Quote Originally Posted by Iolaus
Leave out the Left vs right arguement, or you're going to split your "party". I can tell from the posts that a lot of us are "right wing" in many things; I, for one, do support the status quo in many ways, but support change in other, limited ways. I may feel that things have gone too far right in some ways, but there's no way I could support the center, let alone espouse the rhetoric of the left.

No, I don't want to turn this thread into a political arguement of who is for change or for staying the same; that could get ugly. I'm just pointing out the limitations and pitfalls of using emotion-laden labeling.
Fair enough, it's from a discussion on a thread the other day. There is baggage with those phrases. More so stateside and I have to careful not to offend and to respect that.

Background: part of what I/we do here is to facilitate people talking about politics. It's one of the things "we don't discuss" so we don't know how to share and learn to change power structures. All dialogue becomes rhetoric and stereotype and there's no progress. There are structures that have a vested interest in discouraging discussion.

I know I'm considered left, I don't see myself in that way. I'm more independant which is seen as left. I can tell most here would be "right" and that is what I'm addressing. Not to change that, who am I, but to make the observation that the kilt puts us on that side, in this one area. As a result, we're caught in a position that is awkward politically, within the definition above. Quite a few here are in a good power position where they are not seriously challenged (wealth, age, retired), others are coming in new or questioning. I'd like to see these groups being able to talk to each other productively.