parents and politics

[tielan]

Had the parentals over for dinner last night - Mum's birthday.

Cooked roast beef, vegies, and ANZAC Cheesecake.



It turned out pretty good, I think, although the base needed to be thinner at the corners.

In the after-dinner conversation we managed to get into how the internet is a bad thing because of ISIS and extremism (my stepfather). We argued it for a little while, but he's set in his ways.

The worrying thing is that this is becoming a thing in the after-dinner conversations where there's us (the kids - including my stepbrothers) and him. My sisters and I tend liberal (small-l; that's important in Australia), so does my mother. Not sure about the stepbrothers but I suspect they tend centrist - or, at least, enough to argue with their dad about politics. But, yeah, the stepdad tends conservative.

I think the next time politics comes up, I'm going to clear the dishes rather than engage.

Comments

[retsuko]

That cake looks NICE. :)

I avoid political conversations like that, too.

[tielan]

It didn't used to be such a problem; it's only in the last year or so that it's gotten this bad - mostly as war intensifies in the middle East, the refugee situation becomes more urgent, and the US Election looks to be becoming a major CF all over the shop...

It's not a pretty world and it's so easy to armchair quarterback...

[muccamukk]

Cake looks super yummy.

Hiding in the kitchen is a good solution to arguing politics, really.

[tielan]

Oh, we did this one time when we had another conservative family friend at the table. She and the stepdad began agreeing on things the rest of us disagreed with, and there was a sudden exodus to the kitchen and some slightly sheepish grins exchanged as we realised that the kitchen was full of people avoiding the political conversation. I think it was everyone but the stepdad and the family friend, actually...

I don't mind a political conversation when I think the other person is open to disagreement or, you know, actual conversation. And people are going to see things through their particularly lenses; but my stepdad is one of those people who says things like it's the last word on the matter.

(For the record, he cares, he's just not very good at 'tentative' or 'suggestions'. A recent complaint that came to me through my sister was that "I never listen to what he says" which is quite untrue: I listen. I just disagree and do what I think is best...)

[beatrice_otter]

Yeah. The older they get, the less chance there is of change or meaningful dialogue, so. Better not to engage.

[tielan]

It's gotten worse in the last year. Between the middle east, Daesh, the refugee crisis, homegrown terrorism, financial protectionism, and the US Election, everything's wrong and the simplistic answers are the easiest to spout and the hardest to argue.

As my mother said last night, "The problem's a lot more nuanced than that."

[heliopausa]

I feel for you - family disagreements can be so huge, with implications forward and back, even when it's not (apparently) personal. and the state of things right now is really depressing, so no wonder people want simple answers, or just to shut down entirely. :(
On the more cheerful side - the anzac cheesecake looks brilliant. I've never heard of such - was it your own invention?
editing to add: ah - I see now where it comes from! :)

[copracat]

That is a most exceptionally delicious looking cake.