Fellow Americans, which family member are you not looking forward to seeing for Thanksgiving that you know will bring up politics?

Probably my girlfriend's mother. Her family lives in a remote part of Y'allistan kinda country. According to my gf they used to be quite moderate and intelligent but since moving (for better land to run their family business) her mom has become very isolated and feeds off nothing but Fox/OANN and whatever shit YouTube recommends. She's become such an abortion hating, trans hating, gay hating person in only the last three or four years that even my girlfriend says she barely recognizes her sometimes.

This is my first Thanksgiving with her family after 2 years together, and depending on how it goes it might be close to the last, we're not sure.

Oog - my little brother.

He's a walking stereotype of a tech libertarian (which is to say, a shallow, bigoted, reactionary, right-wing IT guy who for some inexplicablec reason seems to think that all that's necessary to count as "libertarian" is to rail against "the woke mob.")

The first time I heard the term "mansplaining," I knew exactly what it meant, because it's his customary mode of communication. I already know that by about the third time I hear him say, " Well, what you have to understand is that..." I'm going to have to leave the room.

He likely won't bring up politics directly - not surprisingly, he's generally ignorant of both the philosophical side of it and the practical side of it. Instead, he'll bloviate about whatever the right-wing/tech media bubble is bloviating about, so essentially political issues without the complication of political context.

It's invariably awful, and it's always a matter not of if but merely of when I'm going to have to leave the room because the only alternative is going to be a messy verbal explosion. And I presume it's going to be worse than ever this year, since he'll undoubtedly want to mansplain the mindless dogma he's been fed about Trump and Musk and Ukraine and tariffs and immigrants and trans athletes and so on...

My parents called tonight and asked if they could come on Thursday, I am NOT looking forward to seeing my hyper-christian Maga supporting white-Nationalist parents, and neither are my very sensible, LQTBQ+ supporting children and their partners, and spouses. Tomorrow, I have to call and tell them that any nonsense, or statements like the ones that were made at the last event we were at will be met by asking them to leave. Yay.

I'm staying home this year for this exact reason.

Thankfully not thanksgiving, but Christmas it will be my father... That whole side of the family really. Even my super religious grandmother chimes in with "the immigrants bring in disease!"

For a group of people that can love their family, they're all filled with so much hate for "others." :/

Fortunately, my family all died off in the pandemic. We were all liberal, and they'd be horrified by the state of things. I'm grateful they don't have to experience any of this.

It's my house. Everyone in the family knows I'll shut that shit down, so I look forward to seeing everyone 😁

This is the 3rd year I will be completely alone.

Take your pick.

• The brother who was fired from his job as a prison guard for being too racist. He's told me on more than one occasion that he's smarter than any black person he's ever met... he's dropped out of college multiple times and now works for a convenience store along with "being his own boss" for MLM, selling shit door-to-door (yes, he will be trying to sell stuff at holiday gatherings).
• The aunt who's sure that Obama was, in fact, the antichrist mentioned in the Book of Revelations. She believes that queer people are all pedophiles who can convert children and others to "their ways." Oddly though... not a Trump supporter, because DJT "let that beautiful daughter of his marry a Jew."
• The cousin who is a flat earther and won't shut up about how the Jews run everything with their power tied (somehow) directly to convincing everyone that the planet isn't flat. His wife tried to get him to cut ties with the family because we don't go to their church which is all of about 100 people and based out of a partially abandoned strip mall.

They've all been ostracized by family in the past, but keep getting invited to stuff.

I'm not sure what you're talking about. I love talking about politics. Oh wait, I think I'm that family member.

You mean the people I was forced to experience my childhood and early adulthood with? Not seeing them at all.

They got themselves kicked to the curb long ago. Mom died 13 years ago, which greatly improved my life. Dad died this past May and I didn't even go to the funeral. Middle brother came out as an Oathbreaker, keeper or whatever those idiots call themselves. Oldest brother has always been a narcissistic asshat and I haven't spoken to him in almost a decade.

Nuclear war between nations is a terrible thing that should never happen.

Nuclear war on toxic relationships is the best thing ever.

Jim

None. We have made politics a taboo subject at dinner. We know we don’t agree (older generations vs younger) and would rather converse about things we enjoy like the grandkids etc.

None, I am intentionally not seeing my family for Thanksgiving.

My aunt.

It’s not her politics (they’re awful, but she at least keeps them quiet). It’s more that she’s a combination of excessively chatty and dull.

She will talk about absolutely nothing for hours on end.

I'm skipping Thanksgiving because my whole family has become brainwashed magats.

Even the ones I thought could never be that fuckin stupid.

Got to hang out with the hard-r racist uncle, my 'pretends she a smart bible reader that hasn't fallen for 4 different(in name) pyramid scams' military sister, and my mentally disabled but violently aggressive brother that may have figured out that the cops will go easy on him every time.

These people wonder why I dread family gatherings and can't function socially.

I have thanksgiving with only my wife and kids.

Then I have Friendsgiving, with a few friends and their family.

I haven't seen my family in years except for video calls. Same for my kids, and wife and kids. Not that I dislike them. Or would be opposed to them staying in the same town.

My family members are toxic, and after I moved, we never bothered.

I think more people should do that.

We're going out of town so our DIL doesn't have to make up an excuse for not spending it with her fam.

Myself

I’m sure the more conservative members of my extended family will be angry and complaining about the world or how much money other people have or whatever.

And I’ll probably be in my usual spot, in the other room with the kids, playing video games or watching dumb funny videos.

All of them. They are literally neonazis but with black and white switched. They would say "black lives matter" while beating up a black Jewish person. I hate my family.

This was a significant factor in my deciding not to go see my sister and my brother-in-law this year. He's something else. Sweet man most the time, but full-on Maga.

Brazillian, but my uncle follows bolsonaro. 😭

i spend time with my real family, my partner and child. don't need that negativity ✌🏻

A sister that is a traditional conservative and brother that is a centrist liberal, they argue in talking points and both of their solutions are usually unrealistic garbage. It's a big family though so most just leave the room when they get going.

Me. I'm the family member.

I can think of one or two but thankfully I’m doing Friendsgiving this year.

asterisk

No one gets together in my family. Be nice to see them even if they brought up politics. I'd prefer they didn't but it would be nice to get together.

Most of them since we don't do thanksgiving where I'm from

Family? What's that?

We all good. My brother leans hard right and is super racist but he's also got the 'tism and we all know it, so we talk mad shit to his face when he starts up.

It's hard to take a guy seriously when he worships someone that would have sent him to the gas chambers.

Avoiding most family this year, spending it with those I'm close with instead.

My uncle potentially, he may not bring it up (which would be nice) but still on edge about the potential of an argument. He's been dragging down my kid cousin to be just like him too. Even if there was an argument I know I'm not going to have any backup from the rest of my family as they're all leaning the same way, they're just more softly spoken and worried about 'civility' and wouldn't say the worst of it out loud.

Even my corrupted parents aren't planning on a Thanksgiving visit because of how toxic the family is.

The writing is on the wall.

Yo momma