Yet they parse as centrist, which is also how someone who rarely agrees with any of them but is not socialist, anarchist or ethnonationalist would self-describe.
Conversation
Centrist may well be a completely useless term, because the political centre shifts with the Overton window modulo domestic politics.
I am a centrist in Norwegian terms, or was when I lived there. In the UK, the mainstream calls that 'hard left'. In the US, it is unspeakable.
2
1
3
All these terms may have political science definitions, sociological definitions, local definitions, idiosyncratic definitions
And here we are, idiotically arguing the Meaning.
1
As for neoliberal, this term seems to have merged with centrist, since ideological neoliberals often dogwhistle with centrist or 'progressive'.
So now, centrists who are not neoliberal (because of their local context) often self-describe as neoliberal! It's a horror show.
1
There needs to be a real shift in left (and some 'centrist' rhetoric) to address policy and its presumptive consequences, over subverted labels.
It doesn't matter that neoliberals have unfairly appropriated the center. If you go after "neoliberals", you rouse non-opponents.
1
I've been a very slow on the uptake with this myself, so I hope I reach some other obtuse centrist/leftist/progressives/whatevers who oppose neoliberalism-as-ideology.
Stop going after the people and their self-identification, "neoliberal" or not. Go after the facade itself.
1
The idea that the sort of policy implemented by Obama, May or other austerity-mongerers helps poor people is laughable. So show it is.
Show why that matters to everyone, not just the downtrodden. People becoming vain and self-centered under our culture tells you where to push.
1
1
Or we can keep complaining about the mean 'centrists' (or whatever you call em) fragilizing our economies and cooperating with racists.
I'm sure the people in charge of that project are completely altruistic and interested in you. Any day, now, they will realize their error...
1
Replying to
Surely we should use the terminology that does mean something, however hard that thing is to explain - such as Neoliberalism - and work around terms that are at best relative (ie Centrism)? Unless the inaccurate self-declaring/use as a slur has become endemic.
2
1
Replying to
The difference is in asserting neoliberalism vs. asserting neoliberal.
It's also not fair to ascribe every policy decision a politician makes to their voters, which is another thing that bleeds us of allies
2
1
If you want a heuristic for leftist political activity, start by taking any mainstream democrat/New Labour tactic out of the playbook.
No labelling, grandstanding or presumption of mainstream support, nor paranoid flailing (even if Nazis *are* infiltrating the mainstream).