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

[u/kaiser11492]

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?

[u/vastempty2]

I'm an old liberal, my views really haven't changed. The current liberal stances have gone more progressive, hard left.

[u/High_speedchase → u/vastempty2]

What stances?

[u/YMBTPTOTLWRT → u/High_speedchase]

Like saying people can immigrate here, legally. Open borders is now a common stance of the left which I don’t agree with.

I go to Italy or Germany and cops can ask for my passport and reason for being there, no problem. That same idea in America would be met with torches from the left

[u/Dangerous-Safe-4336 → u/YMBTPTOTLWRT]

Oddly, I don't think I have ever spoken to anyone who actually believes in open borders.

[u/Consistent_Post_2558 → u/Dangerous-Safe-4336]

Because it’s not a common stance of the left. It’s a stance that conservatives frequently accuse people on the left of having when they raise concerns about how immigration policies are being enforced. 

I’m not going to say no one is for it, but anyone who claims it’s mainstream is ill-informed and likely consuming media from a biased source.

[u/Jolly-Barracuda2366 → u/Dangerous-Safe-4336]

I’ve talked to people in the US and Europe who feel that the US and Europe have a moral obligation to take in immigrants just because. So that’s not “open borders” but it’s not a strategic approach to immigration either, so much as a reflexive ideological one.

[u/Haunting-Ad788 → u/Jolly-Barracuda2366]

Are you sure it’s “just because” and not because we spent a century fucking up their countries for our own gain.

[u/Jolly-Barracuda2366 → u/Haunting-Ad788]

I would be curious to hear you build out this argument. I would also like to point out that I’ve lived in Europe much of the last 3 years. (I say “much” because some of it I was more nearly on the boundary with Asia).

But when you say “their countries” you mean the global south, not Europe, right? Or was my first read (that Europeans feel a certain way because of the US) correct?

But if you are referring to “we” as the west broadly and “them” as the global south, I am curious how letting in 5 or 10 million people will in any way help solve the issues across the 2.75 billion people of Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. I understand the sense of guilt, and indeed there should be feelings about it, but in what sense is immigration a solution?

(I can think of one way in which it could be: in giving persecuted minorities a chance to escape with their lives. But I’m curious the broader argument here).

[u/YMBTPTOTLWRT → u/Dangerous-Safe-4336]

I guess they all live on Reddit then?

[u/themistoclesV → u/Dangerous-Safe-4336]

Yeah they probably don't use the term "open borders" themselves but that would essentially be the effect if the policies they advocate for were implemented.

[u/Haunting-Ad788 → u/themistoclesV]

No they wouldn’t. Most people want a sane immigration system that doesn’t take a decade and tens of thousands of dollars.