To what extent do your political views inform your writing?

[Rensslaer]

While I did say that my worldview "invests" my writing, I should also clarify that I definitely role-play with my characters. They've represented all types, and many different political positions.

I enjoy conveying the real reasons these people felt the way they did -- as most people do, who believe in anything at all!

Rensslaer

 

[The Yogi]

And The Yogi, not Schwarzenager! Please, don't use him as a comparison for yourself. He described Nixon as "a breath of fresh air." Nixon!

I named Schwarzenegger only because he is the well known US politician (at least here in Europe) who come closest to my view of the world. I thought it would be better than just a label like "liberal" or conservative.

Most political labels are very confusing and not easily translatable between America and Europe.

For example a liberal in Europe is not a left wing politician but either a "social liberal" which is much like the right wing of the Democratic Party in economic matters or a "neo-liberal" which has the economic policies of a far-right Republican. Both would be considered left-wing Democrats in issues of morals and values though.

As for "Conservative", most European Conservatives are "Christian Democrats" which would make you think they're akin to the US "Christian Right" - nothing could be more mistaken though. In economic matters, I'd say they're equivalent to Democrat mainstream, often quite supportive of big welfare state. In moral issues, again they would be close to Democratic right wing or possibly Republican left wing. There are no Neocons worthy of mention in Europe.

So if we have to break down things, I'm for a deregulated market, also of labour, flat taxes, good social welfare programs and an aconfessional state wich nevertheless defends a set of common basic values (humanist ones). I'm very much opposed to communism, nazism or religious fundamentalism of any kind.

 

[Sir Humphrey]

In Australia, Liberal Party = Conservative. :nasty face:.

 

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I don't think my political views ever had the chance to get in my AARs. It's not like I consciously try to stop them, but they just never start trying. Modern political thoughts in alternate history works set more than a century before the present feel so out of place that I cannot imagine ever trying to write them in.

Of course, what one must realise is that the interpretation of the history they use for their work's background itself is often politically motivated. Even if you did all the research, and if you did it should be even more evident, that there is never a clear concensus on what exactly happened and why (especially why) and if just picking a choice, as innocent as it may be, is taking a stance. This is what I fear for my upcoming work, for which I have read literally dozens of books and a handful of internet publications on Ethiopian history by various authors. I always fear that I am either whitewashing history or overexaggerating its darkness.

But I suppose that is a completely different topic.

Anyways, I try to tell it like I think would have happened. I suppose what I think 'would have happened' is coloured by my worldview. Socialism on the state level fails, always, the British Empire is awesome, and the world for some reason always ends up more to the right (Europe far more) than it turned out to be in real life. (Of course, that's probably because in both cases, the nations that become the great powers are far more conservative in outlook, and there are a lot more world wars and empires.)

 

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Some interesting responses.