I think it’s different in the US to the rest of the West, mostly. But I think politics in Europe is no less polarised. There’s strong populist movements growing every year, and equally in many places there’s been a rise in far left sentiments.

The centre has been squeezed out, and as a centrist liberal that makes me sad. But here’s hoping sense wins out, but with strong populist movements in Italy, Poland, Hungary as well as strong populist parties which gain a not statistically irrelevant % of the vote in many their countries, who knows what the future will look like.

America has a far left?

Its centrist in the european spectrum Tildie.

(November 5, 2018 at 1:23 pm)Mathilda Wrote: America has a far left?

Nothing close to the size of the far right, not even a billionth of a fraction of the far right.

In my 17 years of online debate I do occasionally, but very rarely run into "far left" who think ending the private sector is possible, and others who think Castro's Cuba is a good economic model because they have free health care and free college. But those on that left are a very tiny minority.

But no, I am not "far left" for being verbally blunt with the orange fuckface bully, or his supporters. I have no desire to end the private sector for saying billionaires currently in our history are bullying the rest of us. I have no desire to outlaw any religion or deny human rights for merely saying the claims of antiquity do not apply to today's modern knowledge but were written for the people back then. 

I do take that orange asshole personally, because I grew up with asshole bullies like him. He would have been one of the goons whom cornered me in the woods and would have been the ring leader who punched me in the face and broke my nose.

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The orange fuckface bully has not only called Mexicans rapists, but is now using different language to vilify our fellow unarmed humans. Poland and France were "invaded" by a bully. Human beings trying to flee violence and famine are not an "invasion". I refuse to play nice with that bully, and if someone supports that bully, I will be as blunt with them as I am with him.

(November 5, 2018 at 1:25 pm)LastPoet Wrote: Its centrist in the european spectrum Tildie.

Agreed, It’s actually closer to the centre left New Labour of the 90s and early naughties.

I think American politics, for whatever reason, has always seen socialism as ‘extreme’ almost irrelevant of the form it has taken. I mean universal healthcare is a staple of a lot of European democracies, but often decried as the spawn of Stalin in the US.

(November 5, 2018 at 1:31 pm)Brian37 Wrote: Nothing close to the size of the far right, not even a billionth of a fraction of the far right.

How do you get to a 'billionth' when the current estimated population of the U.S. is under 330 million?

(November 4, 2018 at 10:39 pm)Losty Wrote: Obviously I am sick of the far right. I can’t tolerate anything they stand for.
But I am sick of the far left too. I mean...not necessarily the far left. I would say I am far left politically. But the radical left is probably a better way of putting it. Really I’m sick of seeing hatefulness. And for people who say they hate bigots they sure do like to use the word retard like it’s not a slur. I’m just tired. I wish I could mute anyone and anything that was about politics for a while. All I see are angry people being hateful to each other and it’s exhausting. Has politics always been this way and I’m just now noticing or..?

The best way to run things probably lies somewhere in the middle. 
Although recently the world has lurched so far to the right that in comparison the reasonable way looks quite left wing.

In the UK I would be considered a "Blairite".

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(November 5, 2018 at 1:23 pm)Mathilda Wrote: America has a far left?

They have a bit of everything. 



I remember watching the Blues Brothers and I could not believe that the US had Nazis.



Those were the days.

(November 5, 2018 at 1:50 pm)Cato Wrote:

(November 5, 2018 at 1:31 pm)Brian37 Wrote: Nothing close to the size of the far right, not even a billionth of a fraction of the far right.

How do you get to a 'billionth' when the current estimated population of the U.S. is under 330 million?

" the new math".


...

It started with "giving 110%"


...

(November 5, 2018 at 1:50 pm)Cato Wrote:

(November 5, 2018 at 1:31 pm)Brian37 Wrote: Nothing close to the size of the far right, not even a billionth of a fraction of the far right.

How do you get to a 'billionth' when the current estimated population of the U.S. is under 330 million?

Metaphor. It is absurd to equate the left to the right. Our left is not anything close to the level of violence and bigotry as the right is trying to falsely equate us to.

(November 5, 2018 at 12:32 am)Minimalist Wrote: I suppose you have forgotten all of this?












And then the tea-bagging trumptards demand "civility?"  Fuck 'em.  They had their chance.

Why do I have to have forgotten that the far right sucks in order to be sick of people from both sides? You’re definitely old enough to have heard the phrase 2 wrongs don’t make a right.