Former Marxist finds himself Politically Homeless

Real people, real letters, real problems, no solutions.

Politics these days have become so divided and divisive that it’s become the norm to view the other side of the aisle as “the enemy”. People are being told to “pick a side” and that there’s no room for middle ground. We here at Phetasy believe that there are a lot more people in the middle than politicians and the media would have us believe.

We’re collecting stories from the ever growing number of people who are finding themselves Politically Homeless and posting them here on Substack. If you have moved from conservative to liberal, or liberal to conservative, if you feel you’ve stayed in the same place and your party has swerved drastically away from you, if you had a moment that awakened you to the insanity and hypocrisy on both sides, if you keep your mouth shut anytime a political topic comes up because you’re afraid your opinion will cause you to lose friends or your job, you’re not as alone as you might think.

Our goal is to shine a light on people’s earnest, individual experiences and show them they’re not alone.

Some letters have been edited for clarity and brevity. If you’re politically homeless and would like to share your story, please email us at iampoliticallyhomeless@gmail.com. All submissions will remain anonymous.

Letter 2:

So I have experienced a massive shift in my political perception over the past few years. I want to start by saying I appreciate people like you and Rogan a lot for your honesty and integrity in keeping a center. Like you, I am a recovering addict; I got clean in South Jersey. If you know anything about South Jersey it’s the Red ass of a Blue state.

While I lived down there Trump got elected as president. I was very much a Leftist at that time in my life; almost to the point of being a Marxist. Of course the idea of free everything was very very appealing to a using drug addict. I recall a lot of debates with my right wing co-workers and the debates always ended with them saying, “You’ll see one day.”

After living there for two years I moved to Philadelphia, which is where I am from originally. I happened to live in the University City section which I thought I would love. I was wrong. In the time I lived there I started to see very bigoted signs and graffiti attacking people like myself; a straight white male. I even saw a sign that said “STOP BUYING DIAMONDS WHITE PEOPLE” which I found odd because I’ve never owned a diamond in my life, nor do I plan to. I also had some very interesting personal conflicts with people during this time strictly because I wasn’t saying what they wanted me to.

I always listened to podcasts but while listening to Rogan I started to hear just how full of shit the Left sort of was. I know that there’s hypocrisy in every facet of the political spectrum but seeing people with “Love is Love” signs also denounce a huge population of people based on skin color made me uncomfortable.

Then the riots happened. This was something that solidified my switch to a more Right-leaning political view. While living in Philly I watched the George Floyd riots happen less than a mile from my house. I watched black clouds of smoke move through the skyscrapers as I crossed the Ben Franklin Bridge into Jersey to get away from the violence. A few weeks later after I thought the violence calmed down I got stuck in an Antifa traffic jam. A group of “anti-capitalists” were taking to the streets in front of my car breaking out windows on local businesses. The local businesses were of course the immigrant owned ones, they also smashed out a bank window which forced the bank to close. This bank was the only bank in West Philly that would cash any sort of government check without a fee; which speaks to the ignorance of these people.

A month or so after that we had more riots after the Philly PD shot Walter Wallace. Then I watched as businesses boarded their windows for the election and several other cultural events like the Chauvin trial verdict. This was chaos and this chaos was something I didn’t see coming from the Right. Also in this time I became a believer in the Second Amendment because I got into hunting; which led to some negative comments from my Lefty neighbors as I came home dressed in camo some days.

That brings me to today. I realize that my political identity belongs to no party. I believe in freedom and I believe in minimal hatred and anger since these are principles I’ve learned in recovery. As a result of Biden’s win I’ve seen the Right wing media crank up to 11 in the fear mongering and hatred. You mentioned Matt Walsh on your show last week, I can’t stand that guy because I believe trans people have their issues but they should be left alone in some ways. If behavior like this continues I don’t feel as though I can identify myself as a Conservative.

I do feel politically homeless. I joke and say I belong to the “minding my own business” party. My girlfriend who has been with me through all of this has gone full red pill. She almost left me because I decided to get the vaccine in order to see my grandmother. That’s a story for a whole other email.

I’m a student of history I read a lot. I feel that America can be saved; but the fighting isn’t the answer. I think it’s all going to come from love. Love and understanding will save this nation.

Bridget thanks again for all that you do; I really appreciate your article about America needing a 12 step program because I see the world through the 12 steps; I couldn’t agree more. Good luck with your pregnancy I will keep you and your burgeoning family in my prayers. Have a great day.

Sincerely,

Politically Homeless

Some letters have been edited for clarity and brevity. If you'd like to share your story, email us at iampoliticallyhomeless@gmail.com. All submissions will remain anonymous.