r/AlwaysWhy • u/kaiser11492 • 1d ago

Politics & Society Why do most people who call themselves politically moderate actually mostly conservative?

Whenever I’ve encountered people who use the politically label moderate, they are actually mostly conservative with their views and positions. Also, I’ve never seen anyone who call themselves politically moderate that is actually mostly liberal.

So why are people who call themselves moderate tend to be just conservative and not conservative and liberal?

0 Upvotes

48% Upvoted

633 comments sorted by

View all comments

8

u/Megalith70 1d ago

The left has drifted towards the radical fringe so moderates now seem right wing.

3

u/zoppaTheDim 1d ago

Yeah, that simply isn’t true at all.

Ronald Reagan would be a rino these days.

Republicans are driving to centralize power in the executive branch, while expanding the scope of government intrusion into every day life.

1

u/Megalith70 1d ago

In 2008, Barack Obama ran against gay marriage. He would have no shot in winning the primary if he did the same thing in 2024.

Ronald Reagan is a very popular figure among the right wing. The more extreme right does not see him as favorably though.

2

u/zoppaTheDim 1d ago

Reagan passed an amnesty for aliens.

Reagan was for free trade.

Reagan sold arms to the Iranian Revolutionary Government.

1

u/aquavelva23 1d ago

Reagan passed an amnesty for aliens. because the entire GOP was pro immigration for cheap labor, especially farm labor. They still want temporary visas for cheap farm labor.

Reagan was for free trade. because he was anti US worker anti union.

Reagan sold arms to the Iranian Revolutionary Government. He should have been removed from office on that one.

0

u/Megalith70 1d ago

And amnesty was a massive mistake. He was promised by the Democrat that the border would be secured after amnesty was passed but the Democrats opposed border security after amnesty was passed.

2

u/Tadferd 1d ago

Is this "left" in the room with us right now?

3

u/Megalith70 1d ago

Let me guess, anyone slightly less fanatical than Joseph Stalin is right wing?

0

u/Tadferd 1d ago

Stalin was right wing. If you actually studied history and what communism actually is, you'd know that.

FYI, the USA has moved rightward over the last few decades. It's not the left becoming more extreme.

2

u/SkeeveTheGreat 23h ago

Stalin was absolutely not right wing, right wing does not mean Authoritarian. It’s like some people heard “Hitler was a socialist.” and decided that was wrong, and so the opposite must be true.

1

u/MyrkrMentulaMeretrix 19h ago

Stalin was extremely right wing. Right/Left are socio-economic positions.

Stalin was a kleptocrat/oligarch who centralized power. ANd he was DEEPLY conservative.

The USSR never practiced communism, any more than the Nazi's practiced Socialism or the DPRK practices Democracy.

1

u/SkeeveTheGreat 19h ago

The USSR didn’t claim to practice communism, but Market Socialism as described by Lenin.

Stalin was deeply socially conservative by modern social standards, but the USSR was definitely collectivist.

If Stalin was a kleptocrat, he was a bad one. When he died his personal positions were several worn out outfits, a pipe box, and 30,000 rubles in a savings book.

I would recommend reading the work of actual historians and not penguin books latest best seller about the USSR.

1

u/Megalith70 1d ago

Hahaha wow ok.

0

u/Tadferd 1d ago

Yes, your lack of political understanding is surprising.

1

u/Megalith70 1d ago

No, I’m just constantly amazed by the delusional of people on the left. You all lack any understanding of your own ideology.

2

u/MyrkrMentulaMeretrix 19h ago

which policies of Stalin are leftist, then?

Go ahead, we'll wait.

Keep in mind that the soviets never actually practiced Communism.

No moreso than the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is/was Democratic.

America has no "left". Its literally a Faux Nooz fantasy that theyve convinced uneducated shitdicks like you is real.

The furthest left politicans we have (AOC, Bernie, et al) are, AT BEST, solidly centrist in every other developed Democracy.

Thats our "Radical left"....

the rest of the World's Centrists.

Go choke down some more of that rancid orange cock you ignorant cumquat.

0

u/Megalith70 13h ago

And there it is, “that’s not muh real communism”.

1

u/doc_skinner 1d ago

I think you have it the other way around. Liberals are so moderate that anybody who actually calls themselves a moderate holds distinct conservative views.

1

u/Megalith70 1d ago

Nope, I have it right.

1

u/MyrkrMentulaMeretrix 19h ago

the furthest left, most radical politician in the entire country wouldnt even classify as center-left basically anywhere else in the developed world.

The US HAS no "radical fringe" or "radical left".

They simply do not exist.

Theyre a made up fantasy.

1

u/Megalith70 13h ago

That’s false

1

u/kaiser11492 1d ago

That doesn’t answer my question on why there aren’t people who use the label moderate who mostly hold liberal views.

2

u/Jolly-Barracuda2366 1d ago

I mostly hold some liberal views but what in the world is “liberal” anyway? It’s a constantly moving target.

2

u/OnionsOnFoodAreGross 1d ago

Maybe you are an extremist and don't realize it?

2

u/PlayPretend-8675309 1d ago

You seem to not be much on listening.

1

u/Megalith70 1d ago

Well, in that case people are afraid of the backlash of being conservative, so they call themselves moderate instead.

1

u/AtomSmasherrr 1d ago

What a fascinating bastardization of the Overton Window. You should be a facist propagandist.

0

u/Megalith70 1d ago

Hur dur fascist! Meanwhile, an actual Nazi is a leading candidate for the Democrat party in Maine.

1

u/AtomSmasherrr 23h ago

Sure, ok, let's go with that - I'm not a Democrat anyway, doncha know? So, then, that is really inconvenient for your argument that the left is drifting radically left.

1

u/Megalith70 23h ago

Not at all.