Center Left Check-In?

[WillyBrandt]

How many on DU fall into my group on the ideological spectrum?

You:

* Hate Bush and the nuts in the GOP
* You nontheless hold some hope for, some day far away, working with "moderate" Republicans
* Understand that the DLCers mean well, that their ends are good, and they even have some good ideas. . . but The Economist isn't always right, and neoliberal/market solutions aren't always the way to improve the lot of the middle class. The centrists alientate you a bit.
* When you hear Howard Zinn or Noam Chomsky or possibly Dennis Kucinich, you think--wow, I really admire this fellow. A lot of what this guy says makes sense. But you think, "Is it really smart to withdraw our troops from allied bases?" or "You know, capitalism has some good sides, too. . ." The WTO really isn't the source of all evil, and the left alienates you a bit.
* You strongly identify yourself as a Democrat, but shake your head at the feckless cowards who too often are identified as party leaders. (Though this happens less and less recently)

Well, you're a center-lefter. A liberal, snug between center and left, able to hang on to that progressive compromise, but not willing to fully indulge in neoliberalism or leftism.

You wonder, "Where is Harry Truman where you need him?" "But for Vietnam, Johnson would be a world-historical hero. . ."

Anyway, am I the only one like that on here?

ON EDIT: I'm not trying to trash the left or center, or define either as fringe. Just trying to roughly capture a political position.

[rumguy]

1. Here

But the WTO as it's currently organized is a source of a lot of evil...

[skooooo]

2. I'm too pissed off...

....to want to deal with "moderate" Republicans. It's gone way beyond that now. Things have swung too far right, imo, to pander to the right wing.

[WillyBrandt]

3. That's why I said "some day far away"

[skooooo]

6. You know, Richard Nixon was a liberal....

...compared to everyone who came after him. I dunno, I'm just in a bad mood, and I don't feel like being "moderate" and reaching out to the other side. So, no, I guess I don't fit into your description, but thanks for letting me sound off anyway, cause it's late and I don't feel like going to sleep yet.

[WillyBrandt]

8. Well, to be clear....

I want to kick the shit out of the GOP for 10 years at least. Then I hope the moderates can take over it--it's not right to have ANY single party run the show for too long--and that compromise can be done with moderates.

But right now they need to be absolutely horsewhooped for their lies and extremism.

[BradCKY]

4. You're not the only one.

Center-left checking in. :)

[bpilgrim]

5. Is it really smart to withdraw our troops from allied bases?

would be a lot cheaper in both blood and treasure and would alow us to focus and spend on our HUGE problems here at home.

btw: just because the folks you mention point out the flaws within the system doesn't make them the extremist you make them out to be nor diminish or make those problem go away.

we need to face our problems together and STOP the blame game, imho.

:hi:

peace

[WillyBrandt]

7. Hey, I'm just trying to see who's in the same boat at me

[atre]

9. You're not alone

I am very liberal on some key issues, but on balance I am probably center-left. I certainly can affirmatively answer each of the questions you've posed (although I think you may be defining "left" as too fringe).

However, I hate how the labels "leftist" and "liberal" have been denigrated over the years, so I proudly proclaim myself as members of those groups.

[WillyBrandt]

10. Well, I count myself as "left", "center", "center-left", "moderate",

"liberal" and "progressive"

[bpilgrim]

14. there you go

must of us humans are many things, all at once ;->

:hi:

peace

[The Traveler]

11. Hmmmm ... try this out

I want a strong national defense because I have been around the world and know what's out there. I want well equipped and well cared for warriors on the wall. BUT: Military power must needs be used sparingly, if at all, when the nation is not directly threatened with violence.

I am straight. I do not see how gay marriage threatens my happily heterosexual marriage. For me, it is a matter of civil rights. And if they can deny one person their rights due to their sexual preference, they can deny my rights due to my choices in hair cut.

I believe in capitalism. It produces a lot of good shit. But a culture, a society, needs more than what capitalism alone can produce. The activities of capitalism must always be restrained or tempered so that those other requirements are met. The free market is a means to an ends, not a god to be worshipped.

I no longer believe, for example, in for profit medicine. Capitalism has failed to provide medical care at a reasonable cost for the people of this nation. They had their chance. I once believed it would work out. I know now I am wrong. I know too many hard working people without access to medical care.

I believe in rational discourse between opposing viewpoints. We are human, so we will seldom be right all the time. We need opposing viewpoints and honest, truthful, debate between them. I do not believe that propaganda can be used to achieve the common good.

I do not belive that freedom and empire can peacefully coexist. I stand on the side of freedom.

I do not believe you can liberate a people from their tyrant. People have to liberate themselves. If you do it for them, they will not understand how precious liberty truly is ... they will eventually surrender it cheaply. Hell. Look at America! As Malcom X said, "No one can give you your freedom and dignity. If you are a man, you will take it."

I believe Americans are on the verge of surrendering their liberty ine exchange for a few cheap promises that will never be kept.

Does this make me a centrist?

[WillyBrandt]

12. Well, if nothing else, it makes you wise

[The Traveler]

16. Hi Willy!

I could use a dose of wisdom right about now.

[WillyBrandt]

17. You seem to be doing pretty well

I enjoyed your post... made a lot of sense... have mixed feelings about the tyrant bit. Basically, some people in the world are just fucked, and I think we're often helpless to do anything good about it...

[The Traveler]

20. Yeah

Me, too. I want to be able to fix things for people, and I think we can do things to help. Like beating down S. Hussein for 12 years. My point is, if the people did not rise against him after all that, given how weak and corrupt his regime was at the end ... when the hell would they?

We can help. But we can't do the job for them.

[bluestateguy]

13. You mostly described me...

I want the Democratic Party to be a liberal party, and I work toward that end, but at the end of the day people who waste time with nader or the Greens are just immature, hopeless ideologues who never grew up.

I am, however, very pro-gun, but for liberal reasons.

[The Traveler]

18. Yes!

All liberals should own and know how to properly use a gun.

[Momof1]

15. Well, I was an independent till *

But I was so Pro-Clinton, He inspired me to cast my first vote for him.

And I wasn't that political, till 2000 when * showed up.

With the exception of 2000, when I voted straight democratic, I have voted for Specter.

I would really like to vote for him again this year...but I can't.

(He was a Democratic Prosecutor, until he sold most of his soul to the Warren Commission)

But he is a good guy.

[JohnKleeb]

19. no thats not me but I do share some opinions

* Hate Bush and the nuts in the GOP (you bet I do)
* You nontheless hold some hope for, some day far away, working with "moderate" Republicans ( I respect them yes)
* Understand that the DLCers mean well, that their ends are good, and they even have some good ideas. . . but The Economist isn't always right, and neoliberal/market solutions aren't always the way to improve the lot of the middle class. The centrists alientate you a bit. ( I realize they arent the devil however I strongly disagree at the direction they took the party)
* When you hear Howard Zinn or Noam Chomsky or possibly Dennis Kucinich, you think--wow, I really admire this fellow. A lot of what this guy says makes sense. But you think, "Is it really smart to withdraw our troops from allied bases?" or "You know, capitalism has some good sides, too. . ." The WTO really isn't the source of all evil, and the left alienates you a bit. (I was a proud Kucinich supporter and still am in part, so this doesnt apply to me)
* You strongly identify yourself as a Democrat, but shake your head at the feckless cowards who too often are identified as party leaders. (Though this happens less and less recently) Yes I am a strong democrat and often times leadership pisses me off.
I agree about Johnson and Vietnam, save Vietnam he would be up there with FDR. I admire Truman somewhat though there is some I dont like though I do thank him for his kind gesture to the Strank family(my mom's relatives whos brother was a soldier and flagraiser on Iwo Jima) and he basically saved my grandfather's life by firing McArthur. So I am a yellow dog far left dem.

[REP]

21. You Tell Me

I'm pro-choice with no apologies, and no ifs ands or buts.

I'm pro-gun and for background checks, waiting periods and safety training.

I'm against corporate welfare, but think everyone (married, single, with or without children) should have a social safety net available.

I'm against ALL marriage, but if we've gotta have it, let everyone who wants to and is able to give consent marry.

Health care should be available to everyone, and I mean good healthcare.

I think we should clean up our own backyard before we go crapping in someone else's, but sometimes war is necessary. Not often, though; and not this one.

I'm Pro-Iraeli and Pro-Palestinian, but not a big fan of either's current leaders.

I'm in favor of the death penalty in theory, but in practice it's so screwed up that I support a moratorium.

I hope that some day, the Republicans start being Republicans again instead of Bizzaro version that many are today. I'll take Goldwater Republicans any day over what we have now. I won't necessarily like them, but I'd hate them less.

[neoteric lefty]

22. I hear what you are saying

and share a lot of your views. Politics is about comprimise and working with people you don't like. If dems try to play it as a all-or-nothing game then we will lose everytime. Sometimes I feel a few DUers here wouldn't give an inch even if it meant real progress. I think that is what Clinton did so very well until the Monica thing stirred up the hornet's nest that is the Congressional Republican brotherhood.

[Bombtrack]

23. I've definetly been called a republican here enough times

for criticizing peoples extremism to be qualified on this thread.

[Doomsayer13]

24. I consider myself in this category

I'm a relativist to the core, I believe in working with a multitude of ideologies for compromise and good policy.