Random Rants: --... ---.. Don't expect others to convert it for you.

[Valka D'Ur]

The weather services are getting the temperature horribly wrong here for some reason. They've been over 6 degrees lower than all of the actual thermometers I come across IRL.

It was 28 degrees here yesterday. It's way too early in the year for this.

How's the fire index? I remember one year, they started informing people about it as early as February. That was a year in which the winter had been far too dry, and the ground didn't have remotely enough moisture so they were warning about the risk of forest fire 2-3 months earlier than normal.

 

[Cutlass]

Screw came out of my glasses, and I can't replace it. I just can't work with things that small.

 

[rah]

I didn't say that people who identify as "centrists" do not have a coherent political perspective. (However much I may privately suspect it.) What I said was that "centrism" itself does not represent a coherent political perspective.

Actually it sounds like exactly like that.

 

[The_J]

Screw came out of my glasses, and I can't replace it. I just can't work with things that small.

A safety pin should work until it can be properly fixed.

 

[Birdjaguar]

I didn't say that people who identify as "centrists" do not have a coherent political perspective. (However much I may privately suspect it.) What I said was that "centrism" itself does not represent a coherent political perspective. My contention is that the "centre" is something which only exists in relation to the left, that when people say "centre" what they actually mean is "to the right of the left", more or less regardless of where the actual politics of the speaker may fall on any left-right continuum.

Yes, centrist positions tend not to be ideology based and are more flexible: able to embrace bits from the left and the right. Both the hard left and hard right do not like centrist positions for that reason.

 

[cardgame]

The weather services are getting the temperature horribly wrong here for some reason. They've been over 6 degrees lower than all of the actual thermometers I come across IRL.

It was 28 degrees here yesterday. It's way too early in the year for this.

Well I am jealous because it's only about 12 here for this entire weekend.

 

[Traitorfish]

Yes, centrist positions tend not to be ideology based and are more flexible: able to embrace bits from the left and the right. Both the hard left and hard right do not like centrist positions for that reason.

Well, my claim is that "centrism" is a rhetorical conceit; that, bluntly, it doesn't exist, at least not the centrism that self-described "centrists" want us to believe exists. So I don't think I can endorse this observation.

Actually it sounds like exactly like that.

Okay. But, it still isn't what I'm saying.

 

[Ironsided]

Pretty insulting if you're a centrist. No coherent political perspective. Really.

You may find it insulting to centrists but it rings so true for most anyone left of Bill Clinton. It’s not about attacking you personally here rah - but your situation and input - is a prime example of this problem and I’m going to make a couple of statements here based on my recollection - and please correct me if I’m wrong:

You, rah, used to be a solid republican and really only swung democrat after the nomination or election of Trump?

You voted Reagan, the Bushes, Dole, McCain and Romney?

Now you support a centrist Dem option like a Biden or Schulz for the Dem nominee in 2020?

So the centrist forces of the Democratic Party finally won you over?

Within this mishmash base of disgruntled former republicans and the Clinton crowd is there a coherent ideology or policy to be found - at all really? Do they support bombing innocent civilians for oil and reconstruction or not? Do they care about the ground water in Flint or not? Do they care about climate change or not? Do they care about child poverty or not? Opportunity for the unemployed and undercompensated or not? Do they support efforts to curb rampant income and wealth inequality or not? Most importantly, do they support a better functioning democracy or not? These are just a handful of important issues for voters left of centre.

To me it’s unintelligible what Biden (for example) wants, it’ll be sound bites, less than spiffy slogans and stumbles of words on poorly choreographed TV show time, no doubt. But no real substance, direction or vision. If there is more to a “centrist” agenda please let us in on something of substance.

@BJ – I see nothing flexible from the US centrist - just fear of a fair challenge and a big air-bag of self-serving BS to maintain status quo and a personal position perceived to be marginally ahead of median.

 

[Birdjaguar]

You may find it insulting to centrists but it rings so true for most anyone left of Bill Clinton. It’s not about attacking you personally here rah - but your situation and input - is a prime example of this problem and I’m going to make a couple of statements here based on my recollection - and please correct me if I’m wrong:

You, rah, used to be a solid republican and really only swung democrat after the nomination or election of Trump?

You voted Reagan, the Bushes, Dole, McCain and Romney?

Now you support a centrist Dem option like a Biden or Schulz for the Dem nominee in 2020?

So the centrist forces of the Democratic Party finally won you over?

Within this mishmash base of disgruntled former republicans and the Clinton crowd is there a coherent ideology or policy to be found - at all really? Do they support bombing innocent civilians for oil and reconstruction or not? Do they care about the ground water in Flint or not? Do they care about climate change or not? Do they care about child poverty or not? Opportunity for the unemployed and undercompensated or not? Do they support efforts to curb rampant income and wealth inequality or not? Most importantly, do they support a better functioning democracy or not? These are just a handful of important issues for voters left of centre.

To me it’s unintelligible what Biden (for example) wants, it’ll be sound bites, less than spiffy slogans and stumbles of words on poorly choreographed TV show time, no doubt. But no real substance, direction or vision. If there is more to a “centrist” agenda please let us in on something of substance.

@BJ – I see nothing flexible from the US centrist - just fear of a fair challenge and a big air-bag of self-serving BS to maintain status quo and a personal position perceived to be marginally ahead of median.

The center is willing to work for compromise and accept such solutions. The further one moves to the left and right the less compromise is acceptable. Trump and the hard right's positions have pushed the idea of compromise off the table only leaving hard left as viable.

 

[cardgame]

Exactly, the right refuses to acknowledge compromise even exists as a concept, so if you're a centrist compromiser then by default you are giving in to the right, because they sure as hell won't take it any other direction.

 

[BenitoChavez]

Rant: Politics seeps into non-political threads (and non-political IRL situations) way too much.

 

[Takhisis]

Some would say it is too little.

Actually centrists attack both sides, but people only notice the attacks against their side. And as this place has shown many times, both sides mock centrists.

Game is always crashing at same point...

I cannot tell whether the metaphor is intentional or accidental.

 

[Cutlass]

A safety pin should work until it can be properly fixed.

I have other glasses. But they're optimized for things other than being on the comp. So using the comp is the only thing I'm a little uncomfortable with.

 

[rah]

You, rah, used to be a solid republican and really only swung democrat after the nomination or election of Trump?

You voted Reagan, the Bushes, Dole, McCain and Romney?

You obviously don't pay attention since you've got my voting record so wrong. So I'm going to ignore the rest of your comments about me since since you don't really know what you're talking about.

 

[Ironsided]

You obviously don't pay attention since you've got my voting record so wrong. So I'm going to ignore the rest of your comments about me since since you don't really know what you're talking about.

Fair enough, no worries, it`s a centrist enough take on it.

 

[rah]

I'm a centrist also, which is why I've actually voted for Democrats for President on multiple occasion. Those in the center may lean towards one party but have no problems voting for the other. We're not blinded by partisan politics.

 

[choxorn]

I mean, I respect that you're not letting yourself be blinded and just vote for someone because of the party in front of their name, but the Republican party of the past decade has such a gigantic list of horrible policies, ideas, and actions that I don't understand why any rational person would ever consider voting for them.

 

[Birdjaguar]

I mean, I respect that you're not letting yourself be blinded and just vote for someone because of the party in front of their name, but the Republican party of the past decade has such a gigantic list of horrible policies, ideas, and actions that I don't understand why any rational person would ever consider voting for them.

For thirty years they've been told that Dems and all libruls are evil whatever the cost to the country.

 

[rah]

I mean, I respect that you're not letting yourself be blinded and just vote for someone because of the party in front of their name, but the Republican party of the past decade has such a gigantic list of horrible policies, ideas, and actions that I don't understand why any rational person would ever consider voting for them.

And for the past decade I did not voted for the Republican Presidential candidate and will certainly not in 2020, so what's your point?

 

[Broken_Erika]

...... but have no problems voting for the other. We're not blinded by partisan politics.

And you call yourself an American!