The 'Establishment Centre' vs. the 'Extreme Centre'

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funeralxempire
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21 Mar 2021, 2:48 am

This is a discussion that rarely gets brought up. People will focus on left vs. right or left vs. centre vs. right since that's often how partisan politics works. That said, that's not how political thinking works especially among free thinkers of varying depths with various experiences, interests, etc.

When people speak of the centre they're generally referring to the 'don't rock the boat' establishment types. That said if people believe the boat needs rocked it would follow that a 'populist centre' would try to position itself to try to tap that sentiment. Is this something that's likely to occur in societies that are currently experiencing both polarization and disillusion?

Is this something that could exist coherently, or would it split up into mentally ill people who love conspiracy theories vs. pissed off centrists who want change but can't agree on what that change should be?



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21 Mar 2021, 3:39 pm

In Trump's populism, the theme was about the FOREIGNER ...

-the FOREIGNER is taking our jobs
-the FOREIGNER is coming into our country illegally, and mooching off of us
-the FOREIGNER is bringing sickness
-the FOREIGNER is a potential terrorist
-the FOREIGNER leave their sh**hole country to come here to make our country a sh**hole.
-our politicians put the FOREIGNER above our own interests
-to make America great, we need to STOP THE FOREIGNER from doing these horrible things to us.

So, if people are polarized and disillusioned, it seems like enough of them can be convinced of a populist central theme.


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funeralxempire
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22 Mar 2021, 7:55 am

I agree with both of those.

That extreme fixation on foreigners might eventually start to disillusion some people who are aligned populist right types, especially if they realize that a lot of what was done isn't actually helping them.

Similarly people who might like some ideas social dems and progressives push but not care about the social issues or feel they're overemphasized may feel not really at home in that bloc.

I don't particularly want the emergence of an 'extreme centre' because it would almost certainly siphon support away from more agreeable political causes. I'm just identifying the concern while it's still approaching.



kraftiekortie
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22 Mar 2021, 8:00 am

We need the “center” to offset the excesses of the “left” and the “right.”

It’s possible we need a paradoxical “extreme centrism.”

The xenophobia and nationalism of the “right” has gone way too far.

The “woke” philosophy of the “left” has gone way too far.

We need a return to basic respect for political differences.



magz
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22 Mar 2021, 8:09 am

I'm not sure how to relate this to my country...
We are definitely polarised and disillusioned, so I think the questions apply.
Our emerging "centrist" movement - which would count as moderate right by EU standards but the center point is a relative thing - stresses on dialogue and compromise and appeals to people tired of the "Polish-Polish war" of hate and blaming.

However, the main conflict here seems to be much less ideological than simply... two coteries using various ideologies to gain power over each other by appealing to different parts of the society and painting the other one evil. Hard to do any dialogue and compromise in such situation :(


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