Think of it like a video game HUD where there’s just text floating above a person’s head where you see all their political beliefs, including the degree of bigotry (if any), or whether or not the person believes in the use of violence to acheive polical goals, basically every little detail that would accurately depict people’s political beliefs. Your beliefs are also visible to others. This effect has 1KM radius, including people above and below you.
So, how fucked are you?
(Think of all the authorities in your area that can see your beliefs, including the beliefs regarding the recent incident…)
My right extremist friends would hate me for being too economically and socially left; my left extremist friends would hate me for being too socially and economically right. My progressive friends would be upset that I’m not progressive enough on social issues especially. My neo-con and centrist friends would be upset that I oppose the status queue.
Having said, those who examine their own beliefs would probably not fit any label perfectly either, so basically everyone would hate everyone.
I would look above peoples heads for indication that their beliefs are not inherited from a label, but rather assembled through self-reflection and life experience because those sorts of people are more conducive to openly discussing beliefs and possibly having their opinion change in regards to new information.
The authorities wouldn’t give a shit because I’m a law abiding citizen and even though I oppose some of the things our nation does, I do not meaningfully resist and I still participate in capitalism and the other structures that prop them up in power.
Thanks for that moment of self examination. Now I’m standing in front of the mirror judging the political beliefs hovering above my own head! :D
OR! Everyone would realize we’re not nearly as divided as the establishment tries to make us believe we are, and we could go back to being a mostly unified country, like we were when I was younger, before Fox news, Hannity, and drug addict Limbaugh.
I’m crossing my fingers because that is 100% the preferred outcome.
–Marjane Satrapi