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People whose parents have become fascist, how are you dealing with it? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 5 days ago by pep@sh.itjust.works to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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I have 2 GOP parents, one that voted Trump originally and one that did not. Over the last 9 years, I have watched them both travel down the MAGA pipeline to become visibly fascist. The parents who taught me racism was wrong and to have empathy for others, have become openly hostile about immigrants, Muslims, and even parrot the Nazi "great replacement" theory.

Part and parcel with this, they refuse to have any discussions about the facts -- like immigrants not stealing and eating people's pets. They won't hear it, they won't even engage in the conversation...they just get angry and loud the second they hear anything that doesn't fit into the Fox News narrative. Can you relate? How are you dealing with it in your relationships with your parents?

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[–] CountryBreakfast@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 5 days ago

Why are people surprised that their parents are fascists? My parents have always been obvious christian fascists with a notable amount of local influence in their cult. My dad unironically relished "arbeit macht frei" when we went to Dachau. My patrilineage is an impressive pedigree of anti-communism backed with service in American wars. My grandfather privately referred to POC as savages until his death. Perhaps my experience is more unique than I believe, but I refuse to be naive.

I have broken relations with my family in part because of all this. Also because they hate my chosen family and I won't tolerate it. I feel no responsibility to save them or correct them. I respect their very intentional decision to be monsters and hope they can be stopped asap. They are evil. They have always been evil.

It is VERY difficult to imagine there not being glaring red flags. This may be a result of my own baggage, but I am immediately skeptical of those who are blindsided by their family's ideology. I fear many of you who are surprised would be shocked to know my family has always known that your family would belong to the imperial cause eventually. My family is not so obtuse as to believe they are any different now than they were during Clinton, 9/11, or the Tea Party, but somehow others give their own family a pass?

I am equally skeptical of numerous cliches used by ostensibly "leftist" folks including the use of problematic language or the reduction/commodification of identities. If you ironically say "neurospicy" for example, I assume you are willing to betray disabled people for your own gain. If you use "gay" as an insult, regardless of your identity, I will see you as my enemy. Period. These times will not reward naivety.