Ideological indoctrination

Since my parents were very well educated, I had a lot of knowledge in subjects such as mathematics, German, and history long before they were covered in class. For me, it was never a question of ability, but of ideological conformity. I first encountered the ideologies of the Social Democrats and the Greens, which were espoused by most teachers who expressed their political views, at school. My father was a right-wing nationalist, and my mother tended to refrain from making political statements. So I paid close attention in class and analyzed what could and could not be said. In school essays, I tried to stay within the bounds of what was permissible. In effect, by attending a public high school in Vienna, I learned above all how to think and argue like a leftist.

The shock came during my medical studies: most of the professors there were close to the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP). At the time, I was completely unfamiliar with this party. In order not to cause offense, I remained very shy and reserved. Unfortunately, that was not enough to get a job at the university after graduation.

Over the years, I became interested in the history and ideology of liberalism. I liked this tradition of thought, and in the Young Liberals and later in the Neos, I found almost a political home, or at least a party I could vote for without feeling uncomfortable. However, when I realized that as a member of a party—even a liberal one—freedom of expression is even more restricted than it already is as an Austrian citizen, I am now independent of any party again.

In any case, the opportunities an Austrian has in life depend heavily on how they were socialized in terms of party politics—or whether they were socialized at all.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)