Current Events > Why are you not a centrist?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Because I think for myself. I'm not on a team. The culmination of my beliefs just places me on the left side of the political spectrum. Radical centrists forget political views are a spectrum.

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p-m posted...

All centrists ever do is enable the right to exploit and kill people.

And right wing ideology is based around dehumanising the majority of people and treating them as expendable tools and commodities. Anyone who is pro capitalism is an enemy of decent people everywhere.

That's why I'm on the left.

This is why people are centrists/independents/moderates because you far left "progressive" types constantly say stupid crazy shit like this that makes people not want to vote for the party that enables it. Progressives are to liberals as the tea partiers were to conservatives.

And since it needs to be said since its ALWAYS the response from you people, thinking progressives are crazy does not mean someone is alt right or even agrees with Republicans on any given issue.

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Gamerguymass posted...

This is why people are centrists/independents/moderates because you far left "progressive" types constantly say stupid crazy shit like this that makes people not want to vote for the party that enables it. Progressives are to liberals as the tea partiers were to conservatives.

And since it needs to be said since its ALWAYS the response from you people, thinking progressives are crazy does not mean someone is alt right or even agrees with Republicans on any given issue.

Hear hear! Rabble rabble!

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Gamerguymass posted...

This is why people are centrists/independents/moderates because you far left "progressive" types constantly say stupid crazy shit like this that makes people not want to vote for the party that enables it. Progressives are to liberals as the tea partiers were to conservatives.

And since it needs to be said since its ALWAYS the response from you people, thinking progressives are crazy does not mean someone is alt right or even agrees with Republicans on any given issue.

Well said, agree 100%

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Gamerguymass posted...

This is why people are centrists/independents/moderates because you far left "progressive" types constantly say stupid crazy shit like this that makes people not want to vote for the party that enables it. Progressives are to liberals as the tea partiers were to conservatives.

So the right doesn't treat people as disposable?

*looks around at 2020*

Coulda fooled me.

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In the context of American politics, what does centrism look like? What issues is the GOP right about?

and are there enough of these issues to call yourself a centrist and not just a moderate Democrat?

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Gamerguymass posted...

This is why people are centrists/independents/moderates because you far left "progressive" types constantly say stupid crazy shit like this that makes people not want to vote for the party that enables it. Progressives are to liberals as the tea partiers were to conservatives.

And since it needs to be said since its ALWAYS the response from you people, thinking progressives are crazy does not mean someone is alt right or even agrees with Republicans on any given issue.

I'm not American but there is no major left wing party in the USA. The Republicans are far-right and the Democrats are just right wing.

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Gamerguymass posted...

This is why people are centrists/independents/moderates because you far left "progressive" types constantly say stupid crazy shit like this that makes people not want to vote for the party that enables it. Progressives are to liberals as the tea partiers were to conservatives.

And since it needs to be said since its ALWAYS the response from you people, thinking progressives are crazy does not mean someone is alt right or even agrees with Republicans on any given issue.

The right kills/disenfranchises people
The left are a bunch of meanies
Thank God for Centrism!

I didn't read anything except topic title but I am

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People aren't the centrists they think they are. "I'm not on the literal fringe of one end and I don't literally disagree with the other side on everything" is not centrism. That makes you 99.99% of human beings who have opinions.

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p-m posted...

I'm not American but there is no major left wing party in the USA. The Republicans are far-right and the Democrats are just right wing.

This is that extremist crazy shit he was talking about. Fucking insanity man.

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The centrist route leaves my hometown underwater by the end of the century.

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Almost everyone claiming to be a centrist in this topic is a known right wing bootlicker.

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AlisLandale posted...

In the context of American politics, what does centrism look like? What issues is the GOP right about?

and are there enough of these issues to call yourself a centrist and not just a moderate Democrat?

lets see:

republicans: pro-fetus
democrats: pro-choice

republicans: fiscal responsibility when a democrat is in power, spend baby spend when a republican is in power
democrats: spending can be ok

republicans: anti gay marriage
democrats: pro gay marriage

republicans: buying a gun should be as easy as buying a pepsi bottle
democrats: gun control

republicans: we have way too many black and brown people. We need to have less of them and show their their real place.
democrats: diversity is our strength

republicans: white people are the only real Americans. Asian waifus can be ok if theyre hot (not real Americans, though)
democrats: anyone with a US passport is an American

Republicans: anti face mask (covid)
democrats: pro face mask


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DespondentDeity posted...

Almost everyone claiming to be a centrist in this topic is a known right wing bootlicker.

Here's another extremist showing how crazy and irrational they are lol I love it boys keep it coming.

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Gamerguymass posted...

types constantly say stupid crazy shit like this that makes people not want to vote for the party that enables it

The democrats fight harder against leftist policies than they do against the republicans lmao

Heavy_D_Forever posted...

Progressives are to liberals as the tea partiers were to conservatives.

Were? They're the types who are in control of the party

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I consider myself a left leaning moderate. The current republican party leans way too far to the right for my tastes.

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AlisLandale posted...

In the context of American politics, what does centrism look like? What issues is the GOP right about?

and are there enough of these issues to call yourself a centrist and not just a moderate Democrat?

you could argue that stricter immigration is better for the country. you could argue that tax cuts are beneficial for job creation. you could argue that deregulation has benefits. you could argue that stricter gun control doesn't make things safer. you could be pro-life. etc.

it's dumb to say that one side (which all has generally the same set of stances) is right on every single one of them completely, and the other side is wrong on every single one of them completely

the truth is that there are pros and cons to any stance (From both sides), and its perfectly reasonable to pick and choose a la carte. then notion that you have to take one entire set of 15 majors views versus the opposite 15 views to belong to a party is just silly. it definitely can be the case that you take 9 from one and 6 from the other, and that's TOTALLY FINE. you are not allowing genocide, you are not a racist, you are not a communist, you simply have a set of views that doesn't align with the set that either party pushes for. Why can't you have a mix of views? Or rather, why is it wrong to agree with people partially rather than 100% for the sake of conformity?

AlisLandale posted...

In the context of American politics, what does centrism look like? What issues is the GOP right about?

and are there enough of these issues to call yourself a centrist and not just a moderate Democrat?

I don't want to be a democrat either because they're also frequently bad and wrong, but I am much more active in Democratic politics. Most frequently I do stuff on the city level which is at least nominally non-partisan

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being to the left of the democrats is the only sane position

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The_homelander posted...

lets see:

republicans: pro-fetus
democrats: pro-choice

republicans: fiscal responsibility when a democrat is in power, spend baby spend when a republican is in power
democrats: spending can be ok

republicans: anti gay marriage
democrats: pro gay marriage

republicans: buying a gun should be as easy as buying a pepsi bottle
democrats: gun control

republicans: we have way too many black and brown people. We need to have less of them and show their their real place.
democrats: diversity is our strength

republicans: white people are the only real Americans. Asian waifus can be ok if theyre hot (not real Americans, though)
democrats: anyone with a US passport is an American

Republicans: anti face mask (covid)
democrats: pro face mask

yes because they are the stances that republicans would say they have/defend, and not a deliberate misrepresentation of them...

Fam_Fam posted...

you could argue that stricter immigration is better for the country. you could argue that tax cuts are beneficial for job creation. you could argue that deregulation has benefits. you could argue that stricter gun control doesn't make things safer. you could be pro-life. etc.

okay those sound good on paper, but in which way has the GOP practiced those ideals that has been tangibly beneficial

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Heavy_D_Forever posted...

This is that extremist crazy shit he was talking about. Fucking insanity man.

No, just facts.

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AlisLandale posted...

okay those sound good on paper, but in which way has the GOP practiced those ideals that has been tangibly beneficial

i never said that they have. your political party is based on your set of beliefs, not necessarily based on what works.

A centrist may align with beliefs belonging to some of each parties.

Why would you believe in something that has been proven to not work

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In the end, there's only person in the world who cares that you call yourself a centrist, and that's yourself.

You will only ever be judged politically based on the actions you take, not the label you carry.

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Fam_Fam posted...

i never said that they have. your political party is based on your set of beliefs, not necessarily based on what works.

A centrist may align with beliefs belonging to some of each parties.

beliefs mean nothing without action.

if a party (not naming names here) says theyre for stricter immigration but what that translates to in practice is locking children in concentration camps, then that party is wrong. No matter how nice it sounds as a bullet point on their website.

furthermore

Fam_Fam posted...

your political party is based on your set of beliefs, not necessarily based on what works.

if you admit that something doesnt work, then theres no reason to support it.

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Do people really think Centrists don't eventually vote? Or stay silent on pressing issues? Like is this a Twitter and Instagram group that identifies what a centrist is?

I really have no idea where you guys get these type of notions.. I think Democrats are morons for getting rid of entire police departments and giving up on Capitalism, and I think Republicans are morons cause, y'know, things and blatant racism

A lot of people are conflating centrism with independent.

Centrists are reliant on the status quo being unchallenged and often align more with conservative viewpoints. And yes, the literal "BoTh SiDeS are bad" people do exist and frame themselves outside of the political spectrum/apolitical. Though to many people this comes off as ignorant/naive.

Independents do not self-align with either of the two major parties for a multitude of possible reasons. Some are reliant on the (flawed) notion that all social and economic issues exist in a vacuum and are free to be chosen like a build-you-own Subway Sandwich. Others are much more left or right of the two parties and choose to distance themselves through the creation of other parties (Green, Tea,etc.).

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AlisLandale posted...

beliefs mean nothing without action.

if a party (not naming names here) says theyre for stricter immigration but what that translates to in practice is locking children in concentration camps, then that party is wrong. No matter how nice it sounds as a bullet point on their website.

furthermore

if you admit that something doesnt work, then theres no reason to support it.

your views don't need to align with current enforcement/versions of it. there are many things that exist outside of the currently implemented systems

ZMythos posted...

A lot of people are conflating centrism with independent.

Centrists are reliant on the status quo being unchallenged and often align more with conservative viewpoints. And yes, the literal "BoTh SiDeS are bad" people do exist and frame themselves outside of the political spectrum/apolitical. Though to many people this comes off as ignorant/naive.

Independents do not self-align with either of the two major parties for a multitude of possible reasons. Some are reliant on the (flawed) notion that all social and economic issues exist in a vacuum and are free to be chosen like a build-you-own Subway Sandwich. Others are much more left or right of the two parties and choose to distance themselves through the creation of other parties (Green, Tea,etc.).

centrists are a subset of independents

ZMythos posted...

Centrists are reliant on the status quo being unchallenged and often align more with conservative viewpoints.

I mean, that's the literal definition of conservatism
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I was a centrist but the republicans keep pushing further to the right.

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Fam_Fam posted...

centrists are a subset of independents

I don't know if calling yourself something different really counts as being independent.

If you think your views are in the middle but really they align with the right, would you really be a centrist?

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Fam_Fam posted...

your views don't need to align with current enforcement/versions of it. there are many things that exist outside of the currently implemented systems

if your views dont align with how a certain party is enforcing its ideals, then your views dont align with that party.


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People still don't get what centrism is?

It is NOT being 'neutral' or 'sitting on the fence' or 'both sides.'

It is a combination of different practices and beliefs that do not fall within normal 'party' lines. For example, a centrist could be against abortion, but for social healthcare. They could be for responsible gun ownership, but also for severe gun restriction. Does that make them a conservative or a progressive?

MOST people are actually centrist to a point - few people support their all of their government's choices.

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Because the right has 0 good ideas and being a centrist is being 50% wrong

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We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place mustat that momentbecome the center of the universe, - Elie Wiesel

MaverickXeo posted...

People still don't get what centrism is?

It is NOT being 'neutral' or 'sitting on the fence' or 'both sides.'

It is a combination of different practices and beliefs that do not fall within normal 'party' lines. For example, a centrist could be against abortion, but for social healthcare. They could be for responsible gun ownership, but also for severe gun restriction. Does that make them a conservative or a progressive?

MOST people are actually centrist to a point - few people support their all of their government's choices.

Sorry, but that's an independent, not a centrist.
In politics, centrism is a political outlook or specific position that involves acceptance or support of a balance of a degree of social equality and a degree of social hierarchy, while opposing political changes which would result in a significant shift of society strongly to either the left or the right.[1]
Both centre-left and centre-right politics involve a general association with centrism that is combined with leaning somewhat to their respective sides of the spectrum. Various political ideologies such as Christian democracy can be classified as centrist ones.[2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrism
Centrists are inbetween, or at least believe to be, the left and the right. They very much do fall into the, "both sides are bad" trap.
Most people have an assortment of views which rarely line up with one party or candidate. But, they still generally lean towards one side or another. A centrist has views in opposition of both sides. They might be a reformist or even a limited libertarian, but would not be an anarchist, communist, ancap, or socialist. Those views are incompatible with centrism.

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people too often get centrism and moderatism mixed up

independent, btw, refers to independent of party alignments

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Because Im from a country that has more than two parties.

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specialkid8 posted...

Why do you buy into a team based political system based on dehumanizing the "opposition" in order to validate the opinions that were given to you rather than thinking for yourself and pushing for compromise to make the largest number of people happy?

this isn't what centrism is

democrats and republicans are both center-right and right respectfully on a global scale. being against both parties doesn't necessarily make you a centrist, it makes you more left.
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iFuzedDaHostage posted...

democrats and republicans are both center-right and right respectfully on a global scale. being against both parties doesn't necessarily make you a centrist, it makes you more left.

or more right, libertarian, authoritarian, or other dimensions

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AlisLandale posted...

if your views dont align with how a certain party is enforcing its ideals, then your views dont align with that party.

correct, so a centrist would be someone whose views are in between the two parties, rejecting parts pf each of their individual approaches

Fam_Fam posted...

correct, so a centrist would be someone whose views are in between the two parties, rejecting parts pf each of their individual approaches

right. So what parts of the GOP are worth not rejecting? And are there enough of those parts to justify being called a centrist rather than a moderate Democrat?

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Politics posted...

Because you cant be neutral on a moving train

You can ride the train and choose when to get off.

Smashingpmkns posted...

Because I don't lack conviction

Came to stay this

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MaverickXeo posted...

It is a combination of different practices and beliefs that do not fall within normal 'party' lines. For example, a centrist could be against abortion, but for social healthcare. They could be for responsible gun ownership, but also for severe gun restriction. Does that make them a conservative or a progressive?

That makes them a person with a worldview we probably have a clearer term for than centrist.
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Because it's useless as an ideology and as a political/moral principle. Simply triangulating without considering whether one side's principles or results lead to just outcomes is ridiculous. And centrism is rarely equal opportunity. Every so called centrist I've seen here and in real life hates the left a lot more than they hate the right and fascists. They're much more concerned with liberals and leftists being mean than they are with fascists doing a fascism.

I've seen a ton of people who appear to have incredibly conservative world views label themselves as centrists while crapping on the left with each and every breath.

It makes sense. If you look at the profoundly unfair and unequal societies we've had up until this point and think nothing needs to fundamentally change and the correct views will come from simply picking and choosing from the existing mainstream, that's a pretty conservative outlook.

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Fam_Fam posted...

correct, so a centrist would be someone whose views are in between the two parties, rejecting parts pf each of their individual approaches

But the two parties aren't even located equidistant from the center. They aren't the opposite ends. Being smack dab between the two parties would put you right of center on the political spectrum.

It's this kind of warped sense of the political spectrum that leads to people calling Joe Biden a Far-Left extremist. You are a point on the graph, not the origin of it.

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legendary_zell posted...

If you look at the profoundly unfair and unequal societies we've had up until this point and think nothing needs to fundamentally change and the correct views will come from simply picking and choosing from the existing mainstream, that's a pretty conservative outlook.

possible to acknowledge the problems but understand that with respect to the solution, the devil's in the details

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