Can we talk about the concept of moderate politics?

[Fleshdancer]

In 2000 I considered myself moderate and although my beliefs haven't changed since then, I am now labeled as extreme. This tells me that the so called center has changed dramatically over the past six years. Where is it? What does it look like? How is it defined?

Better yet, is there a center? The ruling party has taken such extreme measures on a number of issues that I don't know what the concept of "center" means anymore. The center no longer has anything to do with fiscal responsibility. It has nothing to do with accountability. So what is it? Where is it? How do I get there and why should I?

[mmonk]

1. Yes

the center keeps moving right. Pretty soon, conservative will be considered liberal.

[liberaldemocrat7]

10. Moderates.

In my view moderates will tolerate the government not helping a percentage of the poor people, the elderly people, the disabled people, the unemployed workers, the union workers. Liberals will tolerate none of this. Republicans will take pride in throwing them under the bus. Moderates will drive the bus to the appointed site while Republicans throw them under it.

I shudder to formulate what moderates did in Nazi Germany. I will say that one person put to death appears too much.

Today one poor person, etc. neglected by the government appears too much.

How many would you throw under the bus? For me, none.

[mmonk]

2. and if it keeps up

America will have an overwhelming liberal majority.

[zippy890]

3. qood questions

'...and why should I?'
:popcorn:

Things have fallen apart,
The center has not held

with apologies to the poet whose name I forgot

[blm]

4. GOP controlled media and voting machines have MADE many Democrats believe

that most of the country was moving rightward.

I think the Dems are just now lifting themselves out of that mired bullshit.

[Cleita]

5. They are defining the center. It's not where the center really is.

Nothing has changed. There are very left liberals like myself who are pro-labor and for social programs for all Americans. We are still here. So somewhere between us and the fascist right is the center, where it has always been, not where the wacko right wing are trying to tell us it is.

[Fleshdancer]

6. That makes sense but it would be nice to have it clearly defined

I would love for the Democratic Party to hit this concept hard over and over. "Moderate politics means _______" One could fill in the blanks with actual ideas instead of the weird rhetoric being used by the neocons right now.

[Cleita]

8. So it's the job of our Democratic leaders to come out

against all this slander and the word smear campaigns. If they don't, what can we do but grouse about in places like DU.

:shrug:

[Fleshdancer]

9. well yeah, but having the conversation is still nice I guess. n/t

[Jade Fox]

11. Yes, it's alarming....

how gullible the Dems have been to this, the Myth of the Rightward Turn in America. Once again the Dems have let the Far Right and the Republican noise machine define what moderate means. Your suggestion is great.

[acmejack]

7. It is like the song

"Out here in the middle, where the center's on the right"

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. A breakdown of political divisions from the '60's.

The Fascists will shoot you.
The Conservatives will applaud the Fascists.
The Moderates will be watching the shooting on TV.
The Liberals will cry over your grave and feel guilty about turning you in to the Fascists.

[blurp]

13. No. Because government is violence.

Governments don't give advice. They make threats. That's where their power comes from.

Remember that people are fighting over who gets to control the men with guns.

[benEzra]

14. One component of centrism, in my opinion,

is its recognition of individual choice. Extremists on either end of any issue often advocate coercion, i.e. "live as I say, or else," and insist on enforced conformity. Centrists tend to take more of a pro-choice view on issues, and allow others to live differently than they do without censure.

In a word, centrism is tolerance, and extremism is coercion, to some degree.