Has international travel changed your political mindset?

[galaxian]

Having traveled quite a bit while I was on active duty, I notice that my time spent in other places (besides the US) moved my personal politics from fairly conservative to very liberal. I'm curious to see if anyone else on the forums has done any overseas travel/living and if that time away has changed the way you think about politics in your home country.

[FinallyFree]

Living overseas changed my political mindset. I am not liberal or conservative, more of a moderate progressive. I'm a republicratitarian, or is it demopublicatariantutionalist oh well...
Seriously though, I left my flaming neocon days behind me. My social views are still very conservative, but my views of government involvement and economics changed significantly living oversees.

But frankly, I look for a city that is to come here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. (Heb 13:14)

[Jocassee]

(07-25-2011 05:58 PM)galaxian Wrote:  Having traveled quite a bit while I was on active duty, I notice that my time spent in other places (besides the US) moved my personal politics from fairly conservative to very liberal. I'm curious to see if anyone else on the forums has done any overseas travel/living and if that time away has changed the way you think about politics in your home country.

I spent a lot of time overseas. I would say that I became more open-minded as a result of that, and extensive studying of history. I do not defend either party.

After seeing the horrors wrecked by tyrants worldwide I am a firm proponent of personal liberty and a strong opponent of a strong national government.

That said, I think some of the greatest problems in the world are caused by interference by (more or less free) first world countries who have armed, fed, and financed corrupt governments for short term gain and upset local balances of power, leading to wars and genocide.

[Jocassee]

dang double post

[Ricardo]

I was born in Costa Rica. My politics have changed from extremely left to fairly practical. NOBODY knows the answers. In the USofA, I'm willing to give anyone a chance, as long as they convince enough other voters. I wish our goverment did allow the same in the rest of the world.

I've been totally dismayed when I see James Carville, Mary Matalin, Richard Viguerie and the rest of the American political vultures hiring themselves out to political parties in France, Russia, Poland and Venezuela. It is like we are exporting the worst of our political system.

And then the State Department wields its big stick and manipulates the conditions in order to ensure our guy wins or the other guy's administration doesn't last.

While I've never particularly liked Bono's music, I respect his campaign to get the industrialized nations to forgive the Third World debts.

[RobMille]

I was a liberal long before I traveled abroad. Going other places doesn't do much to reinforce the notion that everywhere else is a socialist hell for sure.

[richao]

Became liberal during my decade abroad, then came back to the US, went to law school, and now am basically a raging libertarian who is deeply suspicious of anyone, in church or government, who believes they have the wisdom to tell others how to live their lives, whether on issues of morality or business (notwithstanding that I myself have socially conservative beliefs). Living abroad did make me much more tolerant of the way people order their lives and their societies and forever stopped me from considering the way we do things in the states to be any kind of standard for how the rest of the world should behave.

[galaxian]

(07-25-2011 07:00 PM)Jocassee Wrote:  

(07-25-2011 05:58 PM)galaxian Wrote:  Having traveled quite a bit while I was on active duty, I notice that my time spent in other places (besides the US) moved my personal politics from fairly conservative to very liberal. I'm curious to see if anyone else on the forums has done any overseas travel/living and if that time away has changed the way you think about politics in your home country.

I spent a lot of time overseas. I would say that I became more open-minded as a result of that, and extensive studying of history. I do not defend either party.

After seeing the horrors wrecked by tyrants worldwide I am a firm proponent of personal liberty and a strong opponent of a strong national government.

That said, I think some of the greatest problems in the world are caused by interference by (more or less free) first world countries who have armed, fed, and financed corrupt governments for short term gain and upset local balances of power, leading to wars and genocide.

I agree with your last point very much!