http://i.imgur.com/WpUKkTF.jpg

"OH NO! Not one of those introduce-myself articles again!" Calm down folks! I know it’s been getting old. More & more people are joining steemit, but we all know this hasn’t reached critical mass. As a skeptic, I highly doubt it ever will. BUT, at least consider that I’m writing here, therefore I believe in this enough to dedicate my time to it. That's why when people say "Let's be realistic. This platform can't compete with Facebook/Reddit." No it can, if y'all decide to use it!
However, I'm not expecting to make a penny out of this post. I'm just here to blow off some steam. Ha? Get it? Yeah whatever :P

# Some things you should know about Tarek's past
First off, I grew up in Damascus (That's in Syria for all you Gary Johnsons out there!), and born in California. Syria is one of those ACTUAL socialist countries (Russia, China, N Korea) I know a lot of you think that US or Europe is kind of socialist, which they are, but not really a place where people grow up believing the individual should be sacrificed for the group, in fact, it is the ultimate honor.
I am now ashamed of what I believed in, but I have an excuse:. They had us ever since we were kids, in concentration camps AKA schools.

# So how did I become a libertarian?
Well, it wasn't one thing. It was many. But I think what sparked it was when I took an economics class. I came back to the US by myself at 18. I picked that elective in college by chance, just randomly. It is amazing how sometimes there's an element of luck in making us who we are, you can call it fate if you wish.
The instructor, an old man, told a ton of stories. He taught me what I now know are simple things, but to me was mind opening, I never understood what capitalism was. All I knew about it was that it's evil. I didn't know how supply & demand worked. I was taught when prices went up that was price gouging. I was taught that all prices should be set by government. He also mentioned why climate change was wrong. I was thinking "wait, I thought this was a fact"
I owe it all to him that he set me on a path of vigilant exploration into politics. It's embarrassing I don't even know his name.

So yes, it was a mixture of being exposed to America, to the taxes that never made sense to me when I got my first check... I felt wronged, to an economics class, to reading books. But I think it all comes down to **curiosity**. I was hungry for knowledge. I was willing to challenge my mind and change it if I was proven wrong. I refused to live in a bubble society.
Also, Syria is or used to be a beautiful place of diversity but unity. I learned over there that a Muslim can live across from a Christian, Jew, or Druze and still be one community. It was a great experience growing that I would never trade it for anything. I just never felt a sense of belonging to a piece of land or that I owed it anything because it never gave me anything, I think that is the difference between me & a typical Syrian.

# What will I write about?
About my opinions of course. I'll throw in bits & pieces here and there about present-day me, but generally, I wanna have discussions
I DO HAVE OTHER INTERESTS ASIDE FROM POLITICS. I like to talk about Uber, tennis, guns, tea, technology, medicine, traveling. I'm open to many things.

## Share your story down bellow, how did you become a libertarian? or a socialist?... or a marxist???

![Verifying it's me](http://i.imgur.com/qfVjDLN.jpg)
Until next time!
Tarek