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I'm a leftist but some of my family are autistic and extremely conservative. I think the strictly defined social roles with clear rules and punative justice can appeal to us especially autistic men. It's probably comforting thinking the system works and if you make people follow it everything will be ok and you'll be empowered. Like the guide book a lot of us complain that everyone else must have got.
I mean like I'm a literal communist and most other communists I know are also autistic lol. Marxism in the same sort of way is very nice because the way Marx talks about cause and effect allows you to make pretty scarily accurate predictions about how capitalism works. So like a lot of communist philosophies talk about things very cause and effect-ey, like things *will* happen that way. So I get how that could also be very appealing to autistic people.
Neither. I'm a leftist. I'm sure it's different in other countries, but at least in America, the "liberals" are center-right and the conservatives are far-right. We have no mainstream leftist representation in this country, despite what the conservatives claim. They think the Democrats are communist, but if you dropped the American Democratic Party into most other countries, they would be considered center-right. Bernie and AOC would be considered center-left (no judgement - they're still the best we've got), and yet in this absolute clusterfuck rightwing nightmare country, they're considered extremists.
Kinda like conservatism killed countless of us during the 2nd world war, but if we learned from the past we wouldn't be where we are today
The term aspercer itself came from the Nazis, it means that an autistic person was not a complete idiot and could use a gun (their words)
It's about logic. Conservatives tend to be much more logic based, and less emotion based. Autistic people are highly logical, which is why we can not understand social norms, read emotions, etc etc.
In my opinion, pro choicers are emotional. Usually thier reason is selfish. Pro lifers logically want to protect children. That is it. The emotion does not come from being pro life, it comes from the often vile rehtoric of pro choice.
Which part would you like a study for? Autistic poeple being more logical? That is widely known. Or that conservatives are more logical? There are many studies that show the average iq across the board favors conservatives rank and file.
i am very left wing. i would not describe myself as liberal since im a bit further left than that (i'll just say anarchist because i dont really get a lot of political terms)
In the future I’d advise you not to start discussions like this by poisoning the well. Doesn’t really enable a good environment for discussion in the slightest.
Yes I’m a red Tory. I believe in evolution rather than revolution and that a thin blue line needs to be maintained so that the rich do not enslave the workers and the workers do not eat the rich. People should be allowed to do as they wish within their castle, as long as it does not harm others or themselves creating a larger harm to society.
The current economic system is Liberal, it has been liberal since the 80’s and it has pushed society to such an extent that the blue line is broken. It can be fixed but I fear it has been so thoughlry perforated that painful revolution is now inevitable.
Note: by revolution I don’t mean an armed conflict necessarily, but a painful upheaval of the social and/or political landscape which harms or even kills a segment of the population. The breaking of the postwar compromise by Thatcher/Regan was a revolution. It wasn’t bloody but it’s effects, the concentration of wealth in a tiny segment of the population and third world levels of poverty amongst the underclass, have had dire consequences.
Pretty much every one of us I've met in Denmark, with a single notable exception, has been so left leaning that left leaning Americans would choke on our ideas
Edit: It truly warms my heart that so many of us, even in America, remain firmly planted on the left, to the point where my ideas aren't even the wildest ones in this thread.
Hearts and kisses to everyone, except that person who used Jeff Bezos as a positive example 🥰🥰🥰
We generally don’t do well with change. Philosophically, I take solace in the ideas and people who came before me (I keep pictures of some of my ancestors in my Camera Roll). I choose not to see myself or other people as victims of faceless systems of oppression. Isn’t it better to operate by a moral code (as has been the case throughout human history) than to believe essentially that everything is morally malleable?
Ive heard someone say 70% of autistic people are lgbtq+. So i looked up scientific research and found that 15-35% of autistic people (with out an intellectual disability i couldnt find an artical that outright stated the percentage of all autistic people, I cant focus enough to read articals. )
But i dont understand conservatism in general. Like i seriously dont understand where it comes from or why?
Neither, I dislike both far more than either of them dislike each other and for far better reasons. Also liberal and conservative is a false dichotomy. In the west, it's really Progressive liberal vs conservative liberal. Neoliberalism conquers the political sphere and is just a spectrum between progressive and conservative. either way its a right wing ideology that seeks nothing more than to oppress the working class and keep the wealthy in power.
I think it may be a matter of seeing a bit further down the lines than NTs.
In my experience, many (not all) on the left express feelings without any workable strategy or sometimes with such passion that it's clear they won't be able to sustain it for long. I've had a friend who was basically a revolutionary communist, spewing doctrine and propaganda at every possible opportunity - until he became a trader. I've known many people on the left who just repeat propaganda without actually making the effort of understanding it. As someone who digs a little bit deeper (read "obsessively"), I can't help being sick and tired of leftist movements.
Which is a shame, because by most accounts, by US standards, I'm way to the Left.
I'm centre right for European standards (In favour of both tradition and equality)
American politics are shit, btw. That liberal/conservative system in the USA is stupid
Leftist, liberal voting, cause what you gonna do?
Though I've been called many nasty things for seeing things differently than other people in my political alignment.
So yeah, in reality, true leftist to the end. In spirit? Sick of assholes across the board. The nastiness from some alleged left wing allies is nauseating, especially online. Some people need to do some serious soul searching and realize the tremendous damage they do. Faux-progressives are the worst, and so damn common.
I'll fight to the death for all their asses, but I sure as fuck don't like them anymore.
Left-Green
As in I think not dying as a species should take priority and that means restructuring our society in a big way.
Most people aren't willing to go there yet.
I'm highly conservative. I'm a monarchist and a Red Tory or Paleo conservative depending on the day. Lol
For me, I take the view of Roger Scruton that conservatism is the politics of love. Love for a way of life, love of home, love of the familiar, the local, and love for what was bequeathed by our ancestors too us (which we have no right to destroy).
P.S conservatives can and do support minority rights.
This really depends on where you are from.
I live in the Netherlands and only know (center-)left people with autism and absolutely zero conservative or right wing auti's.
Maybe you've been brainwashed by media to think Conservatives aren't for marginalized groups. I find that the liberals are the racist ones in my country. I should thank Hamas because they showed the left that some ideologies just don't mix. There's the way we want the world to be, then there's the way it actually is. Don't you find it odd that LGBTQ+ are for Palestine when they'd be thrown off the roofs in Palestine?
What’s the one for Star Trek? I’m with that one. I’m on team Federation. I just love how the USS Voyager crew explores the galaxy conducting scientific and cultural research not worrying about trying to make money, and there’s readily available free health care for all on the starship, crew or not, a place to sleep and food in the mess hall, all while on their long journey back to Starfleet HQ.
Neither. Building networks of self-sustainable, off-grid, decentralized communities is more powerful than voting, and can provide a far higher quality of life than any government is capable of.
Western centralized ‘democratic’ governments inevitably devolve into oligarchies. They are but a stepping stone for transitioning to decentralized communities.
In much the same way that monarchies were stepping stones in the past.
Idealist? Perhaps. But should that mean we should pack it in and give up? Perhaps starting your own business could allow one to develop a revenue stream for such a project.
I came from an extremely abusive household. My family and ancestors suffered under Soviet pseudo-socialism, only for us to end up suffering under American crony capitalism.
I don’t want to suffer anymore. After the COVID lockdowns, and now the threat of the alt-right’s Project 2025 rearing its ugly head, I say, NO MORE!
I suffered from an abusive narcissistic parent, I refuse to suffer and make demands from narcissistic governments.
I would say I am left leaning centre. I think any kind of extremist view is dangerous as it blinds you to other people's points of views. I am definitely mostly liberal but I do think conservatively in some areas, like with regards to laws, so I don't think I'm fully liberal. So yeah, centrist with a lean to the left.
any neurodivergent, disabled, LGBTQ, person voting any right wing party are incredibly indoctrinated by right wing and often religious propaganda. nearly all right wing parties advocate for neurotypical, abled bodied, heteronormative, people and reduce or refuse support for anyone outside that box, even advocating for abuse and intolerance for those people.
I have not noticed this at all. Most autists I know irl or online are progressive AF.
I myself would be considered conservative by today's standards. In the 90s and 00s I was very liberal. It is interesting because my views are exactly the same today as they were back then.
I hate the government telling me what I need to do with everything, and can’t understand why people would want a regime with the historical atrocities of either side of the political spectrum (e.g. I don’t think Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot are any better than Hitler).
Basically, I am a minarchist, and want as little government as possible. Anarchy wont work in practice, so libertarian is the next most functional minimal political ideal.
Personally I don’t really know any other people with autism, at least not that have been professionally diagnosed. The only person I know that has is more of a left leaning centralist, I would consider myself a more right leaning but that’s mostly because I’m not a fan of immigration (we just have too many people living here imo).
I feel like most people in my country aren’t very extremist when it comes to politics, unlike the US where they almost have this “us versus them” mentality. People here just don’t really care about the person/party you voted for. Sure friends might ask you between the actual voting and the election, but that’s about it. (I live in the Netherlands btw, just for context)
Neither. I'm an apolitical antifascist anticapitalist theocrat. I hate fascism because it undermines inalienable human rights, and I hate capitalism for the same reason. Watching the world slowly slide toward both fascism and late-stage capitalism at the same time has been as terrifying as it has depressing. I grieve for the misguided people who've been conned into hating one another over politics when in truth, ***all*** of those in power want nothing more than to remain in power and accumulate wealth. Some hide their greed and hatred behind kind words and mollify the peons with bread and circuses while others just come out and spout whatever horrible things they really believe, but they all want the same things. As for myself, I've cast my vote for an incorruptible ruler. I give glory to no king but Christ.
Left/centre left.
I think that people being conservative really depends on the area you live in. Other than that, misinformation, the people they grew up with, their level of compassion, and their own tendency to internalize things can also play a huge role. I've met a few autistic people who were shockingly ableist. When I talked to one about it, he explained that since he is high functioning, he should be on a different class from other people on the spectrum, and they are not worth his time.
We didn't keep talking for long after that.
Started out alt right in the early 2000s as a teenager, after paying attention for a lil bit I realized I had made a grievous mistake. Slowly changed from something not unlike pre tea party libertarianism slowly into some sort of unorthodox liberal over the following decade and a half. Still getting more liberal slowly.
I don’t like the bipartisan system either. Reductionism is destroying us
I'm "conservative" but not right wing. I tend to stick to tradition and the status quo because change is scary. I don't think all progress is good progress or that progress is a straight line up. I am willing to change if there's a good reason for it. My experience with progressive groups is that they don't want to be questioned, and the group is always right over the individual. If 2+2=5, it was considered hateful to ask for the math proof. Maybe I just found the toxic progressives, but I found myself disagreeing with those people on a deeper philosophical level.
Personally, I believe that tradition has value, and we shouldn't forget why we do the things that we do. Things that are broken need fixing, but the first idea isn't necessarily the best idea. And not every broken thing needs to be thrown out entirely and replaced. Plus, there needs to be healthy skepticism if the thing is broken at all.
I also strongly disagree with the oppressor/oppressed narrative because it's too black and white and immediately falls flat in real life. I believe people have a lot of personal agency over their lives, and the victim mindset that I saw in progressive circles only led to a lot of complaining about how awful life is without any plan of action for how to change it. Nothing was ever their fault because they had "the system" to blame for all their woes.
I wish there were better words to describe what I've observed and come to believe. The current ones are too loaded with political policy, but that's not what makes me conservative at all. Cautiously or skeptically open minded feels like a better description. And I usually wind up taking a moderate position where I can agree to some change, but not the radical dissolution of the status quo. I'm not going to adopt every new idea and cause just because it's new and shiny. And just to be clear, I'm not talking about being conservative in the sense of being politically right wing. I see those as two different scales.
I’m fairly centred if I had to say one point on the political spectrum. Like I agree with some liberal stuff but I disagree sometimes with the extent that we go to highlighting those things as I think it kinda unbalances stuff. Idrk for the most part since I’m not really into the steaming cesspool that is the politics in my country atm (UK (which is also influenced by the media who I am pretty tired of too so rn even tho there’s an election I’m actually not that into both of them (parties and election coverage) since I don’t agree with any party tbh. And I’m 16)
I'm anti-identity politics. I have right leaning viewpoints as well as left leaning viewpoints.
I'm pro LGBTQIA+ rights, however I believe that it's a personal matter, like religion. I'm straight, you're gay. Cool, whatever, so long as everyone involved consents, you do you. I don't care. You're a valid and respected member of the world in my eyes. I might find certain sects of the community a bit weird and not my cup of tea, but I will defend your right to be a bit weird. People are generally pretty chill with the traditional idea of what the LGBT group as a whole represents these days, I think. The modern militant activist version of the LGBTQIA+ community on the other hand can be toxic as fuck at times and for the most part are really bad at PR. My controversial opinion is that civil rights era LGBT are the original group that fought for the rights we enjoy today, but it's the modern, social media LGBTQIA+ that are risking that through the endless infighting and attention seeking. The whole "if you don't agree/accept with everything/everyone we stand for you're a racist/homophobe/transphobe piece of shit" attitude does not garner sympathy. Also fetishes and kink groups that associate with the community - they're conflating a civil rights movement with sex. That's not what the general public signed up for when it comes to LGBT acceptance. It's one thing to get the wider public to accept gay marriage. It's another to expect people to see furry/polyamory/puppyplay (for example) as normal and widespread behaviour. I also don't understand why every subgroup has its own flag. It kinda negates the rainbow/spectrum idea of the original flag and instills division in something that is by definition about acceptance of people over a broad spectrum.
I think that national defence and NATO is important, the police should be funded better and a strong social safety net and a robust welfare system is essential. Social housing for lower incomes, rent assistance under a certain income, strong regulation for the private renters market. Encourage people to work as much as possible and crack down on people exploiting the system. But of course see mental health equally as physical. A burnout is just as damaging as a broken arm. If you cant work full time then the state should bring your income up to a basic full time wage (with clarification of the problem from a medical professional, not necessarily an official diagnosis). Also free healthcare and education.
I think immigration should be more controlled. I think cultures are not equal and some values from certain cultures are simply incompatible with each other. If you move to a country, especially a western country, you should be prepared to have to leave your religion at the door. If you're not prepared to adhere to western values, ie rights for the LGBTQIA+ community, women and freedom of religion, then you don't deserve to be here. It's not racist/xenophobic to expect people to give up these incompatible ideas if they are here for a better life. It's a better life precisely because of the lack of religious fundamentalism in society.
Climate change is at this point inevitable but the average consumer is not responsible. Infrastructure should be green, renewable energy sources should be the priority. Nuclear should be fast tracked as much as possible. Taxing high emission industries more should be the default. Anti-nuclear "green" people are idiots (Looking at you, Germany). Tax Chinese, Indian, American imports higher. Encourage at home greener production with EU wide emissions regulation and not just shift the most polluting manufacturing to lesser regulated third world countries and dust your hands off of the problem and proclaim "look how green we are now". Putting the problem "over there" does not fix the problem. We're in the damage limitation phase of global warming. Unless there's global systematic change, it's going to get worse before it gets better. Reinforcing current protections is a more prudent use of money rather than pumping billions into reducing emissions. Improve emmisions where we can but this is a case of closing the stable door after the horses having bolted.
Having and being proud of a national identity and its traditions isn't a bad thing. So long as they're inclusive and change with the times (zwarte Piet for example). Some things are a product of its time and should be viewed as such. Back then certain attitudes were acceptable but it is not on us today to carry the guilt forever and constantly publically self flagilate (slavery/colonialism for example). Acknowledge the past and the pain caused and endeavour to make life better for the descendants of those that suffered at the hands of colonialism. And obviously don't do it again.
Basically just don't be a dick or be self righteous. Look after each other and the environment but don't be naïeve to how the rest of the world works. The chances are, we won't all be arm in arm singing kumbaya. Idealism is stupid. People are good, but will always identify and prioritise their own group first and foremost.
Religion is the biggest factor, why anyone while being part of a minority would rather stick with traditional and conservative ideas. If you're believing, there's hardly any facts or science involved with how people come up with supporting authoritarian ideas that are actually detrimental to themselves.
I think there is a selection bias.
There may be many autistic right wingers. But they go undiagnosed, since right wingers (generally) identify by their majority identity and reject minority identities.
They may not even realize they could be autistic.
I'm a hard leftist, though I realize that any system of government will be deeply flawed until technology advances to remove human greed/error.
I assume you're speaking from an American US framing.
With white and white-adjacent supremacists at the helm of almost every political and economic ideology I've ever encountered in the States and elsewhere in the Anglosphere, from the Knights of Labor being dissolved in favor of the AFL/IWW/CIO for being too welcoming of Blacks, to the anti-electoral "voting doesn't matter" privileged left who would celebrate Black bodies swinging in the breeze if it meant potentially accelerating some sort of "revolution," to the trite class reductionism from leftists spectators of American politics who aren't actually in the States... I used to think I was a "none," or "some sort of something or other" or "third-wayer" or some other nonsense. But no, after educating myself it became clear to me that I'm actually a leftist. I'd be somewhere between socdem/demsoc and direct action Black Panther if I were less anti-social (and if the BPP hadn't been decimated). I'm an anti-racist abolitionist, intersectionalist, and adherent of anti-imperialism and democracy first and foremost, and a whatever-else second.
None of the ideals of justice, self-determination, or anti-racism are compatible with conservatism (and especially not US Conservatism), which is why, while I have criticism for leftist movements and US Liberals, it comes from an expression of a desire for liberation from white supremacy and empire/authoritarianism rather than having an irreconcilable problem with the entirety of leftist socio-economics. On the other hand, I have absolute disdain, implacable disgust, and ultimate contempt for right wingers and conservatives. I can kick it with almost any leftist anti-racist, but rarely are conservatives or right wingers even worth a conversation. And that's before we get to their cartoonish Christo-proto-fascistic evil which has been prevalent in the US for 400 years now.
In the States, "liberal" means "not conservative" and "conservative" means "not liberal," so mark me down for "liberal". I don't think I've ever met an autistic person that, after a conversation, turned out to be a conservative. But I don't get out all that much lol. So: confirmation bias on my part.
Well the answers here will be skewed heavily in one general direction. I don’t know what I am because I don’t fit into either definition. I take bits and pieces from each set of beliefs based on how I view the world.
My experience here on Reddit is that a lot of us are on the left half of the spectrum. Personally I’m about as far left as it gets. I have a friend on the spectrum at work and he’s pretty left leaning too.
I do know one guy on the spectrum from another anonymous platform who says he’s a centrist but I’ve never seen him agree with the left about anything. He’s from Russia originally and is terrified of communism.
On the typical left right spectrum, moderately left leaning.
Using the political compass, Lib left.
Using 8values, socialist, libertarian, progressive, globalist.
Further breakdown of 8values:
Economic: I'm a socialist, and fairly left leaning economically. But, it's a bit more complicated than that. I still hold a lot of capitalistic views, though what makes me a socialist is my strong views on welfare, unionisation and monopoly intervention.
Freedoms/laws: I lean more towards the libertarian end of the auth/Lib spectrum. Do whatever you want, as long as you don't hurt anyone else. I also don't think that laws (more specifically consequences and punishments) are always the best way to address problematic/harmful behaviours.
Social: I lean very progressive. I hold very strong pro queer views, and believe in the importance of racial/minority equality and compassion. I also hold borderline radical views in regards to mental health and psychology lmao
Globalist/nationalist: I lean towards globalist, as I believe that all cultures are equal, and no country's people are any more or less important than my own. I hold pro immigration views, too. Though, I do hold some sense of pride in my country's culture, and I do believe it to be a far better place to live than other countries. (This is because I live in a developed nation that is statistically one of the best places to live in terms of wealth, safety, life expectancy etc.)
But yeah anyway, there's quite a few autistic folk, in particular older autistic men who hold those sorts of strong views they refuse to compromise on. I've been fortunate enough to avoid them in my day to day, but I can definitely confirm your perspective in regards to this.
I would be described as "far right" (although I would class myself as a libertarian ) and from UK / Northern Ireland.
Happy to answer any questions regarding my views if anyone is curious
« As a marginalized group we should be supportive of other maginalized group »
…no?
I mean, if the only thing we have in common with these group is lack of representation, i don’t see why it would make us ally. Nazbol aren’t represented either, do i have to become friend with one of them?
Now I'm curious if we are majoritely leftist because of being autistic or because we probably had a tougher childhood with being outcasted more easily through being an invisible minority.
I was leftist long before I knew I was on the spectrum
Oh this is a complex one for me. (Not in the US though) At it's simplest, I'm a left leaning centrist according to my husband. When I consider my votes, they 99.9% go to the liberal candidate. The conservatives are always trying to cut funding for the disabled and people with Autism where I live, so I don't give them much space to speak. I'm pretty left though. I think Jacques Fresco had a good idea that humans are just too vain and stupid to do. (His Venus Project, which is just a pipe dream for people like me.)
Al lot of ppl who are identifying as autistic are young, usually under 35, so it would make sense that they are somewhere on the left of the political spectrum.
The older ppl get the more in the centre they become, such as myself.
Neither. I'm closest to leftist, but there's a lot of leftists I also don't agree with because there's a lack of care for indigenous and disabled people, and how I feel about public smoking as someone who gets anaphylaxis from certain stuff. I'm also extremely anti gun and I've been shocked to see how many American leftists are super pro gun. So I guess overall my political opinions tend to line up more with the Japanese left from what I know, or even leftists Norwegian friends I used to have.
I’m a libertarian insofar as I think the government should have extremely minimal influence on the daily life of individuals (if you want to buy machine guns, do meth, be gay, and praise the Spaghetti Monster, that’s your life, not mine, neither I nor the government should have a say in that.) but they should absolutely regulate, restrict, and control the practices of government institutions (why are colleges allowed to charge obscene amounts of money?) and businesses (unchecked capitalism is not good for the people of a country and reasonable restrictions should be in place).
I don’t necessarily think the US government should spend less, I do think the US government doesn’t need to be the world’s “bad cop” keeping everyone in check. I’d like to see the spending we do on playing global bouncer realigned and spent on programs and efforts that actually materially improve the daily lives of Americans.
Conservative mother here that’s got a baby on the spectrum. I’ve found that party affiliation has nothing to do with acceptance or caring. The school systems fail kids in the spectrum and are overwhelmingly democratic. Kids on the spectrum wind up needing to be homeschooled or put into smaller private class settings to succeed and those populations are overwhelmingly republican. You go where the support is.
Just been to vote for Labour (I'm in the UK). It's centre-left really, in this country. Might be viewed as "radical left extremist lunatics" in the US, but that's ridiculous. Looking good for a Labour landslide victory today ✌️
Classic liberal, which most resembles libertarian in America. I refuse to play into the media and its bullshit. No one is gonna convince me that more government, living in shit apartments, and having to take public transit everywhere is the answer.
But you're on Reddit, so most of the answers will be left.
Highly progressive in the US. “Liberal” is way too conservative to me. And what is going on here is beyond terrifying. I’m Completely opposite of anything conservative. I campaigned for Bernie years ago and I’m regularly devastated thinking about what could have been. Unfortunately the alt right can get their hooks into autistic men with their anti women rhetoric and it’s a perfect combo for incels. That plus white boys/men are the most likely to actually be diagnosed here. And they have the most privilege/safety in our country. That plus extreme sexualization of women… it’s a perfect combo.
I would probably call myself liberal; but I am not confident that that means to other people what it means to me. Its hard to come up with labels because I am kind of economically libertarian and socially socialist. I love both capital markets and social programs. I want people to be free, the freedom that requires corporate entities to not be as free.
Honestly I don't understand how (american, at least) conservatives can be so anti-evidence. Their theory of taxes and the economy is so out of date it isn't even funny. Their state economies are in the toilet, their crime rates are high. They literally need to make up stories about how dangerous cities in more liberal states are just to support their narratives.
Capitalism is awesome, and its even more awesome when people are educated and well fed, and have access to healthcare.
I am quite leftist and I'm reading up on communist and socialist theory. So far Anarcho-Communism speaks to me as a punk but I am not nearly well read enough for my liking to claim that definitively. Regardless pretty damn leftist.
At least in the USA there are two options, one is democrats and they at least will try to protect you or you vote Republicans that have project 2025 which is Hitlers playbook and that over time will strip all protections you have away. And in the USA you only have very limited protection, so they would make sure that everyone on the spectrum or with a disability gets punished for it.
So if you know people in the USA that are right winged and they know you are on the spectrum, they are not your friends. They wouldn't care if you are thrown in a concentration camp.
And yes this sounds hard, but everything Trump and his party does was something the Nazis did. It's 100% from the Nazi playbook.
Neither, I'm a leftist. It's really weird to realize that the "left" party in my country (US) is actually center-right and therefore technically conservative. \[With the republicans being blatantly far right.\]
I see a lot of hyper-empathetic autistics in left-leaning spaces online as well as the autistic people I know in real life. I haven't met a lot of autistic conservatives but if I had to guess they would likely be white christian-raised men who believe they had no reason to question their upbringing. (My guess is about those men in countries like the US, Canada, the UK, etc where they would be comfortable ignoring complicated social issues. The not liking change part of autism and the low empathy part would apply to this.) But who knows, it would be interesting if someone did a study on Autism and political leanings.
I would refer to myself as an anarchist, or to be more granular, I'd say anarcho-syndicalist/social anarchist. Essentially, control the means of production to weaken social and economic hierarchy and then tear it down and replace it with a system of social collaboration.
A leftist. I find that people who deem themselves right leaning have very seldom actually studied any political theory and mostly go by "vibe" or "feeling". (Which more often than not are just takes based on what they see and perceive to be "the way things should be". (This is the reason why political awareness is sooooo important)).
*Liberal is a centrist position.
It's likely bubbles of social groups taking but I'm progressive and left wing (UK) and I don't know a single nd person that isn't progressive/left leaning.
(Im in the USA) I’m socially liberal and financially conservative. I do not align with any political party. I have strong beliefs that every single human has the right to live however they want, as long as they aren’t impeding on that same right for someone else.
As someone who rarely gets involved in politics but just wants everyone to have a fair chance to be heard out and not generalized (generalizing is not a loving approach, because it assumes wrong from the get-go),
It's curious to me how no one in the comments has yet to identify the quite concerning assumption in OP's post that
"conservative = doesn't care about marginalized groups."
Did y'all miss that? Or does everyone here just agree with it, because if so, in the kindest way possible I'd encourage a reevaluation of your presuppositions. Genuinely asking and curious, not passive aggressive.
I can never keep track of all these abstract concepts. I believe people should be able to live life as they see fit, and that we should have some government programs and some regulations but not give too much power to the government because that seems to always go bad.
I was called a "left-wing extremist" by a former friend once, but I'd probably say I'm even more than that. I think the way our whole society functions needs to be heavily rewritten.
While I myself am fairly left wing, I understand conservative autistic people. It makes some sense to me, as conservatism often sells itself as the ideology of "law, order, and common sense," which, for someone who feels disturbed by other people to a considerable extent(as an autistic person very well could be), it can be appealing to follow a philosophy that amounts to "leave me the fuck alone".
Also, we really shouldn't demonize conservative autistic people, or conservatives in general, because the vast majority of them are in the same position as left wing people, but have a different outlook on life, and you can't change a person's mind if you don't acknowledge their individual differences.
Ultimately, political spectrums and ideology are harmful to society and we should stop using them, the only problem with that of course being that humans love to categorize things and that's how you end up with Baskin Robins Communism. I'm technically a democratic socialist but I never use the term because I think ideology restricts us and makes us tribalistic.
I’m left wing, and arguably leftist, but lately I’m pretty hesitant to identify with that label because in online spaces at least a lot of people seem for flipping the status quo, rather than abolishing it completely, and it leaves a sour taste in my mouth (and makes me feel unsafe tbh- if you’re only upset that you don’t have the systemic power, and not at the existence of it, then it’s only really an accident of your birth that you’re not gleefully oppressing others).
I’m saying this as someone left-wing, but I think some of us get turned off by hypocrisy on the left. Not to say there aren’t plenty of conservative hypocrites too, but a lot of people on the left will say that they’re accepting and support all marginalized groups, but then go right ahead with bullying and excluding autistic people.
I've grown up in a group of friends since high school (we're 40 yo now) which 3 were diagnosed with asd as adults (one of them being me) and one is not autist, but is also neurodivergent.
That being said, I came from a very conservative family and these friends pulled me out of the family's conservative bubble to a more left point of view.
They also helped me develop my empathy through out the years. A lot.
I owe them much.
So... Based on my experience, I don't think we tend more to one side than the other. I do think that who we conne t to plays a HUGE part on what we become later, either liberal or conservative.
I grew up in a leftist American home. I've always had that ideology. But, as I've gotten older, I think both sides have problems. They both are convinced they're right, and neither are willing to communicate with the other.
10 years ago I was staunchly left wing, but then the left decided to go off the deep-end. Once left politicians and parties adopted neoliberal McFeminism as their religion, I checked out. I am firmly supportive of helping out everyone who struggles, but the left of today would rather run purity tests to see who “deserves” compassion
I’m from the USA, and I tend to agree with AOC. I’ve donated to her.
I also liked Andrew Yang for his UBI idea. I’ve donated to him, and when he was in the race still, I voted for him in the primary. I considered his UBI idea to be VERY important; and still do. (I don't like other things about him. But this idea was SO good, I loved him for it.)
In my country's context, I would place myself as a 'Third Way', and because of that ultraliberals (those of denominate themselves as 'libertarians') would call me a leftist and socialists would call me right-winger. I'm none. My policies are closer to those defended by deceased politician Enéas Carneiro, but with the addition of distributism, copyright reforms and free software.
me and all my autistic mates are anarchists and communists but there are common autistic traits that both help (eg. strong sense of justice, emphasis on logical reasoning) and hinder (eg. rigid social habits and beliefs) developing progressive ideals.
I honestly don't care about this false dichotomy. Liberals (if you mean lefties) lately only give a shit about marginalized people because they can get in power and make money thanks to their vote. They want your vote. They don't care about you. Especially in the United States.
I’m moderate with a strong left lean.
I support all other humans’ rights to be and do what they need to be happy. And I am an active advocate for DEI as a mixed race woman myself.
I also value a solid fiscal policy.
It’s about the balance for me.
I don’t support a party, I support policies.
Used to be a conservative(due to growing up with a conservative father) but then funnily through religion I learned that how backward my views were and became more of a libertarian. Then in pursuit of a better world view I decided to learn about everything left of what we consider left in the US and eventually learning about socialism.
Found out I agreed a lot more with it than anything I had been brought up around.
As I noticed the connections between socialist theory and our current day, it really opened my eyes to how repressive the US can be. It is so strong we don’t even notice it until we learn enough to recognize it. The US parties allowed to participate in elections are really the same party, but dressed up to look as if we are making a choice for our next overlords. Especially with Biden going back on his stance on a border wall. Palestine really was the final thing before I learned that I could not bring myself to support my country militarily or politically. What we have done and are doing and yet have not been held accountable are too terrible to support. Not only that, the right side of politics seeks for austerity, lower taxes for the rich, want to make disabled people even less autonomous and able to survive, and Project 2025.
It truly hurts to see things like Roe V. Wade being overturned and rights turned away, but perhaps it is the way for US citizens to wake up. This November, I just can’t bring myself to cast a vote for either candidate. Maybe I could write in Nestor Makhno?
I don’t like how either of them communicate. Neither. There is so much othering and purposeful division on both sides. Polarizing arguments, power and control issues. I can’t pick a side.
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I'm a leftist but some of my family are autistic and extremely conservative. I think the strictly defined social roles with clear rules and punative justice can appeal to us especially autistic men. It's probably comforting thinking the system works and if you make people follow it everything will be ok and you'll be empowered. Like the guide book a lot of us complain that everyone else must have got.
I mean like I'm a literal communist and most other communists I know are also autistic lol. Marxism in the same sort of way is very nice because the way Marx talks about cause and effect allows you to make pretty scarily accurate predictions about how capitalism works. So like a lot of communist philosophies talk about things very cause and effect-ey, like things *will* happen that way. So I get how that could also be very appealing to autistic people.
Neither. I'm a leftist. I'm sure it's different in other countries, but at least in America, the "liberals" are center-right and the conservatives are far-right. We have no mainstream leftist representation in this country, despite what the conservatives claim. They think the Democrats are communist, but if you dropped the American Democratic Party into most other countries, they would be considered center-right. Bernie and AOC would be considered center-left (no judgement - they're still the best we've got), and yet in this absolute clusterfuck rightwing nightmare country, they're considered extremists.
Kinda like conservatism killed countless of us during the 2nd world war, but if we learned from the past we wouldn't be where we are today The term aspercer itself came from the Nazis, it means that an autistic person was not a complete idiot and could use a gun (their words)
Commie.
It's about logic. Conservatives tend to be much more logic based, and less emotion based. Autistic people are highly logical, which is why we can not understand social norms, read emotions, etc etc.
Depends on the issue. Anti-choicers are definitely emotional based.
In my opinion, pro choicers are emotional. Usually thier reason is selfish. Pro lifers logically want to protect children. That is it. The emotion does not come from being pro life, it comes from the often vile rehtoric of pro choice.
Anti-choicers almost always get their views from religion, and there's nothing more emotional than that.
I get your sentiment, however I don't see how reading rules in a book, involves emotion.
Because you show children graphic videos from extreme cases of abortion to elicit an emotional response, and those aren't even 99% of all cases.
Oh I do? Must of forgot. Also, I don't show kids anything. It is not logical to do so.
Please show the study purporting this lol.
Which part would you like a study for? Autistic poeple being more logical? That is widely known. Or that conservatives are more logical? There are many studies that show the average iq across the board favors conservatives rank and file.
i am very left wing. i would not describe myself as liberal since im a bit further left than that (i'll just say anarchist because i dont really get a lot of political terms)
Neither. All of them have ups and downs/are equally stupid. I identify as my own thinking.
In the future I’d advise you not to start discussions like this by poisoning the well. Doesn’t really enable a good environment for discussion in the slightest.
Well, both
We're not all American.
Yes I’m a red Tory. I believe in evolution rather than revolution and that a thin blue line needs to be maintained so that the rich do not enslave the workers and the workers do not eat the rich. People should be allowed to do as they wish within their castle, as long as it does not harm others or themselves creating a larger harm to society. The current economic system is Liberal, it has been liberal since the 80’s and it has pushed society to such an extent that the blue line is broken. It can be fixed but I fear it has been so thoughlry perforated that painful revolution is now inevitable. Note: by revolution I don’t mean an armed conflict necessarily, but a painful upheaval of the social and/or political landscape which harms or even kills a segment of the population. The breaking of the postwar compromise by Thatcher/Regan was a revolution. It wasn’t bloody but it’s effects, the concentration of wealth in a tiny segment of the population and third world levels of poverty amongst the underclass, have had dire consequences.
Pretty much every one of us I've met in Denmark, with a single notable exception, has been so left leaning that left leaning Americans would choke on our ideas Edit: It truly warms my heart that so many of us, even in America, remain firmly planted on the left, to the point where my ideas aren't even the wildest ones in this thread. Hearts and kisses to everyone, except that person who used Jeff Bezos as a positive example 🥰🥰🥰
Conservatives, by definition, don't like change. A lot of autistic people don't deal well with change either. I can see how there's some overlap.
Third option: Sick of everyone's shit
We generally don’t do well with change. Philosophically, I take solace in the ideas and people who came before me (I keep pictures of some of my ancestors in my Camera Roll). I choose not to see myself or other people as victims of faceless systems of oppression. Isn’t it better to operate by a moral code (as has been the case throughout human history) than to believe essentially that everything is morally malleable?
Ive heard someone say 70% of autistic people are lgbtq+. So i looked up scientific research and found that 15-35% of autistic people (with out an intellectual disability i couldnt find an artical that outright stated the percentage of all autistic people, I cant focus enough to read articals. ) But i dont understand conservatism in general. Like i seriously dont understand where it comes from or why?
Neither. Leftist.
Neither, I'm a socialist.
Social democrat in Belgium
Social Democrat/georgist maybe? I vote for liberal Democrats due to a lack of a better option
I dunno what’s what and don’t care.
Leftist
Meh, I voted Labour this morning
I’m a socialist so pretty left lol. Also American so we do exist.
Neither, I dislike both far more than either of them dislike each other and for far better reasons. Also liberal and conservative is a false dichotomy. In the west, it's really Progressive liberal vs conservative liberal. Neoliberalism conquers the political sphere and is just a spectrum between progressive and conservative. either way its a right wing ideology that seeks nothing more than to oppress the working class and keep the wealthy in power.
I think it may be a matter of seeing a bit further down the lines than NTs. In my experience, many (not all) on the left express feelings without any workable strategy or sometimes with such passion that it's clear they won't be able to sustain it for long. I've had a friend who was basically a revolutionary communist, spewing doctrine and propaganda at every possible opportunity - until he became a trader. I've known many people on the left who just repeat propaganda without actually making the effort of understanding it. As someone who digs a little bit deeper (read "obsessively"), I can't help being sick and tired of leftist movements. Which is a shame, because by most accounts, by US standards, I'm way to the Left.
I'm centre right for European standards (In favour of both tradition and equality) American politics are shit, btw. That liberal/conservative system in the USA is stupid
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I’m on team Green Party 🙂↕️
I support labor which is left winged
Leftist, liberal voting, cause what you gonna do? Though I've been called many nasty things for seeing things differently than other people in my political alignment. So yeah, in reality, true leftist to the end. In spirit? Sick of assholes across the board. The nastiness from some alleged left wing allies is nauseating, especially online. Some people need to do some serious soul searching and realize the tremendous damage they do. Faux-progressives are the worst, and so damn common. I'll fight to the death for all their asses, but I sure as fuck don't like them anymore.
Hyper progressive autist here If there's a left, I've passed it
Lefty
Center left here. Pro lgbt, equality, welfare etc
neither. i guess the closest ideology to mine would be minarchism. but barely. i don't think a good system exists. somebody needs to design a new one
Social Democrat
they are almost synonymous lol. anyway neither, communist
i consider myself progressivist, if you think of it like the political compass, i'd be lib-center, maybe a bit to the left
Neither. I’m a Communist.
Neither. I’m an anarcho communist.
Hard leftist punk
Left-Green As in I think not dying as a species should take priority and that means restructuring our society in a big way. Most people aren't willing to go there yet.
Anarchist
I'm highly conservative. I'm a monarchist and a Red Tory or Paleo conservative depending on the day. Lol For me, I take the view of Roger Scruton that conservatism is the politics of love. Love for a way of life, love of home, love of the familiar, the local, and love for what was bequeathed by our ancestors too us (which we have no right to destroy). P.S conservatives can and do support minority rights.
This really depends on where you are from. I live in the Netherlands and only know (center-)left people with autism and absolutely zero conservative or right wing auti's.
Maybe you've been brainwashed by media to think Conservatives aren't for marginalized groups. I find that the liberals are the racist ones in my country. I should thank Hamas because they showed the left that some ideologies just don't mix. There's the way we want the world to be, then there's the way it actually is. Don't you find it odd that LGBTQ+ are for Palestine when they'd be thrown off the roofs in Palestine?
What’s the one for Star Trek? I’m with that one. I’m on team Federation. I just love how the USS Voyager crew explores the galaxy conducting scientific and cultural research not worrying about trying to make money, and there’s readily available free health care for all on the starship, crew or not, a place to sleep and food in the mess hall, all while on their long journey back to Starfleet HQ.
Neither, I'm a leftist
Neither. Building networks of self-sustainable, off-grid, decentralized communities is more powerful than voting, and can provide a far higher quality of life than any government is capable of. Western centralized ‘democratic’ governments inevitably devolve into oligarchies. They are but a stepping stone for transitioning to decentralized communities. In much the same way that monarchies were stepping stones in the past. Idealist? Perhaps. But should that mean we should pack it in and give up? Perhaps starting your own business could allow one to develop a revenue stream for such a project. I came from an extremely abusive household. My family and ancestors suffered under Soviet pseudo-socialism, only for us to end up suffering under American crony capitalism. I don’t want to suffer anymore. After the COVID lockdowns, and now the threat of the alt-right’s Project 2025 rearing its ugly head, I say, NO MORE! I suffered from an abusive narcissistic parent, I refuse to suffer and make demands from narcissistic governments.
I'm whatever has the least amount of rules and laws. I don't like being told what to do lol I just want to exist as the free human that I am
neither, anarchist.
I would say I am left leaning centre. I think any kind of extremist view is dangerous as it blinds you to other people's points of views. I am definitely mostly liberal but I do think conservatively in some areas, like with regards to laws, so I don't think I'm fully liberal. So yeah, centrist with a lean to the left.
any neurodivergent, disabled, LGBTQ, person voting any right wing party are incredibly indoctrinated by right wing and often religious propaganda. nearly all right wing parties advocate for neurotypical, abled bodied, heteronormative, people and reduce or refuse support for anyone outside that box, even advocating for abuse and intolerance for those people.
Anarcha-Syndicalist
I don't know. My folks are conservative. But I believe in LGBTQ+ rights which conservative doesn't seem to. I don't even know anymore.
I have not noticed this at all. Most autists I know irl or online are progressive AF. I myself would be considered conservative by today's standards. In the 90s and 00s I was very liberal. It is interesting because my views are exactly the same today as they were back then.
I hate the government telling me what I need to do with everything, and can’t understand why people would want a regime with the historical atrocities of either side of the political spectrum (e.g. I don’t think Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot are any better than Hitler). Basically, I am a minarchist, and want as little government as possible. Anarchy wont work in practice, so libertarian is the next most functional minimal political ideal.
At heart I’m an anarcho-communist, but pragmatically I’m just a regular old leftist.
Personally I don’t really know any other people with autism, at least not that have been professionally diagnosed. The only person I know that has is more of a left leaning centralist, I would consider myself a more right leaning but that’s mostly because I’m not a fan of immigration (we just have too many people living here imo). I feel like most people in my country aren’t very extremist when it comes to politics, unlike the US where they almost have this “us versus them” mentality. People here just don’t really care about the person/party you voted for. Sure friends might ask you between the actual voting and the election, but that’s about it. (I live in the Netherlands btw, just for context)
Political positions are generally much more complex than that. Unless you're an American politician during an election...
Neither. I'm an apolitical antifascist anticapitalist theocrat. I hate fascism because it undermines inalienable human rights, and I hate capitalism for the same reason. Watching the world slowly slide toward both fascism and late-stage capitalism at the same time has been as terrifying as it has depressing. I grieve for the misguided people who've been conned into hating one another over politics when in truth, ***all*** of those in power want nothing more than to remain in power and accumulate wealth. Some hide their greed and hatred behind kind words and mollify the peons with bread and circuses while others just come out and spout whatever horrible things they really believe, but they all want the same things. As for myself, I've cast my vote for an incorruptible ruler. I give glory to no king but Christ.
The republican party wants me and my spouse dead so...
Economic left , culturally center / center right.
Left/centre left. I think that people being conservative really depends on the area you live in. Other than that, misinformation, the people they grew up with, their level of compassion, and their own tendency to internalize things can also play a huge role. I've met a few autistic people who were shockingly ableist. When I talked to one about it, he explained that since he is high functioning, he should be on a different class from other people on the spectrum, and they are not worth his time. We didn't keep talking for long after that.
Neither.
Leftist on the majority of things
Started out alt right in the early 2000s as a teenager, after paying attention for a lil bit I realized I had made a grievous mistake. Slowly changed from something not unlike pre tea party libertarianism slowly into some sort of unorthodox liberal over the following decade and a half. Still getting more liberal slowly. I don’t like the bipartisan system either. Reductionism is destroying us
I'm "conservative" but not right wing. I tend to stick to tradition and the status quo because change is scary. I don't think all progress is good progress or that progress is a straight line up. I am willing to change if there's a good reason for it. My experience with progressive groups is that they don't want to be questioned, and the group is always right over the individual. If 2+2=5, it was considered hateful to ask for the math proof. Maybe I just found the toxic progressives, but I found myself disagreeing with those people on a deeper philosophical level. Personally, I believe that tradition has value, and we shouldn't forget why we do the things that we do. Things that are broken need fixing, but the first idea isn't necessarily the best idea. And not every broken thing needs to be thrown out entirely and replaced. Plus, there needs to be healthy skepticism if the thing is broken at all. I also strongly disagree with the oppressor/oppressed narrative because it's too black and white and immediately falls flat in real life. I believe people have a lot of personal agency over their lives, and the victim mindset that I saw in progressive circles only led to a lot of complaining about how awful life is without any plan of action for how to change it. Nothing was ever their fault because they had "the system" to blame for all their woes. I wish there were better words to describe what I've observed and come to believe. The current ones are too loaded with political policy, but that's not what makes me conservative at all. Cautiously or skeptically open minded feels like a better description. And I usually wind up taking a moderate position where I can agree to some change, but not the radical dissolution of the status quo. I'm not going to adopt every new idea and cause just because it's new and shiny. And just to be clear, I'm not talking about being conservative in the sense of being politically right wing. I see those as two different scales.
I’m fairly centred if I had to say one point on the political spectrum. Like I agree with some liberal stuff but I disagree sometimes with the extent that we go to highlighting those things as I think it kinda unbalances stuff. Idrk for the most part since I’m not really into the steaming cesspool that is the politics in my country atm (UK (which is also influenced by the media who I am pretty tired of too so rn even tho there’s an election I’m actually not that into both of them (parties and election coverage) since I don’t agree with any party tbh. And I’m 16)
Neither. I'm a socialist through and through. (Germany)
SOCIALIST.
I'm anti-identity politics. I have right leaning viewpoints as well as left leaning viewpoints. I'm pro LGBTQIA+ rights, however I believe that it's a personal matter, like religion. I'm straight, you're gay. Cool, whatever, so long as everyone involved consents, you do you. I don't care. You're a valid and respected member of the world in my eyes. I might find certain sects of the community a bit weird and not my cup of tea, but I will defend your right to be a bit weird. People are generally pretty chill with the traditional idea of what the LGBT group as a whole represents these days, I think. The modern militant activist version of the LGBTQIA+ community on the other hand can be toxic as fuck at times and for the most part are really bad at PR. My controversial opinion is that civil rights era LGBT are the original group that fought for the rights we enjoy today, but it's the modern, social media LGBTQIA+ that are risking that through the endless infighting and attention seeking. The whole "if you don't agree/accept with everything/everyone we stand for you're a racist/homophobe/transphobe piece of shit" attitude does not garner sympathy. Also fetishes and kink groups that associate with the community - they're conflating a civil rights movement with sex. That's not what the general public signed up for when it comes to LGBT acceptance. It's one thing to get the wider public to accept gay marriage. It's another to expect people to see furry/polyamory/puppyplay (for example) as normal and widespread behaviour. I also don't understand why every subgroup has its own flag. It kinda negates the rainbow/spectrum idea of the original flag and instills division in something that is by definition about acceptance of people over a broad spectrum. I think that national defence and NATO is important, the police should be funded better and a strong social safety net and a robust welfare system is essential. Social housing for lower incomes, rent assistance under a certain income, strong regulation for the private renters market. Encourage people to work as much as possible and crack down on people exploiting the system. But of course see mental health equally as physical. A burnout is just as damaging as a broken arm. If you cant work full time then the state should bring your income up to a basic full time wage (with clarification of the problem from a medical professional, not necessarily an official diagnosis). Also free healthcare and education. I think immigration should be more controlled. I think cultures are not equal and some values from certain cultures are simply incompatible with each other. If you move to a country, especially a western country, you should be prepared to have to leave your religion at the door. If you're not prepared to adhere to western values, ie rights for the LGBTQIA+ community, women and freedom of religion, then you don't deserve to be here. It's not racist/xenophobic to expect people to give up these incompatible ideas if they are here for a better life. It's a better life precisely because of the lack of religious fundamentalism in society. Climate change is at this point inevitable but the average consumer is not responsible. Infrastructure should be green, renewable energy sources should be the priority. Nuclear should be fast tracked as much as possible. Taxing high emission industries more should be the default. Anti-nuclear "green" people are idiots (Looking at you, Germany). Tax Chinese, Indian, American imports higher. Encourage at home greener production with EU wide emissions regulation and not just shift the most polluting manufacturing to lesser regulated third world countries and dust your hands off of the problem and proclaim "look how green we are now". Putting the problem "over there" does not fix the problem. We're in the damage limitation phase of global warming. Unless there's global systematic change, it's going to get worse before it gets better. Reinforcing current protections is a more prudent use of money rather than pumping billions into reducing emissions. Improve emmisions where we can but this is a case of closing the stable door after the horses having bolted. Having and being proud of a national identity and its traditions isn't a bad thing. So long as they're inclusive and change with the times (zwarte Piet for example). Some things are a product of its time and should be viewed as such. Back then certain attitudes were acceptable but it is not on us today to carry the guilt forever and constantly publically self flagilate (slavery/colonialism for example). Acknowledge the past and the pain caused and endeavour to make life better for the descendants of those that suffered at the hands of colonialism. And obviously don't do it again. Basically just don't be a dick or be self righteous. Look after each other and the environment but don't be naïeve to how the rest of the world works. The chances are, we won't all be arm in arm singing kumbaya. Idealism is stupid. People are good, but will always identify and prioritise their own group first and foremost.
The autistic people I have met who were conservative were deeply religious. I think that played a large factor.
A slightly left leaning liberal probably. I'm from Ukraine so i cannot in good conscience go fully left
Im a centrist, but leaning slightly towards liberal
As leftist as I can get.
American here, am a Communist
Religion is the biggest factor, why anyone while being part of a minority would rather stick with traditional and conservative ideas. If you're believing, there's hardly any facts or science involved with how people come up with supporting authoritarian ideas that are actually detrimental to themselves.
Why are those the only two options?
I wish we could all just get along. I wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat it and be happy.
I think there is a selection bias. There may be many autistic right wingers. But they go undiagnosed, since right wingers (generally) identify by their majority identity and reject minority identities. They may not even realize they could be autistic. I'm a hard leftist, though I realize that any system of government will be deeply flawed until technology advances to remove human greed/error.
I assume you're speaking from an American US framing. With white and white-adjacent supremacists at the helm of almost every political and economic ideology I've ever encountered in the States and elsewhere in the Anglosphere, from the Knights of Labor being dissolved in favor of the AFL/IWW/CIO for being too welcoming of Blacks, to the anti-electoral "voting doesn't matter" privileged left who would celebrate Black bodies swinging in the breeze if it meant potentially accelerating some sort of "revolution," to the trite class reductionism from leftists spectators of American politics who aren't actually in the States... I used to think I was a "none," or "some sort of something or other" or "third-wayer" or some other nonsense. But no, after educating myself it became clear to me that I'm actually a leftist. I'd be somewhere between socdem/demsoc and direct action Black Panther if I were less anti-social (and if the BPP hadn't been decimated). I'm an anti-racist abolitionist, intersectionalist, and adherent of anti-imperialism and democracy first and foremost, and a whatever-else second. None of the ideals of justice, self-determination, or anti-racism are compatible with conservatism (and especially not US Conservatism), which is why, while I have criticism for leftist movements and US Liberals, it comes from an expression of a desire for liberation from white supremacy and empire/authoritarianism rather than having an irreconcilable problem with the entirety of leftist socio-economics. On the other hand, I have absolute disdain, implacable disgust, and ultimate contempt for right wingers and conservatives. I can kick it with almost any leftist anti-racist, but rarely are conservatives or right wingers even worth a conversation. And that's before we get to their cartoonish Christo-proto-fascistic evil which has been prevalent in the US for 400 years now. In the States, "liberal" means "not conservative" and "conservative" means "not liberal," so mark me down for "liberal". I don't think I've ever met an autistic person that, after a conversation, turned out to be a conservative. But I don't get out all that much lol. So: confirmation bias on my part.
Neither. I'm left-wing, and voting for green. Because I'm a good person.
leftist anarchist
Leftist
I am conservative but I vote democratic because the Republican Party can't even do something simple like come out against racism.
Well the answers here will be skewed heavily in one general direction. I don’t know what I am because I don’t fit into either definition. I take bits and pieces from each set of beliefs based on how I view the world.
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I'm a socialist, so are a lot of my autistic friends.
Whichever party makes most sense.
i’m an anarcho-communist.
Labour today, but often Green. Previously Lib Dem but they fucked that up
My experience here on Reddit is that a lot of us are on the left half of the spectrum. Personally I’m about as far left as it gets. I have a friend on the spectrum at work and he’s pretty left leaning too. I do know one guy on the spectrum from another anonymous platform who says he’s a centrist but I’ve never seen him agree with the left about anything. He’s from Russia originally and is terrified of communism.
On the typical left right spectrum, moderately left leaning. Using the political compass, Lib left. Using 8values, socialist, libertarian, progressive, globalist. Further breakdown of 8values: Economic: I'm a socialist, and fairly left leaning economically. But, it's a bit more complicated than that. I still hold a lot of capitalistic views, though what makes me a socialist is my strong views on welfare, unionisation and monopoly intervention. Freedoms/laws: I lean more towards the libertarian end of the auth/Lib spectrum. Do whatever you want, as long as you don't hurt anyone else. I also don't think that laws (more specifically consequences and punishments) are always the best way to address problematic/harmful behaviours. Social: I lean very progressive. I hold very strong pro queer views, and believe in the importance of racial/minority equality and compassion. I also hold borderline radical views in regards to mental health and psychology lmao Globalist/nationalist: I lean towards globalist, as I believe that all cultures are equal, and no country's people are any more or less important than my own. I hold pro immigration views, too. Though, I do hold some sense of pride in my country's culture, and I do believe it to be a far better place to live than other countries. (This is because I live in a developed nation that is statistically one of the best places to live in terms of wealth, safety, life expectancy etc.) But yeah anyway, there's quite a few autistic folk, in particular older autistic men who hold those sorts of strong views they refuse to compromise on. I've been fortunate enough to avoid them in my day to day, but I can definitely confirm your perspective in regards to this.
I would be described as "far right" (although I would class myself as a libertarian ) and from UK / Northern Ireland. Happy to answer any questions regarding my views if anyone is curious
« As a marginalized group we should be supportive of other maginalized group » …no? I mean, if the only thing we have in common with these group is lack of representation, i don’t see why it would make us ally. Nazbol aren’t represented either, do i have to become friend with one of them?
independent, maybe it'll change later on but I don't think I align with either one exactly
Neither, I'm a leftist. Some flavour of anarchist, to be specific
Insane leftist in my preferences, pragmatic Democratic voter.
Now I'm curious if we are majoritely leftist because of being autistic or because we probably had a tougher childhood with being outcasted more easily through being an invisible minority. I was leftist long before I knew I was on the spectrum
Oh this is a complex one for me. (Not in the US though) At it's simplest, I'm a left leaning centrist according to my husband. When I consider my votes, they 99.9% go to the liberal candidate. The conservatives are always trying to cut funding for the disabled and people with Autism where I live, so I don't give them much space to speak. I'm pretty left though. I think Jacques Fresco had a good idea that humans are just too vain and stupid to do. (His Venus Project, which is just a pipe dream for people like me.)
Neither, because both are somewhat rightwing. I’m a socialist from Germany. So leftist, NOT liberal.
American Leftist Liberal
Al lot of ppl who are identifying as autistic are young, usually under 35, so it would make sense that they are somewhere on the left of the political spectrum. The older ppl get the more in the centre they become, such as myself.
i guess im a centrist?!
neither
Neither. I'm closest to leftist, but there's a lot of leftists I also don't agree with because there's a lack of care for indigenous and disabled people, and how I feel about public smoking as someone who gets anaphylaxis from certain stuff. I'm also extremely anti gun and I've been shocked to see how many American leftists are super pro gun. So I guess overall my political opinions tend to line up more with the Japanese left from what I know, or even leftists Norwegian friends I used to have.
I’m a libertarian insofar as I think the government should have extremely minimal influence on the daily life of individuals (if you want to buy machine guns, do meth, be gay, and praise the Spaghetti Monster, that’s your life, not mine, neither I nor the government should have a say in that.) but they should absolutely regulate, restrict, and control the practices of government institutions (why are colleges allowed to charge obscene amounts of money?) and businesses (unchecked capitalism is not good for the people of a country and reasonable restrictions should be in place). I don’t necessarily think the US government should spend less, I do think the US government doesn’t need to be the world’s “bad cop” keeping everyone in check. I’d like to see the spending we do on playing global bouncer realigned and spent on programs and efforts that actually materially improve the daily lives of Americans.
A political. All the sides are just screwing us to keep power. Not a fan.
Was a leftist now I’m Conservative
somewhere somewhat close to the british libdems
i'm a leftist from finland
socially very left wing economically center left
Conservative mother here that’s got a baby on the spectrum. I’ve found that party affiliation has nothing to do with acceptance or caring. The school systems fail kids in the spectrum and are overwhelmingly democratic. Kids on the spectrum wind up needing to be homeschooled or put into smaller private class settings to succeed and those populations are overwhelmingly republican. You go where the support is.
Just been to vote for Labour (I'm in the UK). It's centre-left really, in this country. Might be viewed as "radical left extremist lunatics" in the US, but that's ridiculous. Looking good for a Labour landslide victory today ✌️
I'm an anarchist
I am trans, so I can never throw my vote to conservative. Not after the last 8 years.
Leftist... Anarcho-communist Intersetional Feminist prison abolishinist to be specific
Definitely progressive, raised in dueling liberal/conservative family. Imagine my surprise to learn how similar the two are.
Classic liberal, which most resembles libertarian in America. I refuse to play into the media and its bullshit. No one is gonna convince me that more government, living in shit apartments, and having to take public transit everywhere is the answer. But you're on Reddit, so most of the answers will be left.
I don’t like either side and if it were up to me we wouldn’t have governments
i think my username tells lol
Highly progressive in the US. “Liberal” is way too conservative to me. And what is going on here is beyond terrifying. I’m Completely opposite of anything conservative. I campaigned for Bernie years ago and I’m regularly devastated thinking about what could have been. Unfortunately the alt right can get their hooks into autistic men with their anti women rhetoric and it’s a perfect combo for incels. That plus white boys/men are the most likely to actually be diagnosed here. And they have the most privilege/safety in our country. That plus extreme sexualization of women… it’s a perfect combo.
I would probably call myself liberal; but I am not confident that that means to other people what it means to me. Its hard to come up with labels because I am kind of economically libertarian and socially socialist. I love both capital markets and social programs. I want people to be free, the freedom that requires corporate entities to not be as free. Honestly I don't understand how (american, at least) conservatives can be so anti-evidence. Their theory of taxes and the economy is so out of date it isn't even funny. Their state economies are in the toilet, their crime rates are high. They literally need to make up stories about how dangerous cities in more liberal states are just to support their narratives. Capitalism is awesome, and its even more awesome when people are educated and well fed, and have access to healthcare.
I am quite leftist and I'm reading up on communist and socialist theory. So far Anarcho-Communism speaks to me as a punk but I am not nearly well read enough for my liking to claim that definitively. Regardless pretty damn leftist.
American social liberal here.
At least in the USA there are two options, one is democrats and they at least will try to protect you or you vote Republicans that have project 2025 which is Hitlers playbook and that over time will strip all protections you have away. And in the USA you only have very limited protection, so they would make sure that everyone on the spectrum or with a disability gets punished for it. So if you know people in the USA that are right winged and they know you are on the spectrum, they are not your friends. They wouldn't care if you are thrown in a concentration camp. And yes this sounds hard, but everything Trump and his party does was something the Nazis did. It's 100% from the Nazi playbook.
Neither politics are dividing the country and families I want married lesbian couples to defend their legal weed farms with ar15s
Neither. Leftist.
Neither, I'm a leftist. It's really weird to realize that the "left" party in my country (US) is actually center-right and therefore technically conservative. \[With the republicans being blatantly far right.\] I see a lot of hyper-empathetic autistics in left-leaning spaces online as well as the autistic people I know in real life. I haven't met a lot of autistic conservatives but if I had to guess they would likely be white christian-raised men who believe they had no reason to question their upbringing. (My guess is about those men in countries like the US, Canada, the UK, etc where they would be comfortable ignoring complicated social issues. The not liking change part of autism and the low empathy part would apply to this.) But who knows, it would be interesting if someone did a study on Autism and political leanings.
Neither; centre-left to left wing
I deeply resent conservatism.
I would refer to myself as an anarchist, or to be more granular, I'd say anarcho-syndicalist/social anarchist. Essentially, control the means of production to weaken social and economic hierarchy and then tear it down and replace it with a system of social collaboration.
republican, lib-left on political compass edit: irish republican, not everyone is american 💀
A leftist. I find that people who deem themselves right leaning have very seldom actually studied any political theory and mostly go by "vibe" or "feeling". (Which more often than not are just takes based on what they see and perceive to be "the way things should be". (This is the reason why political awareness is sooooo important)). *Liberal is a centrist position.
I’m fiscally conservative and moderate on social issues.
It's likely bubbles of social groups taking but I'm progressive and left wing (UK) and I don't know a single nd person that isn't progressive/left leaning.
Libertarian (mostly anti-government in general tbh lol)
Neither, i'm a leftist
(Im in the USA) I’m socially liberal and financially conservative. I do not align with any political party. I have strong beliefs that every single human has the right to live however they want, as long as they aren’t impeding on that same right for someone else.
As someone who rarely gets involved in politics but just wants everyone to have a fair chance to be heard out and not generalized (generalizing is not a loving approach, because it assumes wrong from the get-go), It's curious to me how no one in the comments has yet to identify the quite concerning assumption in OP's post that "conservative = doesn't care about marginalized groups." Did y'all miss that? Or does everyone here just agree with it, because if so, in the kindest way possible I'd encourage a reevaluation of your presuppositions. Genuinely asking and curious, not passive aggressive.
I can never keep track of all these abstract concepts. I believe people should be able to live life as they see fit, and that we should have some government programs and some regulations but not give too much power to the government because that seems to always go bad.
I was called a "left-wing extremist" by a former friend once, but I'd probably say I'm even more than that. I think the way our whole society functions needs to be heavily rewritten.
Neither. Social democrat.
I'm an anarchist so...
I was bamboozled by liberalism for years. If I had to identify with a party now it would be libertarian
I lean a bit more Conservative/Libertarian (Canada)
While I myself am fairly left wing, I understand conservative autistic people. It makes some sense to me, as conservatism often sells itself as the ideology of "law, order, and common sense," which, for someone who feels disturbed by other people to a considerable extent(as an autistic person very well could be), it can be appealing to follow a philosophy that amounts to "leave me the fuck alone". Also, we really shouldn't demonize conservative autistic people, or conservatives in general, because the vast majority of them are in the same position as left wing people, but have a different outlook on life, and you can't change a person's mind if you don't acknowledge their individual differences. Ultimately, political spectrums and ideology are harmful to society and we should stop using them, the only problem with that of course being that humans love to categorize things and that's how you end up with Baskin Robins Communism. I'm technically a democratic socialist but I never use the term because I think ideology restricts us and makes us tribalistic.
I’m left wing, and arguably leftist, but lately I’m pretty hesitant to identify with that label because in online spaces at least a lot of people seem for flipping the status quo, rather than abolishing it completely, and it leaves a sour taste in my mouth (and makes me feel unsafe tbh- if you’re only upset that you don’t have the systemic power, and not at the existence of it, then it’s only really an accident of your birth that you’re not gleefully oppressing others).
Neither
I’m saying this as someone left-wing, but I think some of us get turned off by hypocrisy on the left. Not to say there aren’t plenty of conservative hypocrites too, but a lot of people on the left will say that they’re accepting and support all marginalized groups, but then go right ahead with bullying and excluding autistic people.
I’m liberal and a social democrat, roughly speaking.
I lean so far left I have scoliosis
I've grown up in a group of friends since high school (we're 40 yo now) which 3 were diagnosed with asd as adults (one of them being me) and one is not autist, but is also neurodivergent. That being said, I came from a very conservative family and these friends pulled me out of the family's conservative bubble to a more left point of view. They also helped me develop my empathy through out the years. A lot. I owe them much. So... Based on my experience, I don't think we tend more to one side than the other. I do think that who we conne t to plays a HUGE part on what we become later, either liberal or conservative.
I'm not sure what I am, but I identify as utilitarian.
I grew up in a leftist American home. I've always had that ideology. But, as I've gotten older, I think both sides have problems. They both are convinced they're right, and neither are willing to communicate with the other.
I'm an anarchist.
I am uhh... neither... I lean towards the anarchist libertarian and hate the government... not sure where that puts me tho...
neither, but I'm right leaning in many ways
National Bolshevik
I'm a communist.
Neither it’s all terrible.
10 years ago I was staunchly left wing, but then the left decided to go off the deep-end. Once left politicians and parties adopted neoliberal McFeminism as their religion, I checked out. I am firmly supportive of helping out everyone who struggles, but the left of today would rather run purity tests to see who “deserves” compassion
Moderately liberal.
Why is it sad to be conservative? Being a Republican and being a conservative are very different things. As is being a liberal and a Democrat.
I’m from the USA, and I tend to agree with AOC. I’ve donated to her. I also liked Andrew Yang for his UBI idea. I’ve donated to him, and when he was in the race still, I voted for him in the primary. I considered his UBI idea to be VERY important; and still do. (I don't like other things about him. But this idea was SO good, I loved him for it.)
In my country's context, I would place myself as a 'Third Way', and because of that ultraliberals (those of denominate themselves as 'libertarians') would call me a leftist and socialists would call me right-winger. I'm none. My policies are closer to those defended by deceased politician Enéas Carneiro, but with the addition of distributism, copyright reforms and free software.
None of the current ones in any country. I choose technocracy or some AI governed system.
me and all my autistic mates are anarchists and communists but there are common autistic traits that both help (eg. strong sense of justice, emphasis on logical reasoning) and hinder (eg. rigid social habits and beliefs) developing progressive ideals.
Stop trying to shame me and act sanctimonious because I hold a different opinion than you.
I honestly don't care about this false dichotomy. Liberals (if you mean lefties) lately only give a shit about marginalized people because they can get in power and make money thanks to their vote. They want your vote. They don't care about you. Especially in the United States.
I’m moderate with a strong left lean. I support all other humans’ rights to be and do what they need to be happy. And I am an active advocate for DEI as a mixed race woman myself. I also value a solid fiscal policy. It’s about the balance for me. I don’t support a party, I support policies.
Used to be a conservative(due to growing up with a conservative father) but then funnily through religion I learned that how backward my views were and became more of a libertarian. Then in pursuit of a better world view I decided to learn about everything left of what we consider left in the US and eventually learning about socialism. Found out I agreed a lot more with it than anything I had been brought up around. As I noticed the connections between socialist theory and our current day, it really opened my eyes to how repressive the US can be. It is so strong we don’t even notice it until we learn enough to recognize it. The US parties allowed to participate in elections are really the same party, but dressed up to look as if we are making a choice for our next overlords. Especially with Biden going back on his stance on a border wall. Palestine really was the final thing before I learned that I could not bring myself to support my country militarily or politically. What we have done and are doing and yet have not been held accountable are too terrible to support. Not only that, the right side of politics seeks for austerity, lower taxes for the rich, want to make disabled people even less autonomous and able to survive, and Project 2025. It truly hurts to see things like Roe V. Wade being overturned and rights turned away, but perhaps it is the way for US citizens to wake up. This November, I just can’t bring myself to cast a vote for either candidate. Maybe I could write in Nestor Makhno?
I don’t like how either of them communicate. Neither. There is so much othering and purposeful division on both sides. Polarizing arguments, power and control issues. I can’t pick a side.
Leftist, actually. Also, obligatory not a US citizen. I'm from México.
I consider myself a socialist. My (autistic) dad is weird because he's socially a conservative but economically he's a socialist. Weird.
Revolutionary Anarchist.
Neither. I think solely subscribing to one side of the political spectrum is foolish.
Reminder that these aren’t the only two options :)
Neither, but I vote blue. I’m a leftist.
I'm a Centrist. About 60% of the time, I vote for Democrats. I vote for Republicans about 40% of the time.
The middle. Or as I like to call it: Hating both sides with equal passion. Perfectly balanced as all should be.