But… what if your electoral system requires you to vote for 1 side, and one of those sides is seeking to remove the choice between sides?
Really, it might be nice to think of yourself as not belonging to a team, but I think that’s just a refusal to acknowledge the shitty state of US politics. Like if you don’t want to be on a team then by default you’re on the team that will allow you to choose.
“Yeah my mum and dad want a divorce. Dads a violent abuser who’s trying to kidnap me, but I don’t want to choose sides you know”
It’s precisely that black and white framing that’s the issue. Nobody’s perfect. Maybe the mother developed a drinking habit because of the abuse and the father thinks they’re doing the right thing abducting the child. Does that make the mother less of a victim? No. Would I still side with her? Yes. But acting like the mother has no issues will only let her get worse. Acting like the father is evil and not someone with their own issues that needs help is an injustice to him.
Being centerist isn’t about waffling, ignoring clear issues, and flipping a coin at the polls. It’s about choosing the best choice with the information available, rather than because you identify with one side and call the other evil. That’s a dangerously immature way to approach issues, which causes a lot of the problems we’re facing today.
I can acknowledge mommy dearest’s drinking problem and try to get her help while still being 100% against getting beaten to death by “my” father.
The fact that he lets me as much candy as I want, anytime I want, doesn’t make him a “good” dad, or stop me from puking up blood because he kicked me in the stomach again. I may eventually die from mommy’s neglect, but there is no coming back from being beaten to death.
But… what if your electoral system requires you to vote for 1 side, and one of those sides is seeking to remove the choice between sides?
Really, it might be nice to think of yourself as not belonging to a team, but I think that’s just a refusal to acknowledge the shitty state of US politics. Like if you don’t want to be on a team then by default you’re on the team that will allow you to choose.
“Yeah my mum and dad want a divorce. Dads a violent abuser who’s trying to kidnap me, but I don’t want to choose sides you know”
It’s precisely that black and white framing that’s the issue. Nobody’s perfect. Maybe the mother developed a drinking habit because of the abuse and the father thinks they’re doing the right thing abducting the child. Does that make the mother less of a victim? No. Would I still side with her? Yes. But acting like the mother has no issues will only let her get worse. Acting like the father is evil and not someone with their own issues that needs help is an injustice to him.
Being centerist isn’t about waffling, ignoring clear issues, and flipping a coin at the polls. It’s about choosing the best choice with the information available, rather than because you identify with one side and call the other evil. That’s a dangerously immature way to approach issues, which causes a lot of the problems we’re facing today.
I can acknowledge mommy dearest’s drinking problem and try to get her help while still being 100% against getting beaten to death by “my” father.
The fact that he lets me as much candy as I want, anytime I want, doesn’t make him a “good” dad, or stop me from puking up blood because he kicked me in the stomach again. I may eventually die from mommy’s neglect, but there is no coming back from being beaten to death.
Not being on a team doesn’t preclude you from voting for one that you think would be best, given the current circumstance.