An Interesting Graphic on What a Centrist is

[Natural Citizen]

Centrists, or moderates, like using simplistic linear graphs to make themselves seems like fair-minded non-extremist types and be able to separate themselves from the usual partisan jousting.

Left vs right, Democrat vs Republican... but if we're to use simplistic linear graphs for political division, what should be of most importance is Tyranny vs. Liberty, Slavery vs. Freedom.

In this context, what is the centrist/moderate view? Partial-tyranny, partial-slavery? In this context, centrist/moderate views are nothing virtuous at all. I'd rather be an extremist for liberty and freedom.

Absolutely!

 

[JimBowie1958]

Name a president who didn't need centralist voters to win their election.

So?

Doesn't that in part go to what a 'Centrist president' actually is? Able to attract Centrist voters?

 

[JimBowie1958]

Centrists, or moderates, like using simplistic linear graphs to make themselves seems like fair-minded non-extremist types and be able to separate themselves from the usual partisan jousting.

Libertarians have popularized such charts for far longer than any Centrists have. I think it is still too simplistic, but in the context of these 2D illustrations it does give some information.

Left vs right, Democrat vs Republican... but if we're to use simplistic linear graphs for political division, what should be of most importance is Tyranny vs. Liberty, Slavery vs. Freedom.

That does sound interesting? Why don't you draw it up and share with the rest of us?

In this context, what is the centrist/moderate view? Partial-tyranny, partial-slavery? In this context, centrist/moderate views are nothing virtuous at all. I'd rather be an extremist for liberty and freedom.

No, being a Centrist does not mean that you eat only half the poison.

The idea is that you look for:
1) Intellectual humility: tolerance for everyone's opinion that does not advocate violence because in the multitude of perspectives we get a better 3D picture of reality than we do following simplistic ideologies.
2) Pragmatism: Do what works and ignore the ideological nay-sayers.
3) Honesty: Admit failure and revise what you think works based on results, not ideolology.
4) Empowerment of the Individual: particularly in the right of Self-Defense.
5) The final goal of all proposals and efforts should be the advancement of humanity, starting with our own families, then the nation then the species as a a whole, our allies firs tin line.

 

[bripat9643]

Name a president who didn't need centralist voters to win their election.

So?

Doesn't that in part go to what a 'Centrist president' actually is? Able to attract Centrist voters?

Meaningless babble. Who a president attracts is irrelevant to what the term means. Mostly what it means is that you're a douchebag with no principles.

 

[bripat9643]

Centrists, or moderates, like using simplistic linear graphs to make themselves seems like fair-minded non-extremist types and be able to separate themselves from the usual partisan jousting.

Libertarians have popularized such charts for far longer than any Centrists have. I think it is still too simplistic, but in the context of these 2D illustrations it does give some information.

Left vs right, Democrat vs Republican... but if we're to use simplistic linear graphs for political division, what should be of most importance is Tyranny vs. Liberty, Slavery vs. Freedom.

That does sound interesting? Why don't you draw it up and share with the rest of us?

In this context, what is the centrist/moderate view? Partial-tyranny, partial-slavery? In this context, centrist/moderate views are nothing virtuous at all. I'd rather be an extremist for liberty and freedom.

No, being a Centrist does not mean that you eat only half the poison.

The idea is that you look for:
1) Intellectual humility: tolerance for everyone's opinion that does not advocate violence because in the multitude of perspectives we get a better 3D picture of reality than we do following simplistic ideologies.
2) Pragmatism: Do what works and ignore the ideological nay-sayers.
3) Honesty: Admit failure and revise what you think works based on results, not ideolology.
4) Empowerment of the Individual: particularly in the right of Self-Defense.
5) The final goal of all proposals and efforts should be the advancement of humanity, starting with our own families, then the nation then the species as a a whole, our allies firs tin line.

Says who?

 

[JimBowie1958]

Centrists, or moderates, like using simplistic linear graphs to make themselves seems like fair-minded non-extremist types and be able to separate themselves from the usual partisan jousting.

Libertarians have popularized such charts for far longer than any Centrists have. I think it is still too simplistic, but in the context of these 2D illustrations it does give some information.

Left vs right, Democrat vs Republican... but if we're to use simplistic linear graphs for political division, what should be of most importance is Tyranny vs. Liberty, Slavery vs. Freedom.

That does sound interesting? Why don't you draw it up and share with the rest of us?

In this context, what is the centrist/moderate view? Partial-tyranny, partial-slavery? In this context, centrist/moderate views are nothing virtuous at all. I'd rather be an extremist for liberty and freedom.

No, being a Centrist does not mean that you eat only half the poison.

The idea is that you look for:
1) Intellectual humility: tolerance for everyone's opinion that does not advocate violence because in the multitude of perspectives we get a better 3D picture of reality than we do following simplistic ideologies.
2) Pragmatism: Do what works and ignore the ideological nay-sayers.
3) Honesty: Admit failure and revise what you think works based on results, not ideolology.
4) Empowerment of the Individual: particularly in the right of Self-Defense.
5) The final goal of all proposals and efforts should be the advancement of humanity, starting with our own families, then the nation then the species as a a whole, our allies firs tin line.

Says who?

It is the collected principles I have found to be a common thread in Centrist thinking over the years.
I know it is difficult for a Libertarian or ideological conservative to wrap their mind around it, but yeah, there it is.

 

[bripat9643]

Centrists, or moderates, like using simplistic linear graphs to make themselves seems like fair-minded non-extremist types and be able to separate themselves from the usual partisan jousting.

Libertarians have popularized such charts for far longer than any Centrists have. I think it is still too simplistic, but in the context of these 2D illustrations it does give some information.

Left vs right, Democrat vs Republican... but if we're to use simplistic linear graphs for political division, what should be of most importance is Tyranny vs. Liberty, Slavery vs. Freedom.

That does sound interesting? Why don't you draw it up and share with the rest of us?

In this context, what is the centrist/moderate view? Partial-tyranny, partial-slavery? In this context, centrist/moderate views are nothing virtuous at all. I'd rather be an extremist for liberty and freedom.

No, being a Centrist does not mean that you eat only half the poison.

The idea is that you look for:
1) Intellectual humility: tolerance for everyone's opinion that does not advocate violence because in the multitude of perspectives we get a better 3D picture of reality than we do following simplistic ideologies.
2) Pragmatism: Do what works and ignore the ideological nay-sayers.
3) Honesty: Admit failure and revise what you think works based on results, not ideolology.
4) Empowerment of the Individual: particularly in the right of Self-Defense.
5) The final goal of all proposals and efforts should be the advancement of humanity, starting with our own families, then the nation then the species as a a whole, our allies firs tin line.

Says who?

It is the collected principles I have found to be a common thread in Centrist thinking over the years.
I know it is difficult for a Libertarian or ideological conservative to wrap their mind around it, but yeah, there it is.

Your principles are bogus.

Pragmatism? Do what works? How do you know what works? Ideologies exist because people believe those are the ideas that work.

People who call themselves "centrists" advocate violence all the time. At least, they advocate the use of force to implement their so-called principles.

In short, so-called "centrists" are full of bullshit. They simply pick and choose the ideas they agree with and call them "pragmatic." The centrist claims his ideas "work," even though he has no better evidence for them than the ideologue has for his. The centrist simply wants to avoid debating his ideas by resorting to a rhetorical dodge.

 

[JimBowie1958]

Pragmatism? Do what works? How do you know what works? Ideologies exist because people believe those are the ideas that work.

Take for example the TARP proposal in 2008 that got voted down because ideologues in the GOP couldn't bring themselves to intrude in the 'free market' (which is never free, anyway). Hank Paulson, Geithner and Bernanke were sweating bullets to patch up a financial system that was in an exponentially growing crisis due to CDS on CDOs and MBS and based on ideological adherence these Republicans held up addressing the issue until their constituents began losing money in the 401ks and giving them hell.

Billions in USD could have been saved had they acted with speed and trusted their own leadership, but they were trapped in an ideological quandary.

Pragmatism says, to hell with ideology, fix the damned problem.

People who call themselves "centrists" advocate violence all the time. At least, they advocate the use of force to implement their so-called principles.

Yeah, unfortunately, in the real world you sometimes have to use violence to prevent greater or morally unacceptable violence, like shooting a gun wielding maniac to protect innocent shoppers at a Walmart. I don't think anyone objects to that other than extreme pacifists.

In short, so-called "centrists" are full of bullshit. They simply pick an choose the ideas they agree with and call them "pragmatic." The centrist claims his ideas "work," even though he has no better evidence for them than the ideologue has for his. The centrist simply wants to avoid debating his ideas by resorting to a rhetorical dodge.

I know you don't get it, but it is OK, you don't have to.

We need the hide bound conservative perspective too.

 

[Alan Stallion]

Centrists, or moderates, like using simplistic linear graphs to make themselves seems like fair-minded non-extremist types and be able to separate themselves from the usual partisan jousting.

Libertarians have popularized such charts for far longer than any Centrists have. I think it is still too simplistic, but in the context of these 2D illustrations it does give some information.

Perhaps Libertarians have popularized such charts, I don't know for certain. It may seem that way to me, but then I also may have paid more attention to libertarian postings.

I do know in such charts, after taking related quizzes, I've been placed as more libertarian than Ron Paul which may indicate a bit of "pushing" by those designing these self-tests. "See, you're one of us. Join us!"

I do know also from experience how virtuous self-described Centrists can self-define as they try to convince people they're not a treacherous "extremist," so they demonize others much like the so-called partisan extremists. I don't think Centrists are much different than Ideologues. Centrists just have a different ideology.

Left vs right, Democrat vs Republican... but if we're to use simplistic linear graphs for political division, what should be of most importance is Tyranny vs. Liberty, Slavery vs. Freedom.

That does sound interesting? Why don't you draw it up and share with the rest of us?

I just did. But perhaps I can offer a different illustration. Imagine a target, where the bullseye is liberty and freedom, and the further away you get from it brings you closer to tyranny and slavery and you're off the chart.

In this context, what is the centrist/moderate view? Partial-tyranny, partial-slavery? In this context, centrist/moderate views are nothing virtuous at all. I'd rather be an extremist for liberty and freedom.

No, being a Centrist does not mean that you eat only half the poison.

The idea is that you look for:
1) Intellectual humility: tolerance for everyone's opinion that does not advocate violence because in the multitude of perspectives we get a better 3D picture of reality than we do following simplistic ideologies.
2) Pragmatism: Do what works and ignore the ideological nay-sayers.
3) Honesty: Admit failure and revise what you think works based on results, not ideolology.
4) Empowerment of the Individual: particularly in the right of Self-Defense.
5) The final goal of all proposals and efforts should be the advancement of humanity, starting with our own families, then the nation then the species as a a whole, our allies firs tin line.

1. In theory, simplistic ideologies, if offered honestly, would be the most easily understood. You notice most law proposals are anything but simple, and that's by design.

And just because there may not be physical violence, loss of money (fines) and liberty (imprisonment) can happen from the passage of tyrannical laws and mandates approved by the multitudes or their representatives. I can tolerate a difference of opinion, but I cannot tolerate the fruition of bad policy dictates.

2. Do what works. Yes. But are you saying pragmatism works and an ideologue's ideas wouldn't? Proof is in the pudding. Pragmatism and compromise has grown the debt to tens of trillions of dollars. Seems like a failure to me. Do what works.

3. Yes.

4. Absolutely.

5 Yes, but with a caveat. Advancement of humanity as long as it doesn't interfere with the civil rights and liberties of the people. Tyrannical governments all thought they were "advancing humanity" as they wiped out or imprisoned the "undesirables" (and the "undesirables" can and often do include ideologue opponents).

 

[impuretrash]

I think it illustrates the Centrist fairly well, but there is only so much room on these types of charts, lol.

A "centrist" will constantly have to realign his views depending on which of the wings carries the most establishment clout at any given point in time.