I think a little clarification is needed. No. I don’t actually think everyone there is insane. I don’t care about the bans so stop trying to use that. HB enthusiasts coming here and trying to call me out achieves nothing besides proving my point

Edit: Feel free to keep trying to brigade me. It’s not going to scare me to take this down

  • Pandantic [they/them]@midwest.socialEnglish
    1·
    3 months ago

    I’m sorry, I’m an American where liberals are actually centrists, but can you explain to me what else is off-base about this chart?

    Edit: I would also like to see a chart that is more accurate in your view if you have one available.

    • Allero@lemmy.today
      2·
      3 months ago

      Generally, it is the fact that right-wing entails focus on businesses and private property owners, and left-wing entails direct focus on the economic wellbeing of everyone and a more egalitarian society. Liberals do not strike a meaningful balance here, and commonly see business freedoms as paramount to building a prosperous society, generally pursuing business-friendly policies.

      In more extreme cases of the political spectrum (which I agree for in terms of clarity and fairness, but which are not really a consensus) left-wing is seen as actual socialism (i.e. collectively/socially owned enterprises) and right-wing is capitalism (i.e. private property and its operation for profit). This makes a useful and clear distinction in relation to economic policy and is not dictated by the hegemony of one option. It also makes centrism virtually impossible, which is good, because the meaning of “center” drifts radically between cultures, and most people tend to just associate with whatever is predominant in their culture while calling themselves such.

      Here is how voters of neighboring Canada have put themselves on a political compass, on average, in relation to their party of choice during the 2019 election. Note that liberals are very much not in the center, and more right-wing, while conservatives as well as People’s party (don’t look at the name, it’s seen as far right even by American metrics), predictably, are extremely authoritarian-right.

      1000046575

      P.S. Sorry for being a bit rash :)

      • Pandantic [they/them]@midwest.socialEnglish
        2·
        3 months ago

        I see US liberals as defending both social and economic policies. Here are some examples I can think of:

        • Supporting unions but also not cracking down on union busting as much as they should
        • Wanting universal healthcare solutions (Obamacare) while not wanting Medicare for all or proper socialized medicine.

        I am just speaking to what I observe, but I think the trick the liberal party in my country play is a show of being “for the people” and giving concessions but, in the end, being absolutely capitalist motivated.

        • Allero@lemmy.today
          2·
          3 months ago

          Yes! The latter part of what you say explains exactly to me why liberals cannot be the center.

          Being “for the people” is more of a show here, while they are funded and act in the interest of businesses. When people do demand change that goes against capitalists, they will play everything to keep the spectacle while clearly not choosing people’s side. Often times, they don’t even give concessions - just pretend internal struggles stopped them from implementing the changes. And at the same time, this doesn’t break the logic of liberalism.