Why Are Centrists Hated?

[HeaMsoRb]

Why is being a centrist seen as bad? Isn’t not seeing one side as more good or more bad than the other and holding both sides accountable a logical standpoint? Why is it that these days, if you believe this, you are accused of “false equivalence”, “cowardice”, “laziness”, or some other hogwash accusation?

[naomi24]

//holding both sides accountable a logical standpoint? //

When one side is at fault how can holding both sides accountable be logical?

[douglas9401]

It's because boggle-eyed lunatics are running the show and their counterparts in opposition are every bit as demented.

Looking for some workable centre ground seems quite sensible but supporters of both sides will be along shortly to give us chapter and verse on how their looks are right.

[Peter Pedant]

// When one side is at fault how can holding both sides accountable be logical?//

oh dear I dont think we have approached this with an open mind: ( blank to some) when one side is at fault - - is an assumption

it is possible neither side is at fault. - logically that is!

bringing logic to politics - yeah good one, good luck

oh and I dont think your thesis has been nailed: centrists arent loathed.

[naomi24]

PP, one of your posts trailing me was removed yesterday - not at my request. Just saying.

[ichkeria]

Peter is of course right: centrists are only loathed by - some - extremists.
So the question can only be answered in certain limited contexts. And it’s not hard to understand why those who are not of the centre might think so.
A more interesting question might be: “what does it mean to be a centrist?”
Is it not the case that many so-called centrists are actually people who hold for example left-leaning views on some things and right-leaning views on others

[naomi24]

Or sit on the fence with everything ....

[ichkeria]

Like I say the context is too general to have any real meaning.
No one even agrees on what the term means :-)

[TheChair]

What's a centrist? Who defines it?
Its seems to me that those who currently define themselves as centrist, would have been defined as right-wing 20 years ago.

[davebro]

Why do you use such emotive language? Surely one can oppose other's political views (or lack of) without "hating" them.

[tiggerblue10]

I've never heard the term 'centrist' before.

[ToraToraTora]

I think it means Lib Non Dem tiggs

[Jackdaw33]

I don't think that by any stretch of the imagination the Lib non Dems can be described as 'centrist' these days. At times they make Corbyn and co look like paragons of moderation.

In a party political broadcast in 1955 the then Liberal leader, Clement Davies, said,"And so the Liberals go forward, looking neither to the right or the left, but firmly down the middle of the road". This prompted Aneurin Bevan to reply, "He who walks down the middle of the road deserves to be bloody well run over!"

[tiggerblue10]

Ok. Not sure what a Lib non Dem is either but hey ho...

[Jackdaw33]

The Liberal-Democrats have proved semselves lately to be anything but democratic, especially over the issue of Brexit. Ignoring the will of the people and imposing their own dogma is more akin to fascism than democracy.