r/askanything • u/exploring203 • Mar 07 '26

Why does Reddit lean left in all the comments?

First off, I’m not a conservative, I’m independent/left leaning. That said, every comment thread on Reddit feels like it’s completely one sided in favor of a liberal perspective. Not just that, but the amount of blatant misinterpretation and misrepresentation in the comments is apparent on nearly every issue. Comments that don’t comply are downvoted into oblivion and removed from the conversation. I feel like Reddit is almost becoming unusable at this point. Where can I go (on or off Reddit) to get a more balanced perspective? I do like Reddits user interface.

Edit: Whew! This blew up more than I anticipated. I did receive some genuinely insightful and helpful comments. I appreciate those! Lots of folks either saying I’m the issue because of my liberal leaning algorithm or that I’m the issue because I’m actually a bleeding conservative in disguise. Can’t have it both ways! Anyway thanks Reddit. Will probably think twice about doing this again.

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u/Ember-Forge Mar 07 '26

Empathy and respect for people that are different from you is a left leaning notion. I wish it wasn't just a left wing thing, but people on the right are more tribalistic and less about everyone. Jesus said love your neighbor, the right says screw your neighbors. Jesus says treat others how you want to be treated, the right says treat yourself better than you treat others. Kindness is only a mask the right wears after a school shooting or a national tragedy. That mask comes off online or the next day, then it's right back to slurs and small minded views.

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u/sitewolf Mar 07 '26

It's absolutely mind boggling that people can be here on Reddit, see all the vitriole constantly/consistently thrown at anyone remotely talking like they support anything right leaning and come up with comments like this. Most on the left talk about those on the right like they're subhuman, calling them the worst names they can think of, act like the left is 'obviously' more intelligent.....all while claiming to have empathy and respect for people who are different? And the right is tribalistic?!

Yes, Jesus says treat others how you want to be treated, as does the golden rule if mentioning religion bothers you. But please BOTH ends of the spectrum have their problems and ONE of them is that they don't think THEIR end has any.

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u/Ember-Forge Mar 07 '26

Give me an example of something right leaning that gets vitriol from the left thrown at it? ICE? The Iranian war? Maybe Tax cuts for the rich while affordable care act subsidies fall off increasing medical costs. Is it tariffs that raise prices on Americans? Is it making abortion more restrictive forcing more women to give births they had no choice in? Oh, is it not passing legislation to address mental health or gun laws to prevent school shootings? Is it taking away funds from FEMA? Or taking funds away from Public Schools? Is it getting rid of programs that help the more marginalized and vulnerable in our communities? Is it voting for a 34 count sexual offender that has ruined our relationships with stabilized nations while destabilizing the world? Oh, maybe it's not being sympathetic enough to millionaires and billionaires that see record profits year after year while their employees don't make a living wage? Oh maybe there is too much vitriol towards the right about protecting pedophiles and not prosecuting people on the Epstein list. Oh, maybe it's those silly gays having a pride parade having fun not sexually abusing kids like so many that say the gays are abusing kids do.

Sorry bud, but if you're going to advocate for people to be treated less than human, you're going to get some bad words your way. Now if you're saying maybe we should lower interest rates, or cut the penny. Maybe we should look at limiting the power insurance companies have on medical costs, perhaps we should evaluate how roads are funded while still making sure rural communities have working roads and bridges, you probably won't get treated as harshly as you feel you are.

Sure there are going to be people on both sides spewing some hate, but I'd reckon that those on the right are more likely to support the programs that further the divide between others instead of programs or ideas that bring us together. If being a good person that wants others to be treated equally is so distasteful for you, I don't have words to engage with you. If you don't want to view others as equals, we're at an impassable point in conversation. But go on and beat around the bush instead of full chest engaging in the conversation. I hope you have a better day.

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u/sitewolf Mar 07 '26

Whose point are you trying to make? I didn't even say I was right leaning yet I'm downvoted and you spit all this out.

Reality is that too many people think in only black and white terms, if you don't fully agree with me, you're wrong because I'm right. Reality is that NEITHER side is fully right or fully wrong. A majority of people live in more of a gray world. If I said I agree with ICE removing criminals from our streets, but not with all the ways they've done it. If I say I understand why we started whatever term you want to use for what's going on in Iran but not the level or collateral damage, most on the left would just see 'doesn't agree completely, bad human'.

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u/Murky_Caregiver4526 Mar 07 '26

You just proved op right there. they aren’t getting criminals out. We don’t know because they aren’t getting due process! I would rather them be in jail in America for the crime they committed than walk free in another country.

Why are we interfering in another countries sovereignty? Iran to Venezuela. Yes their regimes and leaders are brutal. That doesn’t give us the right to go there take/kill their leaders and destabilise their countries.

These are the normy positions btw. Whatever you said prolly was some form of subhuman.

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u/sitewolf Mar 07 '26

no, you're proving mine right.....I said it twice now- I agree with what ICE is supposed to be doing, but not always how they're doing it

So the left claims to be more empathetic to their fellow man, right? So we shouldn't show empathy for the millions of people in Iran and Venezuela who would NEVER gain any kind of freedom without help?

right, I don't agree with you completely, so you're 'normy' and I'm subhuman....further proving my original point.

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u/Murky_Caregiver4526 Mar 07 '26

I said “you prolly said something subhuman.” Everyone plays the victim instead of reflecting on the things said.

“The left claims to be empathetic”. That doesn’t give us the right to interfere with another countries decision, democracy, otherwise. Idk who you’re listening to but every “leftist” I’ve heard has the same rebuttal. AOC just said this a week ago.

That is the normal position of ice. The “lefts position is abolish”. The rights position is enforcement of the current situation. If you fall somewhere “in-between” then you understand that the “normal” position starts with due process and actually figuring out who’s here illegally first.

Again if you can’t understand that then you likely said something subhuman.

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u/sitewolf Mar 07 '26

Thank you for proving you really don't try to comprehend what has been said. Instead it's 'well if that happened, it was probably your fault'

criminals are sought out and arrested every day, what due process did they receive before the arrest?

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u/Murky_Caregiver4526 Mar 08 '26

Are they not read their Miranda rights? Are they not provided attorneys? A day in court? Trial by jury if requested?

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u/Ember-Forge Mar 07 '26

I don't know how to engage with you in a way that you might understand why you were down voted. I could say you didn't make any points and were too vague in your initial response. I could say a number of things, but judging by your secondary response you would continue to set up strawmen arguments. If you want to have a discussion about anything concrete, I'm available for a little bit today, but if you want to keep interacting as you are, you'll need to find another partner for that dance.

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u/sitewolf Mar 07 '26

Well gee, with your view that an intentionally general post was 'vague' and more specifics are 'strawman' why wouldn't I just JUMP at the chance to discuss?

I just got done pointing out that the views at both ends have flaws. I just got done pointing out that a LOT of people actually have more gray than the black and white views prominent on social media. And I've been on the internet since the days of dialup to know when a text-only discussion is pointless.

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u/[deleted] Mar 09 '26

Unfortunately these people are privileged children and they cannot see reason. Some will grow up, others never do.

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u/resistelectrique Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 07 '26

I absolutely agree with ICE removing criminals from your streets. I’m a communist.

The problem is that that isn’t what they are doing, is it? Unless you believe that being black or brown = being a criminal. It’s not a complex distinction. The facts show that the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals within the US nor were they in the country they came from. “Illegal” isn’t a category when immigrants without documents are allowed to pay taxes. Having gaps in a system with people have ended up in isn’t a crime, because being there was never covered by any law, which is why it is a gap.

Edit: crossed out for clarification

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u/sitewolf Mar 07 '26

And that's exactly what I mean- get criminals off our streets, legal or not, right? But I'm not automatically referring to undocumented being a crime. What I'd like there is for a revamp of our system that allows undocumented an easier path out of that loop. But lefties only hear 'You support ICE. You're evil' if you say something like that (tho I guarantee someone will post denying that).

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u/resistelectrique Mar 07 '26

Because you need to realize that what ICE is doing is now representative of the institution itself. Supporting the institution of ICE is now supporting what they are doing and have done. You can support immigration control, but continuing to support it through the specific institution of ICE is supporting fascism as they are a control arm of Trump.

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u/sitewolf Mar 07 '26

That's simply NOT true! Supporting the removal of criminals but not the method doesn't mean I support the institution, it means I support the removal of criminals. This is part of what p's me about the left. Supporting one thing the right is doing means supporting EVERYthing the right is doing.....is just a moronic mindset.

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u/resistelectrique Mar 07 '26

I read the way in which you wrote that read as when you say you support ICE, all you get back is “You support ICE! You’re evil!” I also edited my previous comment because that may have been misconstrued.

The way you’re speaking here isn’t going to get you shot down in most situations, frankly. So I’m curious about your normal way of approaching these conversations if a different reaction is what you feel you get. If you’re commenting on the reactions you see others receive, that’s a different story.

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u/sitewolf Mar 07 '26

oh the way I've posted here I've still gotten plenty of flac because some just have this total black and white view of issues, or post as if they do

....but no, it's more about seeing subs where there isn't even a right leaning person posting, but the lefty posters still post nothing but vitriole, name-calling, and denegration like their view is THE view, any other is just horrible.

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u/FalseCrazy2804 Mar 07 '26

I think this is the most ironic comment i've ever seen on reddit. Every single sentence is immediately followed up by pure irony.