Utopia Talk / Politics / The extreme center

Nimatzo rank	Tue Aug 14 23:11:43 2018 Murders comment about being extremist center, reminded me of this article I read the other day. -------------- Centrists Are the Most Hostile to Democracy, Not Extremists By DAVID ADLER MAY 23, 2018 The warning signs are flashing red: Democracy is under threat. Across Europe and North America, candidates are more authoritarian, party systems are more volatile, and citizens are more hostile to the norms and institutions of liberal democracy. These trends have prompted a major debate between those who view political discontent as economic, cultural or generational in origin. But all of these explanations share one basic assumption: The threat is coming from the political extremes. On the right, ethno-nationalists and libertarians are accused of supporting fascist politics; on the left, campus radicals and the so-called antifa movement are accused of betraying liberal principles. Across the board, the assumption is that radical views go hand in hand with support for authoritarianism, while moderation suggests a more committed approach to the democratic process. Is it true? Maybe not. My research suggests that across Europe and North America, centrists are the least supportive of democracy, the least committed to its institutions and the most supportive of authoritarianism. Rest of article + graphs at link. http://www...world/centrists-democracy.html
murder rank	Wed Aug 15 00:31:07 2018 OK, so that's depressing.
Seb rank	Wed Aug 15 00:53:15 2018 These questions seem odd. E.g. choosing a leader in a free election most essential element of democracy. In most parliamentary systems the political leader is *not* chosen in an election: representatives are chosen who select a leader. Clearly direct election of leaders is *not* essential for democracy and may actually be bad for it as it gives leaders a strong personal mandate which can be leveraged into authoritarianism. I also wonder if some of this can be explained contextually. Centrists in many countries now looking at the resurgent populists on the left and right might indeed be worrying about whether democracy is a great idea given loons appear to command the majority; and may look at Nazis marching around declaring their freedom of speech to be protected with some degree of alarm.
Seb rank	Wed Aug 15 00:54:28 2018 As for the fringes, Hitler loved democracy right up until he won his first election and then had no further need for it.
murder rank	Wed Aug 15 01:53:59 2018 "In most parliamentary systems the political leader is *not* chosen in an election: representatives are chosen who select a leader." Sure, but people generally know who the leader of the parties are, don't they?
Nimatzo rank	Wed Aug 15 08:52:31 2018 seb There is a common trend across all the questions and trend over 25 years. For example support for strongman leaders has shrunk on the left, risen at the center and remained stable on right. Impossible to say what it is we are seeing and why. But interest in the center has been rather small, right and left, alt right, Antifa, nazi, communist, it is the extreme agenda of the day. Moderates/centrists have been viewed as a mellow middle, apparently that isn’t the full picture. These categories are very blunt, requires further break down. Maybe people see the authoritarian in their own image and moderates to a higher degree believe it would work, because it would be a ”moderate” authoritarian. Maybe the fact that there have not been what you could categorize as authoritarian leaders from the center. So centrist think, it is worth a go. I think on some level many accept at least in theory that a benevolent dictator could potentially be the best kind of governer. Moderates may be more inclined to believe this for above mentioned reasons.
Dukhat rank	Wed Aug 15 16:31:46 2018 Looks like the extreme center doesn't support democracy because of the extreme right. Lulz
murder rank	Wed Aug 15 20:56:03 2018 "Maybe people see the authoritarian in their own image and moderates to a higher degree believe it would work, because it would be a ”moderate” authoritarian. Maybe the fact that there have not been what you could categorize as authoritarian leaders from the center. So centrist think, it is worth a go. I think on some level many accept at least in theory that a benevolent dictator could potentially be the best kind of governer. Moderates may be more inclined to believe this for above mentioned reasons." I suspect that the self-identified centrists really just don't give a shit about "politics", and just want the trains to run on time. They see gridlock in Congress, and how little ever gets done, and see a strongman as a way to break the gridlock and get things moving. Obviously not giving much thought to where things would go.
Nimatzo rank	Wed Aug 15 21:15:53 2018 That could definitely explain some of it. There is not "centerism" to learn, it is by definition between left and right. A good choice for those who don't care, at all, the amoral people, like you :), but also me, I consider myself around the center :(
Nimatzo rank	Wed Aug 15 21:16:54 2018 Guess this mean I will have to vote for the next Hitler now. Knowledge can be dangerous sometimes...
Seb rank	Wed Aug 15 22:46:13 2018 Murder: Not always. Nobody knew May would be PM when they voted Tory in 2015.
Hot Rod rank	Wed Aug 15 23:13:52 2018 One thing you guys should start thinking about. Once President Trump is successful in making the trade practices more level that will cut your countries incomes drastically. That could force your counties to cut back on some social programs. Remember what Greece went through a few years ago>
Hot Rod rank	Wed Aug 15 23:14:32 2018 *-?
Pillz rank	Thu Aug 16 03:05:16 2018 Please die
Hot Rod rank	Thu Aug 16 03:24:18 2018 you have a much better chance than I. Just stay away from the riots and you might make it.
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