I understand that some of my followers have been struggling to figure out where I sit politically because I no longer align myself with a particular party or dogmatic political tribe. I wanted to do this thread to give some insight into my thinking.

My history is on the Left. I’m a previous @NZGreens voter & am horrified at what they have become. My values & the bulk of my political stances have not changed. I did not leave the Left, the Left left me.

I’ve been fortunate enough to live comfortably under which ever government we have had & so have always voted based on what I thought would produce the best outcomes for struggling NZers, the environment, & equal opportunities.

The attack on women’s rights in law & policy by those seeking to erase sex in favour of gender identity in society, has shifted my priorities. Ive become a single issue voter for the time being. I will vote for whoever I think will best represent women & our rights.

Needless to say, I will not be voting for the Green Party but I honestly haven’t settled on where my vote will go instead. On Election Day I’ll decide based on women’s rights.

Beyond women’s rights issues, I’m horrified at what the Left has become. It’s like a mind virus has attacked & all reason & traditional leftist values have gone out the window. Cancel culture, identity politics, & the demand for 100% adherence to an ideology now rule the Left.

The Left has become illiberal & now behaves in ways that previously would be associated with the Right. Authoritarian & Puritan, the Left now silences all dissent & paints free speech as fascism rather than the cornerstone of liberal politics it is.

I cannot support the Left’s new modus operandi. I’m liberal & believe liberalism & the freedom to be who you want to be & do what you want to do within the bounds of not harming others, is the way society should be.

Rejecting the New Left doesn’t mean that I have suddenly ditched all my values & political beliefs. I have not “become Conservative” or suddenly adopted Right Wing political beliefs. As my bio says, I’m simply politically homeless.

However, the Right has paradoxically become the more liberal of the two sides. At least on a societal level. Kiwis on the Centre-Right & even more conservative Kiwis are more willing to accept difference of political opinion & listen to different perspectives.

While the Left scream & cancel & call employers for the slightest deviation from the new dogma. The Right has been happy to align on shared values & agree to disagree on others. It is no surprise to me that many Leftists have changed allegiance.

I have resolved to be governed by my own values & beliefs rather than by one party or side of the political binary. I will agree & disagree with both sides & cast my votes based on who best represents my values. I refuse to play into dogmas & tribalism.

I’ll now share with you some of the people & movements who inspire my politics & thinking. Hopefully it will help reveal my politics for those who have expressed that they want to know where I stand.

First, while the world that teaches us that victimhood is the route to power & attention, I favour the old values of Stoicism. I’ll do another thread sometime outlining the belief system as it isn’t simply taking suffering on the chin.

A modern proponent of Stoicism & author of excellent books such as The Righteous Mind & The Coddling of the American Mind, @JonHaidt is someone I admire. He is a Social Psychologist who focuses on questions of morality.

Having been through extensive therapy throughout my life, none have impacted me like Dialectical Behaviour Therapy has. Also influenced by Stoicism, DBT requires self-reflection & personal responsibility for regulating one’s emotions & soothing emotional distress.

Recently, I have been appreciating the philosophies from social commentator @Ayishat_Akanbi who embodies individual liberalism & autonomous thinking.

I’ve also been really interested in the work & thinking of @Miss_Snuffy (Katharine Birbalsingh) who has rejected the dogma of current educational thought & practice & set up a highly successful school for under-privileged kids in London that favours discipline & responsibility.

Nigerian author & feminist @ChimamandaReal (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie) is another woman I look up to. Dignified & not willing to be pushed around, her writing is magnificent & her nuanced approach to politics, values, religion is admirable.

My feminism is informed by Second Wave Feminism. It’s rooted in analysis of sex-based challenges & discriminations. It’s about liberation from confines of gender stereotypes & unequal laws & policy. Current popular conceptions of feminism bear no resemblance to this.

Martin Luther King Jr is a favourite of mine. His brand of activism & his strategy of drawing a bigger circle around our commonalities when faced with division based on differences was incredibly successful & the world owes him a debt for his leadership.

Albert Camus - a French philosopher & founder of Absurdism - has always interested me. Finding meaning in ultimate futility is both bleak & hopeful. His writings are worth reading if only to force you to think differently about how we attach meaning.

John Stuart Mill’s writings on freedom & liberty should be read by all. His philosophy is a big part of the utilitarian liberalism of Western politics although now a lot of his cornerstone concepts are under attack.

Recently I have also really enjoyed books by @AbigailShrier @DouglasKMurray & @CCriadoPerez who all write on societal issues prevalent in today’s world.

This list is by no means exhaustive & I will no doubt kick myself for leaving off someone important. I hope it offers insight into my thinking though.

Of course @jk_rowling has been a heroine of mine since childhood & she continues to stun me with her bravery & commitment to what is right. Her story is inspiring and she is too.