Current Affairs the Centre is...

[dholliday]

Tbf as mad as I find some of Soft's posts, that's as unquantifiable and absolutist a statement as you're accusing him of making.

I think it is quantifiable in that it's known and documented how many on the traditional Left feel pushed out by a vocal nutty minority on the extreme Left. This pushing can become significant if it results in those being pushed not voting for traditional Left figures as those figures become less vote-friendly due to them having to bow more than usual to the extremists, or due to media propaganda (the Corbyn-hate in liberal newspapers comes ostensibly from what we now would refer to as the extreme, or Far, Left).

I can even link some articles on just this line of thinking:

Extreme Left is destroying the Labour Party

Bernie Sanders Is Not the Left (yes, Sanders isn't even Left enough)

This one's kinda related: How the Left Lost Its Mind

We see it here on this thread where centrist has become a dirty word, even code for actually meaning right-wing (which is just an insult nowadays, it barely means anything anymore). As being centrist or centre-left doesn't equals Far Left it gets attacked for not being part of the club. It gets labelled as belonging to the other side right there on the Right. As if there can be only two forms of thinking.

The Far Left are addicted to this kind of identity politics, and it may mean we won't see a Corbyn-led Labour government. That's worth pointing out.

 

[degsy]

I'm noticing a phase of harsh criticism heading to those who identify with something called the political centre, or middle/moderate-ground, or better yet the compromise position - remember that crazy concept? - The centre is not cleanly-defined, as it includes those of us who are free-thinkers (with positions which come from both the Left and the Right).

What is this criticism and why is there a lot of it right now? Here's one extreme example, this coming from an article from the dogma-ridden Guardian on why UK Corbynism & the US Ocasio-Cortez hype machine aren't running things already:

"More than ever, it would seem that the greatest enemy of the Left isn’t the Right, but the Centre."

I've seen multiple variations of this over the last few months, but hardly ever in the years before. As the Right (from the perspective of the Left) have become so cartooningly-bad, is the Centre the next target? Or next "enemy" even?

What's going on? I reckon it's the natural flow of polarisation seeking to destroy anything other than 'black' & 'white'. Anything that can't be defined as being 'us' or 'them' is an unthing and must be corrected so that it fits into one of the defined two sides, therefore becoming something, an identifiable thing with a label. Something which is black or white, right or wrong, good or evil. Something with which one can better define oneself with, as it's easily opposable (he's wrong, so I'm right...he's bad, so i'm virtuous etc). You can't really do that with someone from the political centre, so you're left with questioning your own identity (what am I if I'm not the opposite of them?).


I might be over-thinking this lol anywayz, what do yous think?

Its usually the 'Centerist Floating Voter' that do their thing in voting in and out.

 

[degsy]

While we're talking Votes and Voters - answer me this - Unless all the candidates fight under either Brexit or Remain and not their party banners, what good will a new general election actually do?

 

[dwightschrute]

The main problem with centrism is it either indirectly drives people to the far right (and some to the far left) by imposing austerity on the population for years

or theres plenty of history where centrist parties directly collude with the far right to keep out socialist and communist parties, who are then the first to be killed by the far right (the worst case being the 1930's when centrists jump in with Hitler)

Media

Whether it's a new social media app, live streams, or movies, there's always something to read or watch. Learn more about the media that's being consumed by the world.

extranewsfeed.com

 

[dead_soft]

part of the problem right there, you're effectively labelling centrists as right-wing. it's weird. why do you do it?

and since when is someone (i.e. me) who supports Corbyn, Palestine and Sanders a right-winger?

there's a nutty faction on the Left, and they (i.e. you) are ruining any chances a Corbyn or Sanders might have of running government.

Come on all, can't you see dholliday is one of the decent people trying to have a debate without resorting to name calling?

If you support them you’re not a centrist then are you?

 

[Ihaters]

Nothing worse than a right winger ashamed to call themselves a right winger

You sure?
I would suggest covering yourself in meat and walking naked into a lion closure would likely be worse on a personal level.
Extremist religions that cause mass deaths or suffering are probably worse on a global level.
Conversely I would suggest a threesome with two pretty women or winning the Euro millions would be better...
See middle ground is sometimes just the absence of extremism.

 

[dead_soft]

You sure?
I would suggest covering yourself in meat and walking naked into a lion closure would likely be worse on a personal level.
Extremist religions that cause mass deaths or suffering are probably worse on a global level.
Conversely I would suggest a threesome with two pretty women or winning the Euro millions would be better...
See middle ground is sometimes just the absence of extremism.

That analogy suggests centrism is bad. What you've got there is the suggestion that on one side you've got a great thing, on another you've got a truly awful thing, and centrism wants to find middle ground between the two and is therefore the better outcome.

 

[Ihaters]

That analogy suggests centrism is bad. What you've got there is the suggestion that on one side you've got a great thing, on another you've got a truly awful thing, and centrism wants to find middle ground between the two and is therefore the better outcome.

Correct. Sorry just using your 'nothing worse than... (bit of a bug bear)' comment to show how middle ground is often better than extremism.
Maybe the centralists could feed extremists to lions?

 

[SerenityNigh]

That sounds like a Libertarian. Definitely not centrist.

Libertarians want a reduction in governance but most centrists are ok with (a moderate amount of) government

I’d be surprised if libertarian ideas are as popular in the UK as the US

*not that I keep my finger on the pulse of politics like

 

[Osamabindiesel]

One side strawmans themselves into being the “good guys” with social politics (where economics certainly come last) whilst the other is fairly ruthless in terms of goals and priorities. Both sides have huge drawbacks because they try to be as opposite of one another as possible, hence you see all the flip flopping on topics like immigration and such.

Another way we are entering very dangerous territory is the modern McCarthyism and all of these new convenient labels to prevent any discussion from taking place. Disagree with someone? Slap them with Communist, Fascist, Neo Nazi, sjw, white privilege, etc. You win. Don’t like someone’s podcast? Accuse them of being neo-Nazi propagandists and have them pressured into having their platform removed. The censorship is a bit concerning even if I don’t agree with them.

I don’t like where we are headed. Both parties are parodying themselves at this point and are becoming more extreme by the day. Trump was just the start. I wouldn’t even call myself a centrist. I just loathe politics.

 

[jackyboy]

part of the problem right there, you're effectively labelling centrists as right-wing. it's weird. why do you do it?

and since when is someone (i.e. me) who supports Corbyn, Palestine and Sanders a right-winger?

there's a nutty faction on the Left, and they (i.e. you) are ruining any chances a Corbyn or Sanders might have of running government.

To be honest mate my comment was mostly tongue in cheek and aimed at the shower that currently reside in TIG.

Harping on about a second referendum yet not wanting a by-election to prove you deserve the seat. Common sense politics indeed.

 

[dholliday]

To be honest mate my comment was mostly tongue in cheek and aimed at the shower that currently reside in TIG.

Harping on about a second referendum yet not wanting a by-election to prove you deserve the seat. Common sense politics indeed.

aye, i imagine most centered types would initially support a 2nd-referendum at this stage, tho' if Remain wins then we get into the realms of best-of-3. if Brexit wins again there might be riots.

so then again let's ditch the 2nd-ref and have another GE instead. let's have a Corbyn-led Labour government deal with Brexit, he's pro-Brexit himself and i'd imagine he'd get a decent deal done. Juncker is a sexist swine who won't give Teresa an inch.

 

[peteblue]

I would identify myself as a centrist. I make up my own mind based on the evidence before me. I do not follow ideological paths and would never look far left or far right.....

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Hiya centrist Dave you are back in vogue, apparently!

 

[degsy]

Correct. Sorry just using your 'nothing worse than... (bit of a bug bear)' comment to show how middle ground is often better than extremism.
Maybe the centralists could feed extremists to lions?

Sounds good to me, but only if I was the one deciding, a) who were centralists and b) who were extremists.
When the answer is of course an extremist is somebody who doesn't agree with me
Albert (not Daniel...and no religion too...Imagine that ) and the Lion