4 ms·

Do center parties work? I guess the problem is center what, I think it would be hard for people to agree on what Center means, I'm probably relatively center c

Do center parties work? I guess the problem is center what, I think it would be hard for people to agree on what Center means, I'm probably relatively center compared to some set of ideals, but certainly to left socially for a lot of people. . Center also somewhat implies a balance of two sides, but there aren't just two sides. Is FP center? Center as in halfway between the Democratic Party and Republican party? Center as in halfway between the women's studies department at Reed College and Alex Jones? In which case sometimes I think modern centrists are nuttier than either of the two sides.

pinewurst 1y ago
I’d like to think of it as the fusion of the evershrinking rational parts of the existing parties who want to get mutually advantageous things done in a productive, constructive way. We can happily ditch the extreme Left and fascist, religious and libertarian Rights.
- clipsy 1y ago
  I can't help but notice a distinct lack of actual policy coming from the people who advocate for a "center" party.
  - AnimalMuppet 1y ago
    It's mostly discarding the insane ideas of both the Democrats and Republicans. What's left isn't sexy or cutting edge, but it's probably better policies than the more extreme platforms...
    - techpineapple 1y ago
      Which insane ideas, usually the insane ideas are the most popular.
    - clipsy 1y ago
      Still no actual policies.
  - simgt 1y ago
    That's the main point, "center" is synonymous of status quo in politics. So we get more neoliberalism from it. Macron and Starmer are both in that vibe. Once in power they take ideas from the far right, because it's much more compatible with preserving the assets of the ones who put them there.
rsynnott 1y ago
_Actual_ centre parties can work, in multi-party democracies, and are kinda seen as the _default_ in some countries. Both the CDU and SPD in Germany are fairly centre-y, say (normally categorised as centre-right and centre-left respectively), and one or the other (or sometimes both) have ~always lead the ruling coalition. Two problems: - The US is not a multiparty democracy and has no realistic route to becoming one, given the near-impossibility of fixing its voting system. - It is implausible that anything run by _Elon Musk_, who is a far-right lunatic, would remotely fall under the definition. This feels more like an attempt at splintering the Republican Party. Again, this often happens in multi-party democracies, where parties fracture on a wedge issue; typically the splinter withers away, but there are exceptions. Again, it's hard to see it happening in the US as the electoral system just doesn't really support a multi-party system.

pinewurst 1y ago

I’d like to think of it as the fusion of the evershrinking rational parts of the existing parties who want to get mutually advantageous things done in a productive, constructive way. We can happily ditch the extreme Left and fascist, religious and libertarian Rights.

clipsy 1y ago
I can't help but notice a distinct lack of actual policy coming from the people who advocate for a "center" party.
- AnimalMuppet 1y ago
  It's mostly discarding the insane ideas of both the Democrats and Republicans. What's left isn't sexy or cutting edge, but it's probably better policies than the more extreme platforms...
  - techpineapple 1y ago
    Which insane ideas, usually the insane ideas are the most popular.
  - clipsy 1y ago
    Still no actual policies.
- simgt 1y ago
  That's the main point, "center" is synonymous of status quo in politics. So we get more neoliberalism from it. Macron and Starmer are both in that vibe. Once in power they take ideas from the far right, because it's much more compatible with preserving the assets of the ones who put them there.

rsynnott 1y ago

_Actual_ centre parties can work, in multi-party democracies, and are kinda seen as the _default_ in some countries. Both the CDU and SPD in Germany are fairly centre-y, say (normally categorised as centre-right and centre-left respectively), and one or the other (or sometimes both) have ~always lead the ruling coalition. Two problems: - The US is not a multiparty democracy and has no realistic route to becoming one, given the near-impossibility of fixing its voting system. - It is implausible that anything run by _Elon Musk_, who is a far-right lunatic, would remotely fall under the definition. This feels more like an attempt at splintering the Republican Party. Again, this often happens in multi-party democracies, where parties fracture on a wedge issue; typically the splinter withers away, but there are exceptions. Again, it's hard to see it happening in the US as the electoral system just doesn't really support a multi-party system.