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How have your political beliefs changed from your overseas travel?


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Have you become more liberal, like Rick Steves (grew up conservative, then became a liberal from travelling)? Have you become more conservative (some people have mentioned this happening from travel in Eastern Europe)? Let's talk about you. :)

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My political views have changed over the years, but not from traveling.

 

I did most (but not all) of my traveling when I was college age and early-to-mid twenties. I was solidly democrat then.

 

In the past 15-20 years then I've become much more conservative, even so far as to lean libertarian on some issues.

 

Seeing other places in the country and the world didn't necessarily change my politics. But it sure changed *me.*

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I'd have the tendency to think my views have mellowed with age and that it had very little to do with my travels (missions-minded trips to orphanages in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Mexico). I'm pretty much what I've always been, just not so rabidly vocal about it anymore. :D

 

I do however feel those trips taught me gratitude and a strong work ethic. Something that seems in short supply these days.

Edited by Daisy
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Travel has only convinced me that there are good things about many places (food, some policies, the people, the sights). That said, I am conservative in views having changed from being liberal when I was younger (raised liberal), but I changed for other reasons, not travel.

 

I don't think conservative means the US is always the best at everything, but I still love my country. Even so, I could happily live in a multitude of places. I certainly wouldn't want to own a business in many (liberal) places though.

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Yes.

 

Many years ago, I was traveling in Latin America when then President Reagan was shot. I found out about it when I boarded a bus and someone on there spotted me as an American and wanted to know what I thought about what was happening. The other riders crowded around to hear my thoughts and many asked whether I thought there would be a coup. I remember being surprised by that question (I didn't know what Al Haig was up to, though). Of course there wouldn't be a coup. The US doesn't have coups, I thought.

 

I then realized that although our form of government was far from perfect, that there was a lot to be said for stability and not having to worry that every problem would result in a change of government and most likely wholesale slaughter of anyone who had supported the previous regime.

 

Thirteen years ago, when in central Brazil, I developed a serious respiratory infection that the Dr. said was due to irritation from the terrible air quality in the cities I was visiting. I realized that while our American anti-pollution laws sometimes seem to be overly restrictive and anti-business, that the alternative was pretty awful. I normally don't even have respiratory problems, I can't imagine how anyone with asthma or other breathing problems would fare down there without any legislation to encourage businesses to "do the right thing" for the environment.

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I studied abroad, living in England during college, and I did mission trips to the jungles of Mexico on the Yucatan peninsula. Those experiences definitely changed my perspective from conservative to moderate/liberal leaning.

 

I think when you really experience another culture or country you see that there are many different ways of accomplishing (or not accomplishing) things. I came to feel very quickly that America did some things well, and was not as effective or efficient in other areas. All countries have strengths and weaknesses and I think travel & experiences with other places just highlighted these for me.

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I haven't been technically overseas yet (I'm only 27, figure I'll hit Europe when I'm a little older, lol) but I've been to Mexico twice. Once was to Mexico City. It certainly cemented my liberal views, espeically on things like the necessity of government providing assistance to the poor, and having a lenient policy toward illegal immigrants.

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I traveled to several countries in Europe in my younger years and have been to Mexico several times (I live in TX afterall.) I've always been conservative. I'm more certain of those beliefs now than ever before, though I can't say travelling, myself, did that for me. I've spent a lot of time in conversation with my nephew who spent a year travelling throughout Europe, extensively in the Middle East, spent time in Russia and has done quite a bit of mission work in Mexico and Israel. He felt he was conservative before. He KNOWS that he is now!!! His eyes were very opened by his experience. It was great to live vicariously through him through his travels and to hear all that he learned.

Edited by Texas T
grammatical error
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I don't know that my views changed all that much.

 

I have, however, become aware of how much attention citizens of other countries pay to the US, and how little we pay to them in comparison.

 

For instance, in Japan, the Ken Burns Civil War series was extremely popular. In Germany, an elderly cousin of my grandmother's told me about President Kennedy saying, "Ich bin ein Berliner"--my vague recollection is that there is a statue of him in Frankfurt because of that. In England, people took slight offense at my labelling our language 'English'. I never did really figure out what they call it. They also took issue with the American view of WWII, which I found very interesting.

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I have not traveled overseas extensively, but I have noticed in every place I've been that the standard of living appears to be way below what it is in the U.S. overall. I don't think that my political leanings have been shaped in any way by my travels. I do think my travels have given me a greater appreciation for the life we have here....

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Traveling did not change my politics, but it did change how I see the world and how I see the US. It helped me understand how very different people's point of views could be.

 

I lived in a country that had many American tourists. What always baffled me, was how some Americans could travel abroad and yet surround themselves in a bubble of provincialism. I suppose other tourists do the same.

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