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JackRiddler

(24,979 posts)
61. I would not want any part on this particular political spectrum.
Wed Dec 12, 2012, 03:00 PM
Dec 2012

These general terms are

a) generally meaningless
b) largely removed from any meaning they may have once had
c) long-ago perverted into attack terms with strawman definitions
d) obfuscatory
e) imposed by an ideological hegemony that seeks to limit debate
f) generally placed in false opposition and relation to each other
g) barely if ever correspondant to the most important conflicts and issues in society
h) generally without stable referents in reality
i) a frightened rabbit's way of avoiding left and right.

But other than that...

Your particular listing of it might as well come from Gallup or some such.

In particular, "moderate" might be the biggest bullshit term in the galaxy.

I support the status quo, perhaps with small modifications, therefore I am "moderate."

Or else: My views are an average of two points I have arbitrarily chosen and define as extreme. Therefore I am "moderate."

Or else: I want to win this debate. Therefore I choose to call myself something reassuring, which is "moderate."

Or else: I don't know very much, so I choose "moderate."

Or else: I don't have strong opinions and "don't like politics," not like those fanatics who actually stand for something, therefore I am moderate.

You need a few more on the left to capture me. Loudly Dec 2012 #1
You need a "socialist' or "other" option. n/t white_wolf Dec 2012 #2
Yep. Luminous Animal Dec 2012 #14
Yes it does. n/t 99Forever Dec 2012 #42
+1 mike_c Dec 2012 #51
How about "mixed"? amandabeech Dec 2012 #3
I'll go with mixed too. NaturalHigh Dec 2012 #7
I get the radical hatred on my Bernie Sanders issues, amandabeech Dec 2012 #8
Socialist here roody Dec 2012 #4
Where's the Nazi, commie, fascist, tree-hugging, bed-wetting pinko, progressive option? Brother Buzz Dec 2012 #5
Bomb throwing moderate. Throd Dec 2012 #6
None of the above. I'm progressive, way left of liberal. n/t intheflow Dec 2012 #9
I thought progressive and liberal were synonymous. CheapShotArtist Dec 2012 #11
That's what I think. When the reactionaries were successful in their campaign to demonize Luminous Animal Dec 2012 #15
I think they share some basic ideology, but they differ in focus. intheflow Dec 2012 #19
Actually, outside the United States, "liberal" typically means right wing. FDR changed it all. Selatius Dec 2012 #21
Ditto. Blue_In_AK Dec 2012 #12
That is what I consider myself ... a Progressive. nt Raine Dec 2012 #23
I fell off the left end. nt Betsy Ross Dec 2012 #10
anarcho-syndicalist, to be precise... 0rganism Dec 2012 #13
Cheers comrade! Luminous Animal Dec 2012 #17
You left off extremely liberal. Abstain. lonestarnot Dec 2012 #16
Extremely Liberal aka REAL Liberal or Real Democrat Resonance_Chamber Dec 2012 #24
conservative but SmileyRose Dec 2012 #18
EVERYWHERE in the Western Democratic world - liberal means being in the center Douglas Carpenter Dec 2012 #20
I'm a proponent of market socialism. Selatius Dec 2012 #22
No Marxist-Leninist option? ellisonz Dec 2012 #25
I couldn't find Stalinist, so had to mark liberal. lol Great Caesars Ghost Dec 2012 #26
Do you really know what the fuck "Stalinist" means to many people? bluestate10 Dec 2012 #46
It was a joke goddamnit!!!!!!! Great Caesars Ghost Dec 2012 #63
Ok. I apologize. I didn't notice a sarcasm notice. bluestate10 Dec 2012 #70
I would be to the left of Dennis Kucinich Sherman A1 Dec 2012 #27
progressive. nt xchrom Dec 2012 #28
Generally I'm center-left. ForgoTheConsequence Dec 2012 #29
So... Prometheus_unbound Dec 2012 #30
Welcome to DU. I was surprised that 2 people chose right of center, there is a big gap bluestate10 Dec 2012 #48
I was one of the M-Cs. NaturalHigh Dec 2012 #73
Democratic Socialist tblue Dec 2012 #31
Me too. a la izquierda Dec 2012 #33
Another. Chan790 Dec 2012 #43
A liberal but not necessarily a Progressive (as I want to actually achieve and not just bloviate) graham4anything Dec 2012 #32
That's unfair. intheflow Dec 2012 #36
I think I am indeed onto something at least here at DU graham4anything Dec 2012 #41
I don't agree with you on every thing, but you do make some valid points. bluestate10 Dec 2012 #54
I agree just about all of this, including graham4anything Dec 2012 #60
A good assessment Puzzledtraveller Dec 2012 #45
Where's Socialist? Odin2005 Dec 2012 #34
Out and out socialist hobbit709 Dec 2012 #35
Liberal on social issues and civil rights hack89 Dec 2012 #37
You need a commie/pinko/anarchist with chattel corporations option. bemildred Dec 2012 #38
Do the moderate conservatives know we can see their user names? JaneyVee Dec 2012 #39
What are you implying? Puzzledtraveller Dec 2012 #49
LOL snooper2 Dec 2012 #50
Yes...and? NaturalHigh Dec 2012 #71
above it datasuspect Dec 2012 #40
where is the category for.."too damn uninterested to actually vote in midterms" srican69 Dec 2012 #44
Look where that got us. Battles in Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania. bluestate10 Dec 2012 #56
I'm so far to the left, Aristus Dec 2012 #47
Democratic Socialist - Hell Hath No Fury Dec 2012 #52
I'm a radical social justice leftist. hunter Dec 2012 #53
You really need to separate this between "social" and "economic" positions. Nye Bevan Dec 2012 #55
I don't find any of these labels significantly relevant anymore NoOneMan Dec 2012 #57
Progressive. Iggo Dec 2012 #58
Moderate leftist WilmywoodNCparalegal Dec 2012 #59
I would not want any part on this particular political spectrum. JackRiddler Dec 2012 #61
Other. H2O Man Dec 2012 #62
Hanging off the left side by my fingernails... 4_TN_TITANS Dec 2012 #64
a Naxalite... obnoxiousdrunk Dec 2012 #65
Moderate on social issues, liberal on economic and foriegn policy issues. Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2012 #66
Am I alone when I say I truly don't know??? narnian60 Dec 2012 #67
Social democrat. Spider Jerusalem Dec 2012 #68
Where is "Dirty Socialist"??? Dirty Socialist Dec 2012 #69
socialist baldguy Dec 2012 #72
Somewhere between... NCTraveler Dec 2012 #74
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