Describe your very unique interest/passion

1. Democratic Socialism

2. I think at about 16 or 17 i realized Tony Blair wasn't all that and that there were better ideas to the Left of him.

3.  I am not an activist ,like i once was ,as these days i am dealing with illness both mental and regular.  And also my Autism seems to be affecting me more with age.

4.  It's evolved into "wanting" to know about all aspects of politics and ideas. So i can know why i am in opposition to them

5.. I still hold the ideas but will disagree with the collective ideas of my political tribe on occasion.

I wouldn't call politics a special interest of mine, more a necessity to understand. After graduating in 1981 and ending up jobless, the hostility I encountered from certain quarters was like acid being thrown in my face. I wanted to know what that was all about, as apart from psychologically being very difficult to deal with, it also made me very angry. Ultimately it polarised things between my mother and myself for good. 

I became an activist too, but also found I did not necessarily like everything I found on the other side either. Things can become very split and polarised, with either-or tunnel vision. Nowadays the parameters have changed again. 

But I think it's important to understand the dynamics of ideologies and what drives these, to know what we are up against really. 

The early years of the Reagan presidency.  I have a feeling you are American for some reason? Most likely because you have written on here that you are.

Of course the ideology was created by Hayek in the 1940's and took 40 years to become the governing ideology.  I find hope in todays young who are broadly Left of Centre.  We need to avoid environmental catastrophe of course. But if humans can manage that (big if) in 50 years we may see a more just world developing.  Socialism is an idea that refuses to die.  Over the last few centuries it has been rediscovered by generation after generation.

Neither was I, or am I. 

Ah now, envisioning utopia.... that is among my special interests. That's way I am so intrigued by the connection between Minoan culture and the Atlantis myth, and whether or not the meteor blast that destroyed the buried city at  Tall El Hammam did have anything to do with the Yofom myth.

There's an excellent book around at the moment, Utopia for Realists, by Rutger Bregman. He would say that we have in part already achieved Utopia, until recent decades most people have ways been cold, hungry and dirty.

My idea of Utopia is modest: we can't do anything about old age, death and disease. Nor volcanoes, earthquakes and meteors, etc. They will always be around, even without our nukes. But where there is access to a decent health service and education, possibly a basic income so no one need starve unless they are very messed up..... well then that might help keep the worm in the apple, the more evil side of human nature at bay. Most surveys show that where there is the most inequality, there is also the most violence, lack of trust, mental illness, obesity, and more. A modicum of relative equality makes for a much healthier society! Then a spirituality that helps connect society with nature and what my lie beyond that may be very beneficial.

But there are some very destructive memes around, and again, this is human nature, with a shirt life span and-too apt to fall for dangerous ménes. 

I don't really want to write and debate much, the keyboard on my phone sucks for that. M

My two cents. 

Ah now, envisioning utopia.... that is among my special interests. That's way I am so intrigued by the connection between Minoan culture and the Atlantis myth, and whether or not the meteor blast that destroyed the buried city at  Tall El Hammam did have anything to do with the Yofom myth.

There's an excellent book around at the moment, Utopia for Realists, by Rutger Bregman. He would say that we have in part already achieved Utopia, until recent decades most people have ways been cold, hungry and dirty.

My idea of Utopia is modest: we can't do anything about old age, death and disease. Nor volcanoes, earthquakes and meteors, etc. They will always be around, even without our nukes. But where there is access to a decent health service and education, possibly a basic income so no one need starve unless they are very messed up..... well then that might help keep the worm in the apple, the more evil side of human nature at bay. Most surveys show that where there is the most inequality, there is also the most violence, lack of trust, mental illness, obesity, and more. A modicum of relative equality makes for a much healthier society! Then a spirituality that helps connect society with nature and what my lie beyond that may be very beneficial.

But there are some very destructive memes around, and again, this is human nature, with a shirt life span and-too apt to fall for dangerous ménes. 

I don't really want to write and debate much, the keyboard on my phone sucks for that. M

My two cents.