What does "meet in the middle" even mean if things keep shifting right?

[GeekyDad]

...What's the center? Isn't America's version of center basically just right-wing to the rest of the world? ...

Click to shrink...

Not from where I sit. Seems like extremes on both sides to be honest. This forum is a great example of that. I consider myself to be a fairly liberal person, but considering the touchiness of certain topics, I typically try to refrain from joining in said discussions because I fear certain opinions or even suggestions of thought I may try to voice will be considered, well, more than opinions or ideas and get me banned.

I love Era, but truly, I think everything going on in the world has made everyone everywhere extremely uptight and volatile. It's just different sides of the same coin.

 

[Horp]

He lied about both of these things. He didn't embrace dick. He ran on racism, and the racism is what got him the vote.



What does any of this even mean. You can't just call yourself "left and progressive" without mentioning a stance or three if you're asking for clarification. ERA isn't exactly the most left place if you go on gaming side btw.

Click to shrink...

Huh what do you mean "what does this mean?"? What's not to understand?
I don't mean gaming side btw.

 

[Brinbe]

Yes, that's a product of a two party system and of course a long history of crazy racism, slavery and mounds of other bullshit baked in.

Like that's how warped things have been. Democrats would BE the conservatives in many parts of the world and the GOP would be the crazy niche right wing fascist party.

 

[SageShinigami]

Not from where I sit. Seems like extremes on both sides to be honest. This forum is a great example of that. I consider myself to be a fairly liberal person, but considering the touchiness of certain topics, I typically try to refrain from joining in said discussions because I fear certain opinions or even suggestions of thought I may try to voice will be considered, well, more than opinions or ideas and get me banned.

I love Era, but truly, I think everything going on in the world has made everyone everywhere extremely uptight and volatile. It's just different sides of the same coin.

Click to shrink...

Just out of curiosity: are you caucasian?

Huh what do you mean "what does this mean?"? What's not to understand?
I don't mean gaming side btw.

Click to shrink...

For me, for instance, being "progressive" seems like universal health care and free college are starting points. Push further left and you should hit universal basic income. Further than that is housing as a right. Just saying "I consider myself left" doesn't really mean much to me?

 

[Horp]

Just out of curiosity: are you caucasian?



For me, for instance, being "progressive" seems like universal health care and free college are starting points. Push further left and you should hit universal basic income. Further than that is housing as a right. Just saying "I consider myself left" doesn't really mean much to me?

Click to shrink...

There are obviously different levels of left. There isnt a single "left", that is not something that is up for debate.
I still cant understand wtf you mean by "what does this even mean?". You obviously grasp that there is things such as "further left".
For example, I dont believe in UBi, yet. Sooner or later, yes, but not right now. I also dont believe in planned economy and full on communism. I believe in a heavily regulated free market. Social democracy.
How is that hard to understand? Geez

 

[SageShinigami]

There are obviously different levels of left. There isnt a single "left", that is not something that is up for debate.
I still cant understand wtf you mean by "what does this even mean?". You obviously grasp that there is things such as "further left".
For example, I dont believe in UBi, yet. Sooner or later, yes, but not right now. I also dont believe in planned economy and full on communism. I believe in a heavily regulated free market. Social democracy.
How is that hard to understand? Geez

Click to shrink...

You've gotten incredibly defensive about what was a really innocuous question, my guy.

 

[wolfshirt]

The events of the last 5 years should have made it abundantly clear that this just isn't true.

Click to shrink...

But would you say that this a failure of the people, or
rather a failure of the system?

 

[wolfshirt]

You've gotten incredibly defensive about what was a really innocuous question, my guy.

Click to shrink...

You pose an extremely loaded question, then tease the person. If we are to discuss the negative effects of our uniquely ameican tribalism, what good does pointing out his ethnicity do?

 

[Horp]

You've gotten incredibly defensive about what was a really innocuous question, my guy.

Click to shrink...

It wasn't innocuous, not in the way it was stated and not in it's meaning. It was weird, frankly. Maybe you didn't start this topic to discuss, just to signal your position and to wane out any potential dissenters "centrist" to jump on? Idk.

 

[SageShinigami]

You pose an extremely loaded question, then tease the person. If we are to discuss the negative effects of our uniquely ameican tribalism, what good does pointing out his ethnicity do?

Click to shrink...

That question was aimed at a completely different person. Also:

It's not about "teasing". you can't just say "Yeah I consider myself one of the most left, progressive people I know". You have to ground that in something, because I don't know what that means because I don't know you.

It wasn't innocuous, not in the way it was stated and not in it's meaning. It was weird, frankly. Maybe you didn't start this topic to discuss, just to signal your position and to wane out any potential dissenters "centrist" to jump on? Idk.

Click to shrink...

See the above. And frankly, I don't really care to "jump on" anyone. The question was what it was.

 

[Chadtwo]

You're asking exactly the right question OP, this is what leftists have been saying a long time. "Meeting in the middle" means ceding to radical nationalism and imperialism

 

[Horp]

That question was aimed at a completely different person. Also:

It's not about "teasing". you can't just say "Yeah I consider myself one of the most left, progressive people I know". You have to ground that in something, because I don't know what that means because I don't know you.



See the above. And frankly, I don't really care to "jump on" anyone. The question was what it was.

Click to shrink...

I did ground it enough by saying there are more-left people on era. That was my point. Not that I am exactly X. I don't owe you and kind of explanation at all and I don't care that you don't know what "left in my circles" mean. That wasn't the point. The point was: I consider myself left but era has lots of people further to the left.

 

[SageShinigami]

You're asking exactly the right question OP, this is what leftists have been saying a long time. "Meeting in the middle" means ceding to radical nationalism and imperialism

Click to shrink...

I've thought the statement itself was meaningless for a while, but then I started thinking about how the right is moving further right and that's when I was like "Yo...how the fuck do we meet in the middle then? I'm just warping my own stances."

 

[Deleted member 4614]

Ultimately there are major issues that almost all peoples can agree on: equality for all, the safety of children and the welfare of our elderly, for instance.

Click to shrink...

• Equality for all: False
• Safety of children: False
• Welfare of our elderly: False

Your post is a good reminder many people are swimming in a pond of misconceptions.

 

[SageShinigami]

Also: I'm not finna sit here and go back and forth with people who want to argue and claim persecution when I've tried my best to be kind. So I'm not responding anymore to people who are being disingenuous, ya'll have fun.

 

[Sunster]

Click to shrink...

cursed gif

 

[Horp]

Yikes. Like I said; not looking for discussion.

 

[Strike]

There is no middle between opposing ideals.

Click to shrink...

.

 

[mikeys_legendary]

To me, meeting in the middle means two parties get something that they want. Maybe both groups don't get the #1 thing they want, but instead they both get #2 of what's on their lists.

Its garbage when it comes to US Politics, and Democrats should never fall for it.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Someone have that picture of the Nazis on one side, protestors on the other, and some idiot in the middle being like "let's just get along" or whatever?

Click to shrink...

This one (full strip here):

Also while googling for it, I came across this gem from XKCD (not particularly related to the thread except for the crazyness of it all):

 

[Deleted member 49482]

Well, you see, it's always the Democrats that must meet Republicans in the middle, rather than the other way around. This becomes an important distinction when the Republican version of "the middle" continues to move to the right.

 

[Codeblue]

Not from where I sit. Seems like extremes on both sides to be honest. This forum is a great example of that. I consider myself to be a fairly liberal person, but considering the touchiness of certain topics, I typically try to refrain from joining in said discussions because I fear certain opinions or even suggestions of thought I may try to voice will be considered, well, more than opinions or ideas and get me banned.

I love Era, but truly, I think everything going on in the world has made everyone everywhere extremely uptight and volatile. It's just different sides of the same coin.

Click to shrink...

You mind expounding on the equivocal extremes on both sides? No one's ever been banned on Era for being a liberal.

 

[Deleted member 31923]

Not really unless you consider the rest of the world a few Western European nations? Like here in Australia Biden wouldn't be really considered right-wing.

Click to shrink...

For real? I don't know much about Australian politics, but don't you at least have universal health care and strict gun laws?

 

[mentok15]

For real? I don't know much about Australian politics, but don't you at least have universal health care and strict gun laws?

Click to shrink...

We do but we are still a relatively conservative country. For example same sex marriage laws came in after the US and weed is still illegal here.

Our gun laws where brought by the Liberals (our right wing party) when John Howard was PM. We never had the same gun culture as the US so it's a bit hard comparing them.
With healthcare what is Bidens platform? I know the one Bernie wanted was more left than ours, we do still have private insurance to go along with it and there are still some out of pocket expenses. And if the US already had universal health care I doubt Biden would want to scrap it, where if our conservatives could they could imo.

 

[MoonToon]

It's just something people say to sound like they have the high ground in politics.

Reps have learned that they can wallow in the muck and appeal to base/ primal human fears to grab power and votes, fooling people into voting against their own self interest. Dems want to look like "the adults in the room" but ultimately this is a capitalist nation and what's best "for the people" will often times be things that don't serve that. Plus, that stance doesn't actually mean you care about people. It's just a way to say "I tried" and have an excuse when nothing gets done.

A good example is black voters.
Being black in this nation from a voting stand point often times comes down to "This side actively hates you and wants you to suffer/ die" and "This other side doesn't openly hate you and will play ally ... but doesn't care to actually do things that would help you because ya know, money ... and will straight up support things that hurt you because of money to. But wanna ya gonna do? Vote for the other guy?!?!".

But I try to avoid political take in general because IDK how to convince people that they should care about other people.

 

[dabig2]

Don't worry OP, whatever that center is Joe Biden and the fascists Repubs will find it

Biden going old-school and meeting with newspaper columnists including @GeraldFSeib Biden tells them why he's optimistic on bipartisanship: "Republicans are beginning to realize that there is a center that has to be responded to"

Click to shrink...

Where is that center? Doesn't matter! We'll all go there together, hand in hand.

 

[danm999]

For real? I don't know much about Australian politics, but don't you at least have universal health care and strict gun laws?

Click to shrink...

Biden would absolutely be in the Coalition, which is the right wing major party. He would not be in the Labor Party.