Radical Centrism is the only REAL hope this country has.

originally posted by: SpeakerofTruth
a reply to: Tiger5

Thing is, they're NOT flexible. Where are they flexible?

There are no hard theories to back the social democratic way of the left or the right. Marxism and Fascism are extreme forms that are outside of social democracy. Hence Obama slipped to the right with his approval of war and Trump will slip to the left for radical protectionist intervention to save the rust belt. He is even talking about Keynesian policies in terms of infrastructure send.

I do not like Trump but he is not a fascist. I did not like Hilary but she is not a communist. I grinds my Gears when people misinterpret political definitions.

originally posted by: BubbaJoe
I don't have the money to affect politics

And that my friend is the tragedy of our country's political system. That was a pithy but profound statement : up:

a reply to: Tiger5

So, you're telling me that these left and right talking heads aren't demanding that everything be 100% their way? That's "flexibility"? The left is so "flexible" they're out in the streets smashing and burning #, and the right is so "flexible" they're demanding the president circumvent procedure and sign executive orders. Yeah, that sounds "flexible." You can't honestly be that removed from the evident.

a reply to: Tiger5

THey don't misinterpret. They make it hyperbole.

All or nothing. 1 or 0. Its a hardwired weakness in the human mind that takes quite a bit of mental effort to overcome.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: Tiger5

THey don't misinterpret. They make it hyperbole.

All or nothing. 1 or 0. Its a hardwired weakness in the human mind that takes quite a bit of mental effort to overcome.

I guess I have never been an all or nothing guy, am not sure where that came from. Maybe debate in HS when I had be prepared to argue both sides with logical arguments. BFFT, I don't always agree with you, but your thoughts are always well thought out and worth being defended.

It is a problem of passion, but more than that it's a problem of scale. It's not left, right OR center...and the reason nobody has enough money to affect politics is because we allow our lives to be decided at levels we can't affect directly.

The way I see it, the only chance of America getting strong again is when people become passionate enough to engage in a battle of attrition with monstrously centralized forms of government and provision. At the current scale, you can throw any idea/philosophy at it and you'll still be ineffectual because power at these levels operate against nature's laws. And we have seen the result, again and again, in our country and in history.

a reply to: SlickMcFavorite

You have a point.
At times, I think it has gotten so out of control that it doesn't really matter what is said or done. I, at least at times, think the proverbial "goose" has done been cooked. People say, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. There isn't a baby.
However, with that being said, I think that a combination of that type of thinking with "There's nothing we can do about it" type thinking is what has led us to this predicament to begin with.
Growing up, that's all I ever heard when it came to government and the political situation. "Ah, there's nothing we can do about it." It was like a mantra for an entire generation. I think back about it,shake my head and mutter, "No wonder we're in this God forsaken situation."

originally posted by: SlickMcFavorite
It is a problem of passion, but more than that it's a problem of scale. It's not left, right OR center...and the reason nobody has enough money to affect politics is because we allow our lives to be decided at levels we can't affect directly.

The way I see it, the only chance of America getting strong again is when people become passionate enough to engage in a battle of attrition with monstrously centralized forms of government and provision. At the current scale, you can throw any idea/philosophy at it and you'll still be ineffectual because power at these levels operate against nature's laws. And we have seen the result, again and again, in our country and in history.

If I peacefully protest Trump, I am considered a terrorist by the right.

a reply to: BubbaJoe

THank you...its a pretty lofty compliment.

RE: protesting Trump...you'd only be a terrorist/criminal/rioter if you said or did something outrageous enough for someone to blog about it, or maybe tweet out a vine link or something. You gotta put up some fat to chew first. The rotten tomatoes will be thrown later.

a reply to: SpeakerofTruth

I would not encourage defeatism either, the opposite actually. We have to be brave enough (and multitalented enough) to address the problem first locally and personally, and second with the remaining scraps of our focus try to effect change in the current system at it's higher levels. To me this means neutering the current level of centralization by engaging with our community and working ethically outside a need for government/corporate power for as many areas of our lives as possible. And after all that energy is spent empowering your household and neighbors, you then can spend what little remains on shrinking government by playing its current games. That's the rub, Americans have to realize that as long as we shy away from real, and sometimes hard, local work...we will get corrupt, stupid, 51% vs the 49% type of answers.

Compare that to how much energy and focus you see American citizens putting into partisan bickering, and keeping up with what the news is reporting, and you will see the problem. It's cultural, and it's been around long enough that people forgot that the battle starts in your backyard.

a reply to: BubbaJoe

I don't advocate protesting. I only encourage people to regain their power in natural ways...and the sources of all of our frustration will have no choice but to surrender it back to us.

originally posted by: SlickMcFavorite
a reply to: SpeakerofTruth



Compare that to how much energy and focus you see American citizens putting into partisan bickering, and keeping up with what the news is reporting, and you will see the problem. It's cultural, and it's been around long enough that people forgot that the battle starts in your backyard.

That's really the hallmark of centrism. From the centrist's perspective, that's at the heart of everything that's wrong in this country. You have two sides who are so entrenched in their own ideology that trying to open any honest discourse or compromise is like trying to open a portal to another dimensional reality. Damned near impossible. It doesn't bode well.

EDIT: To be fair, I seen a survey that stated 70% identified themselves as "moderate or centrist," while only 15% identified themselves as rightists and 15% identified as leftists. Now, there is probably about a 10% exaggeration there, but truthfully, it is human nature to move towards moderation politically. Yet we allow 30-40 percent move us in the direction of one of two extremes. I don't understand that.

a reply to: BubbaJoe

Heh... Yeah. Both sides seem to think any and everything is "fine and dandy" as long as it's THEIR "side" doing it. Let the other side, or Independents do it and all of a sudden, it's a "big deal."
The Republicans and Democrats both operate that way. Look at the last eight years... If you disagreed with Obama you were almost invariably a right wing "racist" according to the left. Now, if you disagree with something Trump does, it makes you an Arab loving, anti-American, "terrorist" threat. It's all ridiculous.