Small 'l' liberal Vs Fascist

I am sure that some people will even find fault with this photo, but I say, 'Suck it up sweetheart'

I reckon all too often its the small 'l' liberals, the lefties, the greenies, who want us to be free and loving and equal and calm and peaceful, but who only wear their come-hug-me cloud bandanas around like minded folk, and when they come upon - oh shit don't tell me, don't talk about it, how could anybody be so fucking stupid?, people who disagree with them, well then they rear their fascist flags and go all aggressive and antsy on their oppositions' arses.

It's been a big week of slagging off and name calling and the foolish displaying of more than a little suspect stats to prove an all too often not well defined point. I would like to say I am over it, but in truth I do enjoy a vigorous debate, although when it deteriorates into name calling and bullying, then I walk away, not feeling the need to have the last word, except of course I am having it here.

I did engage in the Brexit debate and then when it became heated and illogical and mean, I just stopped, not caring for a millisecond that the bullies might have thought they had won, cos their opinion is of no consequence to me.

And now with the Aussie election tomorrow, the rabid flag waving is creating a stormy gale again.

'Anyone who votes Liberal is a selfish fool who wants to see the permanent demise of Medicare and the public education system and the Barrier Reef and trees and the very air we breathe oh and also wants innocent children to die in detention.' Yep Liberal voters hang your heads in shame, you are the scum of the earth.

I have already voted. I voted Liberal.

This morning I saw the ultimate in small 'l' liberal bullshit, when a Sydney mum declared that her teenage son needs to reconsider his friendship with a mate of his cos the mate dared to pop up a selfie of him holding up a VOTE LIBERAL sign.

Now I didn't fancy engaging in that little discussion cos god knows no-one likes to be told how to parent their kids and I rather imagined that she had to be kidding, although I didn't see any LOLs. I am sure we'd all like to be able to choose our kids' friends and tell 'em who and what and where and why they can do stuff, under the guise of keeping 'em safe, but really it's all just more of the taste of the fascist fare that seems to be the dish of choice on social media at the moment.

I am positive that my girl's vote will cancel out my vote and whilst I could perhaps sway her to my perspective, I recognise her right to vote for whomever she chooses, and even though she has explained to me how she has decided on her choice and I reckon it's a bit limited, again I say, it's her right to vote however and for whomever she wants. It doesn't have to get to some slanging match where I call her all sorts of stupid.

I am a big believer in democracy.

And oddly that makes me a real small 'l' liberal. I am happy for people to choose for themselves, I don't think people need to bandy together in a common cause, people need to choose for themselves, have integrity and stand firm, but still be tolerant of other people's right to choose. Every person has a right to their own opinion and they have the right to be free of intimidation and threatening behaviour when expressing it. I'd like to think that everyone has the responsibility to use their brains, to think for themselves, and determine their own futures, but that might just be taking things a little too far.

The leftie tolerance seems very much to end at the leftie end.

I am yet to read a comment from this week's loudest lefties, that I am entitled to my opinion, a different opinion, a considered thoughtful opinion,  and when I have pointed out a fundamental flaw or ignorance of the facts that is irrefutable, they have just glossed over it. Really the conversations have been more than a little like arguing with a year 9 kid. Those kids are experts in only hearing what they want to hear and then jumping up and down having a little tantie in a bid to get what they want. I learnt very early on that when dealing with teenagers, it was vital never to back 'em into a corner cos they just come out swinging. I reckon lefties must feel backed into a corner all the time, cos they so often seem to be swinging, tossing around the guilty stick.

Yeh I want to be a winner on Saturday, and yeh I enjoyed being a Brexit winner, but if the majority of folk want something else then I will just have to suck it up and hope that my sort of sanity prevails at sometime in the future. No I don't have to like it, but I do need to respect it.

See that's what I reckon is missing in all this heated shit shoveling, RESPECT.

And the irony is that RESPECT is exactly what the lefties are supposed to be big on, but in reality they only seem to have respect for 'their own tribe', any difference of opinion is met with ridicule and bullying and name calling.

Aretha Franklin must just want to let loose with her hit from the roof tops at times like these.