting that may be.
(21) The other essential ingredient for interacting with me is that you treat me with basic courtesy and respect. This is because I now have adequate self esteem, which leads me to set and enforce personal "boundaries, ie terms of engagement.
(22) When my personal health allows, I'm willing to discuss any issue, anywhere, any time. But only if I consider it is being done in good faith. If that changes, I can ignore, unfollow, or block if I choose to. So can you. And it doesn't matter to me.
(23) I want to learn as much as I can about the subjects that interest me, and I want to share info on subjects that interest others. I won't compromise my core values in doing so.
(24) One of my most important core values is being tough on law and order. That includes respecting the legal process, whether I support the accused or the complainant. I have a high threshold for critiquing complainants, especially early on.
(25) When the first tranche of Hollywood sexual abuse claims were made recently, I was sad for those affected while being extremely pleased the door was opening for a societal shift in the area of sexual violence.
(26) I have been personally close to many sexual abuse survivors (and the falsely accused) over my life so far, and my career as a policy analyst often included projects on social issues like sexual violence, the legal system, and so on.
(27) I wasn't surprised that most of the Hollywood accused have close links to Democrat leaders (and of course, I own that some have close links to GOP leaders). I admit I enjoyed the schadenfreude and still do, esp re the Clintons.
(28) Here's where we get to my point. (Complaints about my verbosity can be made at the Office of Suck It Up Buttercup).
I want to consider sexual abuse claims about GOP members with exactly the same standard I use for my opponents.
I want to consider sexual abuse claims about GOP members with exactly the same standard I use for my opponents.
(29) I want to avoid hypocrisy for several reasons.
1. To respect legal principles and show compassion for survivors and the falsely accused. (That should be reason enough)
2. To know accusations against me of hypocrisy are false.
1. To respect legal principles and show compassion for survivors and the falsely accused. (That should be reason enough)
2. To know accusations against me of hypocrisy are false.
(30) At this moment in US political history we have a golden opportunity to attack Democrats for their hypocrisy. I have been waiting for this since 1998 when I first accepted that Bill Clinton may be a sex offender. 19 years is a LONG TIME for me.
(31) Because I have a working moral compass, I experience genuine emotional distress when I think about the level of sexual and physical violence that might have been prevented in the US if Bill Clinton's alleged offending had been addressed earlier.
(32) Options for resolving that distress at this point are limited. He may never be jailed. He may never be charged. Millions of diehard Democrat supporters will almost certainly go to their graves denying he ever did anything wrong. I have one option though.
(33) I want as many like minded people as possible to be able to point out Democrat wrongdoing and hypocrisy with a clear conscience. That requires using the same standard for both sides, even when it makes you unpopular.
(34) My effort to avoid hypocrisy regarding sexual abuse claims has made me unpopular with some. As a proud Trump supporter since 2016 I've learned to live with people expressing to me their feelings about my political views. Water off a duck's back.
(35) I'm now getting that treatment from people who say they support Trump. Most of them probably do support Trump, some definitely don't, and it's almost impossible to tell. Remember, I don't care about mere words. I do enforce boundaries though.
(36) So the upshot is this. I can say whatever I like on Twitter as long as it doesn't break the law. I agreed to this private company's T&C on joining, so they can interpret their rules as they see fit. I try not to break them.
(37) If you're offended by what I say, you can choose what you want to do. If you disagree, I hope you'll be courteous and reasonable. If I don't feel like listening to you, I don't have to.
(38) My newfound appreciation for individual freedoms sprang from sources as diverse as President Trump, Justice Willett, @KurtSchlichter and, yes, @BenShapiro. So I feel a bit of gratitude and respect for the little guy. The Thug Life chose him.🕶️
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