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Originally Posted by aceventura3
I don't think any of these issues are being effectively dealt with, and my observation of the posts responding to me here is that there is a preference to pretend problems like this are no longer real. That it is better to shun and ridicule people when they have the courage to openly and honestly attempt to handle fears that they know are irrational. When a person like Williams talks about his fear and talks about how it is irrational - to me he is closer to the solution than those who would want to pretend the fears are not real.
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There are organizations and initiatives that deal with these issues. Their effectiveness is based on their reach and ability to maintain a consistent and persistent message. Unfortunately, ignorance and hatred are like weeds.
I don't think Williams was "effectively dealing with the problem" so much as airing his dirty laundry.
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Can you give an example of a known liberal?
Even on this question, if I don't know what I am talking about I am open to being educated. However, I am accused of not knowing what I am talking about in very cryptic ways.
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I don't know American politics well enough to centre on individual politicians to any depth; however, I believe that Ted Kennedy is a prime example. I would imagine that most Democrats could be considered more centrist compared to Kennedy, or, if you will, "less liberal."
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Again, I use the example of DADT, Obama can get this done. Most Americans would support eliminating this policy, his party supports eliminating this policy, what is centrist about him not getting it done?
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What's centrist about it is not taking a stronger stand on it, and not making LGBT issues in general (i.e. gay marriage) a more central issue. From what I've seen, the Democrats have taken a rather moderate, if not disappointing, stance on these issues.
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Generally, there is no center. There is no compromise on the big questions of the day. We fight in Afghanistan or we don't. We use debt to stimulate economic growth or we don't. We have DADT or we don't. We believe the private sector through tax cuts does better creating jobs or we think the government is. We support the right to own guns or we don't.
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You have mistaken centrism as requiring that all issues be left/right issues, that all situations be black and white, that all politicians be in agreement one way or another on all issues in perfect alignment. It's not the case. The varying degrees of agreement/disagreement is why the centre exists in the first place.
Look at it this way: those on the left generally look at centrist politics as either having gone too far or not having gone far enough.
In America, to say there is no centre ignores the profound compromises the Democrats have made to appease moderates and the right over the past two decades.