Vent: Parents the news
You know, I don't talk to my parents that often. The fox brain has made in unbearable. I do not live in the United States any longer, so I guess I am in full control of how much we talk. The few times I do, I try to stick to topics like my kids, work, sports. But they just can't exist without talking about Trump and MAGA talking points all of the time. We have gone through all the phases - Angry arguing, not talking, now barely knowing each other. The only time they called me this year was to check my reaction to Charlie Kirk being shot. I am socially liberal, but I think the democrats are bought out by big money too. I have no problem with financial republicans, but its never been like this. They don't exist other than to consume Trump media and regurgitate it on the phone.
In a recent call they told me they were going to Nashville, and I remembered there was a shooting there recently and said something along the lines, of "yeah be careful". They went into a full tirade of democrats making stuff up about voting lines and having to cheat to win elections..
Sure I moved the conversation back to the grandkids and what was going on in their life. Less than a minute into that conversation somehow Trump being in China came up. They asked me if the news in this part of the world was celebrating him. I told him that China calls him 川建国 "The Nation Builder" since he is building China up. They then said well he needs to build a ballroom, so China will respect us. I then redirected the conversation to the NFL draft and our feelings on it.
My mom somehow took this as a chance to talk about how she's glad Massie lost, as he was a RINO and pro Iran. I didn't engage, and moved the conversation back on. They asked me if I would send my kids to school in the USA, I pointed out that the cost of living to salary is much better here for me, which lead them to go on about how the democrats ruined the economy with electric cars.
I just feel awful, I want them to experience their grand children growing up, but it feels like I am doing a two part dance to stop from fighting. They literally live off of Fox News and the Dan Bongino pod cast. I don't even want to visit them for Christmas anymore.
Trying to correct them leads to -> Fake news claims, when shown the source documents, they change topic to random other hit piece fox news told them.
Trying to avoid politics -> They bring it up.
My parents used to be empathetic good people. I hate the disconnect from that to who they are now. Cheering for children to be thrown in cages, saying semi-racist things constantly.
It's a cult and its disgusting.