A Home Away From Political Homelessness

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 37:

1/15/23

Hi Bridget,

Many, many thanks to you, Maggie, and Sam for Dumpster Fire! My husband discovered your show during the pandemic, and your weekly missives kept us sane as we watched the world burn. I'm delighted to say we love listening to you every week, even though I don't agree with you guys on everything! Can you believe it? I'm on Team Meghan & Harry, for example, and I still have mad respect and enjoy hearing what you all have to say! How can this be possible in our modern, divided world?  But HERE WE ARE! 

Must be a GenX thing!

You've asked people to share the moment they took the red pill. (Or is it the blue pill? I saw The Matrix but I always get them mixed up...!) So I was raised Mormon, but in the wonderfully diverse mid-Atlantic, rather than the Mormon Central states (Utah/Idaho/Nevada). My friends growing up and their families were all over the political and religious spectrum, and we got along great. We even had healthy debates in which we disagreed totally on any number of things, then went out afterwards and laughed ourselves hoarse together. But when I was 18, I decided to do the thing that good Mormons did, and apply to Brigham Young University. I went there for a year, but after living in the belly of the beast, the scales fell from my eyes and I realized the whole thing was BS (see the South Park episode on Mormonism) -- and worse, that a lot of the BS was very harmful and cruel, which was in direct opposition to my core self. 

Mormonism flirts with cultiness, so leaving it is a pretty huge undertaking that requires one to tear down their entire internal civilization and question everything. Although going through that process was inevitable once I'd seen behind the curtain, it was also devastating for me and led to years of depression. You can imagine why, in the process of rebuilding and ever since, I've taken a very cautious approach to embracing new beliefs and opinions. That includes political stances. When confronted with an issue, my typical approach is to look at all sides, do a lot of research and thinking, talk to smart people about it, and then figure out where I stand. But I also leave room for the possibility that I'm wrong, and that new information might come to light that will change my opinion.

This unpopular (read: thoughtful) approach has led me to a place where I'm politically homeless. I don't even know how to describe where I stand, except to say that I am nodding along with Dumpster Fire most of the time (and if I'm not nodding, I'm still laughing). I've voted libertarian forever, knowing they'll never get elected, but also finding myself unable to stomach voting for either of the two major parties. (Having said that, if I ever live in anything close to a swing state, I might vote Democrat -- then again, I might vote Republican, depending on the individuals involved. Like I said, homeless.)

I've been living in the EU for the past few years, and I am experiencing how life can be when you have guaranteed free healthcare, a meaningful safety net, no guns and almost no crime, and a state approach to caring for people that is generally more humane. I'm diabetic, and since moving here, I've lost 40 lbs without even trying and my blood sugar is now consistently in the normal range (even for non-diabetics). I've also been able to taper off of my anxiety meds. Those are just three of the ways in which the lower stress levels here have impacted my health.

I realize that part of the improved quality of life here comes from living in a country that doesn't have to sink a huge chunk of its GDP into military spending, and that many countries have that luxury only because they can count on the U.S. military for support. I also know the EU has its own problems, and I'm not looking at it through rose-colored glasses. But being an ocean away from the US, I am learning so much, not just from the experience of living in a different country, but also seeing my home country from a different vantage point. 

One of the things that has been difficult about living abroad is reading and hearing about the increasing divisions and total madness going on over there, but not really being able to have my finger on the pulse of what's happening since I'm not on the ground. I can get something of a feel for it by talking to my family and friends, who remain all over the political spectrum. But although I know you always admonish us not to get our news from Dumpster Fire, I have counted on your sane and insightful "takes" on what's really going on! Thank you for giving this expat a home away from political homelessness! 

Anyway, not sure if you'll read this, but just thought I'd share one more lone voice from the politically homeless wilderness, and take the opportunity to say thanks and let you know how much I appreciate the community you've created, and that your impact is international! 

A belated congratulations, as well, on your marriage and beautiful new addition! I love hearing about wonderful things happening to wonderful people! Please keep taking good care of yourselves, and give my best to Maggie and Sam, who also rock hard. I hope 2023 brings you all good things! 

Yours,

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.