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[–] 136 points 3 years ago* (44 children)

Conservatives frequently refer to themselves as centrists or neither. In the U.S., it is obvious someone is a right wing asshat if they claim to be centrist or neither.

"bOtH sIdEz r EqUaLlY bAd!!!"

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  • [+] 82 points 3 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (23 children)
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    [–] 98 points 3 years ago (4 children)

    I have a step grandfather who is super far right but insists he’s a democrat and that he’s the only true democrat in the family since he was elected as a democrat judge in a rather conservative area in Ohio in the 80s or 90s. He has also said the only thing he can do to save the country is to vote for crazy fascist republicans. Insists he knows how to run a government better than everyone in the family as well all because he was a judge.

    One of my favorite thing to do with him is talk about something that impacts me and not tell him that it impacts me directly until after he’s been super shitty about it. Once I say it impacts me he then backtracks and tries to say that he still fully believes in the things he believes in but that he didn’t mean me, he meant the other ones. That my situation was different for no reason. He’s a piece of shit who my family expects me to respect, but I have many times purposefully been disrespectful because someone like him deserves negative respect.

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  • [–] 37 points 3 years ago (3 children)

    To be fair, he may actually be a democrat, just a historic one. Their 'roles' were kind of reversed compared to today until somewhere in the last century if my outside knowledge of US political history serves right.

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  • [–] 15 points 3 years ago

    Yeah that’s basically what he is. I’ve never talked to him about the party switch and it’d be an interesting and probably very frustrating situation.

    That said, you mentioning that has given me an idea about what to say the next time he says he’s a democrat so thank you for that!

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  • [–] 61 points 3 years ago (52 children)

    People that claim themselves to be centrists in this economy, are either plain stupid or republicunts in disguise.

    Yes, they are not mutually exclusive.

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  • [–] 19 points 3 years ago (14 children)

    It's this kind of rhetoric that prevents productive conversation. If we want anyone to change their minds the first step is to talk to them person to person, not boil someone down to black and white beliefs. People are more nuanced than that.

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  • [–] 21 points 3 years ago (9 children)

    I can talk person to person with reasonable people. I do not find people reasonable that hate others for their skin color, their faith, or their identity, instead of hating them for their actions. I do not find people reasonable that want to exterminate those. I also do not find people reasonable that do not care about those being hated and death being wished upon them just because they are fiscally conservative .

    My problem with "centrists" is that they're using the word to avoid consequences for the hatred they spew online. Those "centrists" claim to be centrists but the only issues they ever talk about are right-wing issues, 99% of the time the culture war that they wage. Just say you're republican and make it easy for me, I don't care if we agree or disagree on other issues at the current time, if you think that exterminating different people is okay you cannot convince me of anything anymore.

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    [–] 59 points 3 years ago (13 children)

    More accurately, I would say these types react to someone criticizing the status quo, which is typically right wing. These types are usually sheltered white guys who have had very few problems with the status quo because, well, they're white men.

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    [–] 54 points 3 years ago (3 children)

    "I don't like the Right or the Left!" only criticizes the Left

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  • [–] 44 points 3 years ago* (27 children)

    The reason that you are running into situations like this is because you (the meme creator position) don't witness the Centrist also vehemently argue with right-wing policies frequently.

    You only see them argue with you and therefore have a skewed view of them and their politics. If you are left wing, and argue for left-wing policies in every case, that means you will also be argued with by somebody who believes political nuance and not just waving a party flag.

    The right wing also shits on centrists because they think they are secretly left-wing since they argue with some of their stupider points as well.

    These people are not secretly right-wing and just don't have the balls to say it. That is a horrendous take no matter where you fall on the political spectrum the only serves to limit conversation.

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  • [–] 42 points 3 years ago (18 children)

    I’ve participated often in a wide variety of conversations on a wide variety of platforms. The trick is, for some weird reason Centrists never vehemently argue with the right. I wonder why that is…

    The truth is centrism is just a way to support the “convenient” part of conservatism while avoiding any blame for the “inconvenient” parts. It’s fence-sitting bullshit. Centrists simply equate to embarrassed conservatives.

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    [–] 41 points 3 years ago (12 children)

    I feel like the very idea of "centrist" is flawed. Sure you can choose not to identify with either party.

    But for most of these issues you can't reasonably pick a "center" option for most issues. Sure we can argue implementation but you're either ok with abortion, gun control, gay rights, civil rights, or your not.

    Is it really useful to have the "control guns" and "control guns only a little" groups fighting when there's a "school kids are a worthy sacrifice for guns" party?

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  • [–] 17 points 3 years ago (4 children)

    This internet version of centrism that everyone hates on is bizarre to me, for the reasons you say - the "only commit half a genocide" type of centrism. Are there people who really strike a middle ground on every issue on principle?

    I always understood centrism as "I hold enough opinions from both parties that I don't align with either one", which honestly fits me pretty well. I still have strong opinions on individual issues though...

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    [–] 40 points 3 years ago (6 children)

    In Spain, when someone says "I'm neither left or right", that person is on the right, most of the time (if not always).

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    [–] 27 points 3 years ago* (4 children)

    Centrism is when you pretend that the screams of oppressed trans people mean exactly the same to you as the chants of the nazis prosecuting them, but deep down you know you're actually a nazi too.

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    [+] 24 points 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago)
    [–] 17 points 3 years ago

    They always seem to vote Republican.

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  • [–] 16 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    The meme character is frustrated at "the the", yes?

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    [–] 16 points 3 years ago (35 children)

    This comment section is a riot.

    So if someone truly has values that fall on both sides of the aisle, and can tell you what they don’t agree with on both sides, and can admit fault to each side… that makes them Republican?

    I’d rather take someone any day that will take a stance on individual issues over just agreeing with what a specific political party says.

    Everyone saying in this comment section that you aren’t strictly a Democrat you’re wrong/the problem… are indeed themselves the problem and are kidding themselves.

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    [+] 15 points 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago)
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