4 ms·

> [Edit: NB, there are countries with viable and functioning political centres. They're just not the countries which constitute the cultural centre of the 'net.

> [Edit: NB, there are countries with viable and functioning political centres. They're just not the countries which constitute the cultural centre of the 'net.] Which are they? Every country I've got insight into has had a marked decline in the political dialogue post 2010-somewhere with a significant uptick in polarization and shit-flinging (I think coinciding with most of the political dialogue moving onto Twitter; where given the medium is the message; generalizations and zingers rule).

082349872349872 4y ago
I won't disagree about a decline in dialogue, just think voting records (in places fortunate enough to have (a) not succumbed to first-past-the-post mentality, and have (b) voting districts that may hundreds to thousands of years old, preventing the more egregious cases of gerrymandering) show that even though winger parties have indeed gained adherents in this century, in absolute numbers they are still behind centrists (meaning especially that they are still far from the near-majorities that they, due to paucity of parties, are in my Old Country). In particular, there was a brief period several years ago when the far right in my country ran political posters with candidates liberally draped in the national flag. They don't do that anymore. Will conduct a survey of EEA parliaments tomorrow, if not later today.
082349872349872 4y ago
This will take a while; I think I'll limit it to top 10 by population. Using lower chamber where bicameral, regional parties and unaffiliated have not been counted (but so far have not been numerous). I take "english-country-name parliament" and the first wikipedia page that comes up in a google search, and attempt to characterise (where not available from WP) as left, centre-left, centre, centre-right, right, regional or unaffiliated depending upon keywords when clicking through to each party's english-language wikipedia page. left centre right DE 39 613 79 FR 74 387 88 IT* 64 134 184 ES** 35 217 52 PL 3 212 240 RO - 279 32 NL*** 16 100 28 BE 12 94 25 CZ - 180 20 EL 21 265 10 Note how many governments are centrist coalitions, containing both centre-left and centre-right parties, and having both wings in opposition. * 5 star has been counted as left? they claim unaligned, but seem to be populists who are —at least currently?— in opposition to a centre-right/right-wing government. ** many small (and some not-so-small!) regional parties *** The worker's party is only centre-left here, but not to worry, there's a "party for the animals" on the far left :-P
- 082349872349872 4y ago
  to calibrate, here's my guess for Sweden: SE 24 252 73 left: Vänsterpartiet centre: everyone else right: Sverigedemokraterna but the current government (Moderata/Kristdemokraterna/Liberalerna) is solidly centre-right. (w/ Socialdemokraterna as centre-left opposition) Is this close to reasonable?

082349872349872 4y ago

I won't disagree about a decline in dialogue, just think voting records (in places fortunate enough to have (a) not succumbed to first-past-the-post mentality, and have (b) voting districts that may hundreds to thousands of years old, preventing the more egregious cases of gerrymandering) show that even though winger parties have indeed gained adherents in this century, in absolute numbers they are still behind centrists (meaning especially that they are still far from the near-majorities that they, due to paucity of parties, are in my Old Country). In particular, there was a brief period several years ago when the far right in my country ran political posters with candidates liberally draped in the national flag. They don't do that anymore. Will conduct a survey of EEA parliaments tomorrow, if not later today.

082349872349872 4y ago

This will take a while; I think I'll limit it to top 10 by population. Using lower chamber where bicameral, regional parties and unaffiliated have not been counted (but so far have not been numerous). I take "english-country-name parliament" and the first wikipedia page that comes up in a google search, and attempt to characterise (where not available from WP) as left, centre-left, centre, centre-right, right, regional or unaffiliated depending upon keywords when clicking through to each party's english-language wikipedia page. left centre right DE 39 613 79 FR 74 387 88 IT* 64 134 184 ES** 35 217 52 PL 3 212 240 RO - 279 32 NL*** 16 100 28 BE 12 94 25 CZ - 180 20 EL 21 265 10 Note how many governments are centrist coalitions, containing both centre-left and centre-right parties, and having both wings in opposition. * 5 star has been counted as left? they claim unaligned, but seem to be populists who are —at least currently?— in opposition to a centre-right/right-wing government. ** many small (and some not-so-small!) regional parties *** The worker's party is only centre-left here, but not to worry, there's a "party for the animals" on the far left :-P

082349872349872 4y ago
to calibrate, here's my guess for Sweden: SE 24 252 73 left: Vänsterpartiet centre: everyone else right: Sverigedemokraterna but the current government (Moderata/Kristdemokraterna/Liberalerna) is solidly centre-right. (w/ Socialdemokraterna as centre-left opposition) Is this close to reasonable?