What would you do if your family is conservative?

[Marino56]

Im a socialist and very interested in Marx and other marxist writers and everyday I get more convinced that Marx was right all along about capitalism and exploitation but my family is very conservative, always saying "capitalism is better blah blah blah" they are very closed minded, what can I do to open their minds to he truth?

[o well this is ok I guess]

Nothing.

[Comrade Samuel]

My family is not fully conservative but they still defend some conserative positions (most recently being anti-gay marriage) and while I've never out right stated I'm
A Marxist I think it's fairly obvious to them.

My advice tell them but try not to make a big deal out of it, if they want to debate it go right ahead. Priority 1 should be to not to let it change your relationship, I'm still very close with my family even though I'm a closet Marxist to them.

[Brosa Luxemburg]

My family is pretty conservative (besides my dad, but he's a liberal so whatevs). They know I am a socialist but they don't really care. We just don't talk about politics.

EDIT:Of course, I have moved out and when I did I let them know after awhile my position on socialism. If you still live at home, and they are pissed off you are a socialist (and you think it might effect your relationship with your family) I would suggest being a "closet" socialist.

[Ostrinski]

I agree with just not talking politics with a conservative family, depending upon how receptive they are toward your views and how lenient they are toward you having them.

[jookyle]

What you should do is not bother arguing with your family and spend that time reading and learning. Chances are, own the road you're really going to have to defend your views and it's not going to be by someone who's going to be considerate of your feelings like your family might be(I say "might" as I don't know your family). And even if you're going to argue your family it's still better to prepared. The more you know, the more you can reference, etc. the better chance you have at besting one in a debate. Not to mention, the more you know, the better equipped you are to start going out and doing something.

[cynicles]

Pft, sucks to be you, I've been able to pull my parents further to the left as we've both gotten older. My mother and father are both working class and grew up amongst religious crazies and abusive relatives that completely turned them against the right. I just give them a nudge here and there and they head further to the left every time. My sister hates reactionaries with a passion and my brother in law is an anarchists. I have the best family ever.

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

Nowt to be done, just eat your dinner and shout defiant slogans in your head (my parents have always been very apolitical; they have opinions on certain issues but are largely apathetic and I don't try to engage them)

[Igor]

You probably can't do shit, you really don't just make people change their entire view of politics and the world with a few snappy arguments from the high school commie's guide book. Just ignore their conservativeness, don't discuss politics with them and spend your energy on more worthy causes and people.

[pluckedflowers]

My mom's side of the family is extremely conservative. I think it gives me a good opportunity to explore ways to get my point across, and to understand a perspective that, like it or not, many Americans share. I generally find that our differences are not as big as they are made out to be in popular discourse. My mom and stepdad hate "Obamacare" with a passion, for example, but when it comes down to it their primary problem with it is that it doesn't do enough. They don't hate poor people and want them to suffer, but they see, correctly, that the current options on offer from the Democratic Party are shit and they aren't that much more happy with the Republicans, but what else are they going to do if their political perspective is confined to electoral politics?

The main trick, I think, is to adjust your language to avoid words that trigger an automatic shutdown of the conversation. My mom doesn't want to hear about communism, for example, but she may be willing to at least listen to the idea of workers running factories for themselves and deciding democratically what to do with the profits.

Edit to add: And, of course, if that doesn't work, just shut up and eat your goddamn peas.

[Blake's Baby]

Don't discuss politics if it makes family relations fraught. They're the family you have, like it or not you're kinda stuck with them.

Unless they try to rope you into something really shit - like, 'Hey son, we're going on a family trip to picket some Islamosexuals!' - then I suggest you just try to put up with it for the moment.

You're unlikely to change their minds by arguing with them. It might happen, but it's not very likely. I'd guess most people come to socialism because something in their experience chimes with something about socialist theory that they know about. But if they already have a ready made explanation - it's the immigrants, it's Europe, it's the Illuminati, it's God's punishment for homsexuality, it's the Jews - then there's little you can do directly I'm afraid. Culture is full of mystifications. The ruling ideas of any epoch are the ideas of the ruling class, after all.

[Hexen]

One word of advice: Do not talk about Religion or Politics until they bring it up.


But if they already have a ready made explanation - it's the immigrants, it's Europe, it's the Illuminati, it's God's punishment for homsexuality, it's the Jews - then there's little you can do directly I'm afraid. Culture is full of mystifications. The ruling ideas of any epoch are the ideas of the ruling class, after all.

I think the only way to reply to them if they make those type of conclusions is that their strawman arguments and they're simply trying pick somone/something to blame while they're ignoring the main root of the problem which is capitalism if they stepped back and done any scientific analysis of society itself and how it works/functions. Although I doubt they'll ever listen nor be reason with anyway.

[Igor]

One word of advice: Do not talk about Religion or Politics until they bring it up.

This is pretty good rule for most situations, not just family. Don't be "that" commie kid.

[The Intransigent Faction]

Sometimes my family worries that I'm some 'violent extremist' who's going to go down to Occupy Toronto and start tossing Molotov cocktails at cops, but usually they waver between apathetic and condescending if the subject comes up.

In my family, though, and considering that I'm a political science major at university, the subject coming up now and then is pretty much inevitable. I've made it clear that it's not just some "phase" I'm going to grow out of and explained the problems to my mom whenever she suggests that I should go "work within the system and fix things", which she reluctantly considers.

In short, most people don't appreciate communists who act like missionaries or Jehovah's witnesses, but we will have to be honest and open if confronted or we'll never get anywhere. People are vultures in these sorts of discussions and if you hesitate or waver for a moment they pounce on you, so try to confidently speak your mind when asked. Also, it does vary depending on the situation and person though, in my experience. This past weekend I was up at my family's cottage, chatting with my uncle, and he's surprisingly receptive to communism when drunk. :D Pick your battles wisely.

[PC LOAD LETTER]

The only time I talk about politics with my (mostly conservative but a few liberals) family is when they bring it up, and even then I'm pretty wishy-washy or just come across as a contrarian. Only a small group of people in real life know I'm a damn commie.

[Welshy]

My family is conservative and we like to talk politics a lot, at least me and my dad do. Luckily for me my parents always put an emphasis on independent thinking, so as long as I could back myself up with reason and evidence they've respected my opinion. Also it helps my parents are trekkies would one day like a communist like system but fall into the typical stance of "it's just not possible right now".

I say be strong and if the topic comes up don't back down from your stance and use logic and evidence to support yourself. What ever you do, don't treat marxism like a religion to convert people to. If they are truly interested in learning then the time will come when they will start questioning their current views and start educating themselves. Until then just refute their arguments as they come and just talk about current events especially with the crisis and class struggle. That's what I do.

[Prometeo liberado]

Consider yourself lucky. At least your peeps aren't Liberals! Goddamn people.

[A Revolutionary Tool]

Just be silent and wait. When the revolution comes your parents will be taken away and we will be your new family.

But seriously there's nothing I've really been able to do about it, I just try not to talk politics with my parents.

[Veovis]

Let them know that once the revolution comes, you'll make sure they get into one of the nicer labor camps.


My family is conservative and we like to talk politics a lot, at least me and my dad do. Luckily for me my parents always put an emphasis on independent thinking, so as long as I could back myself up with reason and evidence they've respected my opinion. Also it helps my parents are trekkies would one day like a communist like system but fall into the typical stance of "it's just not possible right now".

At the risk of derailing the thread, I still can't get over the fact that Star Trek managed to get broadcast during the height of the Cold War. That shit was pretty much blatant commie propaganda.

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

Kill them.

[DasFapital]

My mom's a conservative christian but I when I visit her we often talk politics. Lately she's been more receptive to what I have to say and, not to brag, I got her to change her views on Ronald Reagan. However, the whole transphobia thing still needs to be worked on.

[Misanthrope]

I would drink heavily and constantly be told I'm a disappointment.

change would to do, my dad is a republican catholic

[Pretty Flaco]

ive never heard nothing much political come up around my family. if i tried to talk about shit i think theyd rather me shut up and crack open a beer. :p