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Centrism sucks (1 Viewer)

:peace:peace:peace
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Basic Thoughts:

Centrism! Its a sport for dummies! Politics is an important subject full of a million issues we need to face! Abortion, Euthanasia, Death Penalty - these are just some of the dangers that politics poses to the everyday american. I gaurantee you, EVERY centrist, has a contradiction of principles if you dig deep enough. And there's a big difference between "Center leaning liberal" and "CENTRIST". Bottom line, centrists don't deserve our respect because they don't give the issues any respect. The End.

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"Everyone is dumb"
"Left Wing and Right Wing are the same thing"
"I'm so above it all!"

If you've ever met a Centrist, you've heard those quotes.

Okay, the best way to explain my position on Centrism is to explain worst case scenarios.
And by the way, let me make this clear, these are caricatures

What if Republicans gain total power? (EXTREME CARICATURE)
>Go to jail for abortion
>Everyone is walled in, immigrants are executed
>Trans people are genocided, gays are genocided
>All tax dollars go to the military, which controls all of society
>Everyone dies in the streets from bad healthcare!
>Everyone will have guns and shoot each other
>All while the ocean evaporates into dust!
HUMANITY DIES OUT


Now, what if Democrats gain total power? (EXTREME CARICATURE)
>100% tax rate on everyone so we can afford paying for free abortions and free sex changes!
>No border! Mexicans commit voter fraud and repeal the constitution!
>Businesses get over-regulated, everyone loses their jobs, and starves!
>Everyone dies in the government gulags! TYRANNY!
>Economic collapse from a huge national debt, no gun rights, no parental rights!
>There will be CIVIL WAR! THE GOVERNMENT WILL KILL YOU ALL!!!
They'll take your children and shoot you in the back of the head! 1984! 1984!




So naturally, a lot of people are drawn to centrism.
You see, Centrism is a result of over-dosing on caricatures. Here's the truth:

Republicans want to protect your liberty by shrinking the government.
Democrats want to advance human rights by growing the government.

One side says the government exists to protect your rights, not infringe on them.
The other side says, the government exists to protect your rights, not infringe on them.

(Mind Blown)
The truth is, people are not just tribalist - your politics are largely determined by external factors. For instance, most people follow whatever politics their parents follow.

And most people fall into some personality archetype; For example, liberals are more compassionate and conservatives are more "orderly". This is why many tests can predict your political affiliation based on personality traits. What I'm getting at is, we are all guided by PRINCPLES!

Some are guided by blind compassion - others are guided by blind algorithms.(As in, ignore emotions, what's the best step by step solution to the problem)

Both sides have different principles - Centrists, have no principles.

(These are all things real centrists have told me)
One moment they'll tell you a big government leads to tyranny - The next moment, they'll tell you guns need to be banned completely.One moment they'll tell you abortion is a human right, the next moment they'll tell you the government should randomly abort babies to keep the population controlled. One moment they'll tell you to open the borders, The next moment they'll tell you to euthanize anyone who won't work.

LOOK! My point is, in the countless conversations I've had with centrists, I've learned that they all lack principles. They want to play both sides. They want to befriend everyone. Their political "leaning" will shift depending on who they are talking.

Now look, I have no problem with center leaning conservatives or center leaning liberals. Like - "I'm against abortion, but in the first trimester, I guess its okay" OR - "I'm against a border, but I guess if we want universal healthcare, its okay"

Those people, even if they sometimes contradict their own principles - are still trying to live by them. They're saying "I will concede this point for the purpose of advancing my principles overall". These are good people, they want to stay true but are open to compromise.

There's a difference between compromise - and having only beliefs. (Principles /= beliefs)

Principles are things like "government exists to protect human rights" Or "government exists to care for and supply for the people".

Right vs. Left - different principles. Centrists only have beliefs. Feelings without evidence that they'll drop at any time.

And in my experience, Centrists are very ill informed on the issues. A feminist can rattle off a million contraception facts. A Pro Lifer can give you every detail of an abortion -

A Centrist, can smile and nod, and tell you you're right no matter what. Maybe they'll ask a question or two, but in the end, they won't push you.

Centrism is the result of overdosing on caricatures. So much, that you yourself actually become a caricature - The Caricature, of the moron.

Politics is full of important issues, so it really pisses me off when you flip flop on things.
Abortion - a baby could die.
Borders - thousands of people looking for a better life, might be screwed.
Foreign Policy - A wrong step and a nuke is coming our way.

So I don't wanna hear you saying "Well there is no right answer"
Death Penalty - There is a right answer. And someone's life is on the line.

Centrism, pisses me off. Now you know why.
What are your thoughts on Centrism? Leave a message at the beep - ciao!





 
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Here's how I see it.

Crentism is about the center. It's about pushing towards the center. It's a belief that in the center we will find the most efficient and thus just solutions. It's basically an underdog strategy. Support the underdog (among moderates) so as to push towards the center.

I'm not sure the OP understands the bold part. I don't agree with Centrists, but I get the concept.
 
Could centralism be someone who sides with the right on some issues and with the left on others? How about someone who is for the death penalty and has no problem whatsoever with abortion? That to address our national debt that taxes must be raised and spending cut, both. Gay marriage, let love decide, not government. Someone who is all for legal immigration, against illegal immigration and a path to citizenship for the illegals. Against the wall, what a boondoggle idea when there are cheaper and better ways.

That we shouldn’t go to war without a proper constitutional declaration of war by congress. Not on a resolution or UN approval. A constitutional declaration along with going to war with all the intentions of winning the darn thing by doing whatever it takes. I’m all for social security and to keep it solvent, do away with the cap first and if that isn’t enough, then raise the FICA tax. I could go on, but some people side with the right on some issues and the left on others. They aren’t mind numbed robots, they take it one issue at a time. Decide which side is better for America, its people without being dictated by a political party or told as to whether they are for or against it by the party’s leaders.

In fact with the rise in the number of independents, from 30% back in 2006 to 43% today. I’d say there are a very large group of people somewhere in-between the two major parties or the left and the right. That compromise, getting some of what you want while letting the other guy get some of what they want helps at times to keep this country moving forward. Centralist? I wouldn’t call them that, more like free thinkers.
 
When did "compromise" become such a hated word in government? Sheesh! :thumbdown: It used to work just fine not too many years ago, when they seemed to remember that they were part if a body that was expected to work for all the people in this country, not just the party they belong to! Disgusting....
 
I believe, at least we like to think we do, that most people think of themselves as being 'centrist' on most issues. Only the far left and far right can be more definitive on their opinion one way or the other. A centrist seeks the middle ground, a balance between right and wrong. They will concede when proven which is the best path to take and will not plant their feet in cement and fight fiercely for something they're not totally committed to.

Depending on the issue, they sometimes favor government intervention and sometimes support individual freedom of choice. Centrists pride themselves on keeping an open mind, tend to oppose "political extremes," and emphasize what they describe as "practical" solutions to problems. I can call myself a liberal when in fact I might be better described as centrist, but it seems we're forced to choose a label for ourselves so I undoubtedly see myself as a democratic liberal. As a non-practicing Catholic I might agree that abortion should be legal, but only because I believe in the rights of women to choose what happens with their own body as set down by Constitutional law.

As the saying goes; "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
 
I'm not going to take your personal experience for grantite. The centrists that you happened to have talked to do not amount to a hill of beans to me.

That said, I don't subscribe to the idea that being a moderate automatically means that you're the grown-up in the room. Right, left, and center are all intangible positions that change with shifting Overton window. To conclude that the middle is always right is to ignore that the middle position is relative. We could be talking about blowing up the world, or blowing up the country, and the middle-ground is absolutely where we would not want to be on that front.

You're arguement seems to be that since people on either side have such convicted positions, it's the wafting people in the center that are without principle. That seems all well and fine to this particular centrist-hating progressive, until we come to a point where all the battles my side is fighting today have been won. What happenes when we get medicare-for-all, a fifteen-dollar minimum-wage and all the things that a simple Bernie-bro can hope for? Wouldn't my kinds of policies being implemented, and accepted, turn me into a centrist by default?
 
I'm not going to take your personal experience for grantite. The centrists that you happened to have talked to do not amount to a hill of beans to me.

That said, I don't subscribe to the idea that being a moderate automatically means that you're the grown-up in the room. Right, left, and center are all intangible positions that change with shifting Overton window. To conclude that the middle is always right is to ignore that the middle position is relative. We could be talking about blowing up the world, or blowing up the country, and the middle-ground is absolutely where we would not want to be on that front.

You're arguement seems to be that since people on either side have such convicted positions, it's the wafting people in the center that are without principle. That seems all well and fine to this particular centrist-hating progressive, until we come to a point where all the battles my side is fighting today have been won. What happenes when we get medicare-for-all, a fifteen-dollar minimum-wage and all the things that a simple Bernie-bro can hope for? Wouldn't my kinds of policies being implemented, and accepted, turn me into a centrist by default?
 
I don’t think I’ve ever encountered anyone who is actually a “centrist” even if they claim to be.
 
X Factor;bt4640 said:
I don’t think I’ve ever encountered anyone who is actually a “centrist” even if they claim to be.
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There probably is no such animal as a centrist. But there are those who are known as swing voters. Who will side with one party one election, the other party the next. There are those who side with the right on some issues, with the left on others.

I wouldn't call them centrist. Perhaps not even moderates. Most issues they take sides with, those issues are mighty important to them. One could be against illegal immigration, but for gay marriage and abortion.

There are those who just don't fit into the current ideologies of the left and or the right.
 
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