dagwolf:

You should get used to something. A good number of socialists and communists you hang with now will be full-fledged authoritarian liberals, even conservatives, by thirty-five. It happens. The first friends to let you down are always dedicated vanguardists. But even your libertarian socialist buddies can let you down. Bargaining with power through individualism is tempting for privileged people who feel a constant pull to relent. Esp academics in higher ed. They ditch “the left” at their convenience. As comrades peel off, it’s good to remember our core values and to get out, if you can, in the street or neighborhood and work with people who need support. Resist the urge to make it about you.

2 things:

– While some young radicals become authoritarian liberals, there are also young liberals that became radical leftists in their 30′s and 40′s. Create space for them. Make sure they know that it’s okay to get here at an older age. 

– A lot of those young radicals that turned liberal idealize their rebel days. You can use this in your interactions with such liberals. If you notice when a liberal is romanticizing your activism as something from their ‘glory days’, that means they will probably help you on small things if you ask in the right way, because they want to feel part of those glory days again. A lot of these middle class liberals are in positions of power and money right now and you can get favors from them. Don’t trust them, just use them.