Are you a "moderate hero" on any issues?

[DavidB.]

In the US:

Obamacare: I like the idea of all people having access to basic healthcare, but the actual implementation of it has gone wrong on so many levels. Oh, and immigration.

In the Netherlands:

None I can think of, actually. Maybe the whole debate on "Zwarte Piet", in which I am able to understand both the side that says it's just a celebration and the side that says it's racist and hurtful. There are almost no "moderate heroes" on this issue, probably because you either think it's racism or it's not, while I don't look at from that perspective anymore.

In Israel:

Civil marriage. And rabbanut reform. I was in favor of the former issue, now I think I'm against it, but the proponents have legitimate arguments. I used to be an advocate of rabbanut reform but now I'm not sure anymore, since I see the dangers of a potential "race to the bottom" with regard to halachic issues if you decentralize it.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

By goofy Atlas standards?  Yeah, I'm sure I'm the embodiment of the term.

In the real, functioning world?  I guess maybe the death penalty?  I usually have my position and believe in it.  The "moderate" label I wear proudly stems more from having several views that are left of center and several views that are right of center.  I believe it to be suspicious (statistically speaking) to believe in too many liberal or conservative causes, especially ones that have no coherent connection, like gun control and abortion.

Ugh

[buritobr]

I understand why there are so many moderate heroes. Because many extremist views are fake. Sometimes, leaders who shape public opinion support, in public, views in which they themselves don't believe so that the average of the debate reflects their true opinion.
Example: a progressive economist thinks that the top income tax rate should be 50%. Many conservatives consider that the top income tax rate should be 30%, 25%, 15% or zero. So, this progressive economist will say to the public that he supports a 60% top income tax rate in order to look like that 50% is a moderate position. In the other extreme, a conservative economist might think that 25% is OK. So, he will propose a flat income tax of 15% in order to look like that a progressive income tax with a top rate of 25% is a moderate position.

In response to these many fake extremist views, many people consider that the median position is always the correct one.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Abortion.

I don't think it should be illegal, but I don't see why it shouldn't be subject to medical regulations. I think regulating the actual surgical procedures is less arbitrary than cutting off abortions along a trimester framework. I would ban D&E, but not suction processes. I'm opposed to ultrasounds as part of informed consent but support regulating clinic buildings for health and safety, even if that does force some to close. Oppose federal funding (except for medically necessary or rape related abortions for certain federal employees like military vets and peace corps)  but am indifferent to state funding. Oppose spousal consent but support parental consent. Support religious objectors. Support insurance companies who are otherwise prohibited from covering the procedure in some insurance policies. No mandatory waiting periods. No free speech buffer zones on public property around clinics. I think its not a very important subject and public discussion about someone's decision to have an abortion is tasteless and should be avoided. I also get annoyed whenever I hear about muh old white men controlling muh body and how we're supposed to have separate but equal votes on sex-specific issues. Personally, I am morally opposed but would not second guess my hypothetical wife's decision to have one.

[dead0man]

I'm a Moderate Hero on Atlas vs. AAD.  Though the nature of that Moderate Heroism has recently changed from "both places are good" to "both places suck," alas.

Can't you at least give the AAD admins credit? Because they handled this perfectly, much better than Atlas did.

The fact they haven't banned Tweed (and have no intent to do so) makes them utterly unworthy of any credit.

I just read this.....wow.  I had assumed he would have been banned over there, I mean, they can't possibly be that big of dumb sh**ts over there.......Never underestimate the sh**ttiness sh**tty people are capable of.



I think it was Xahar that said it had a toxic culture, that is 100% accurate.

[Mercenary]

I typically am either fairly far to one side or another on an issue, thus I average as a moderate in a lot of political quizzes but I've never really considered myself one.

As for singular issues, I suppose I am somewhat moderate on immigration and trade.

[NerdyBohemian]

I'm a moderate hero on gun control and immigration. In also a moderate hero on sjw new left type poppycock that makes a mockery of serious issues and left-wing politics.

[Torie]

In the US:

Obamacare: I like the idea of all people having access to basic healthcare, but the actual implementation of it has gone wrong on so many levels. Oh, and immigration.

In the Netherlands:

None I can think of, actually. Maybe the whole debate on "Zwarte Piet", in which I am able to understand both the side that says it's just a celebration and the side that says it's racist and hurtful. There are almost no "moderate heroes" on this issue, probably because you either think it's racism or it's not, while I don't look at from that perspective anymore.

In Israel:

Civil marriage. And rabbanut reform. I was in favor of the former issue, now I think I'm against it, but the proponents have legitimate arguments. I used to be an advocate of rabbanut reform but now I'm not sure anymore, since I see the dangers of a potential "race to the bottom" with regard to halachic issues if you decentralize it.

Never heard of Zwarte Piet, so I looked it up, and the google search result was all about the racism issue. It does seem cringeworthy in this day and age. The St. Nicholas character had slaves?  Maybe he has no choice given the harsh working conditions up there at the North Pole.

You do get around don't you? Three countries covered in one post, without breaking a sweat.

[DavidB.]

In the US:

Obamacare: I like the idea of all people having access to basic healthcare, but the actual implementation of it has gone wrong on so many levels. Oh, and immigration.

In the Netherlands:

None I can think of, actually. Maybe the whole debate on "Zwarte Piet", in which I am able to understand both the side that says it's just a celebration and the side that says it's racist and hurtful. There are almost no "moderate heroes" on this issue, probably because you either think it's racism or it's not, while I don't look at from that perspective anymore.

In Israel:

Civil marriage. And rabbanut reform. I was in favor of the former issue, now I think I'm against it, but the proponents have legitimate arguments. I used to be an advocate of rabbanut reform but now I'm not sure anymore, since I see the dangers of a potential "race to the bottom" with regard to halachic issues if you decentralize it.

Never heard of Zwarte Piet, so I looked it up, and the google search result was all about the racism issue. It does seem cringeworthy in this day and age. The St. Nicholas character had slaves?  Maybe he has no choice given the harsh working conditions up there at the North Pole.

You do get around don't you? Three countries covered in one post, without breaking a sweat.

I'm not that much of a moderate hero so it's not so hard for me to cover three countries about this haha Also, two of these countries I consider home and the other country is central to this forum...

The Zwarte Piet issue is complicated. Many Americans tend to think it's offensive, wrong, and racist because Zwarte Piet looks similar to "blackface", but "blackface" is a phenomenon totally alien to Dutch history, so the comparison is really superficial. The point is that this is a tradition that is, for most people, currently not racially charged. 90%+ of Dutch children, including my generation, have grown up with Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet without any trace of racism. It is the single most important childrens' celebration every year, so people do care about this very much. (I do find it highly annoying if some American journalist who has never experienced Sinterklaas himself and who doesn't know much about the festivity's traditions is making bold, negative statements about it from his D.C. office.)

It is hard to tell whether Zwarte Piet is actually racist. He is not seen by children in a negative way, on the contrary, and he is Sinterklaas' assistant, definitely not a slave (in fact, many children tend to like Zwarte Piet more, as he isn't as "stern" as Sinterklaas). At the same time, the stereotypical "black" caricature is obvious - I am always wondering if I, as a Jew, would find it offensive if the celebration would include a "stereotypical Jew", but I actually don't know.

I think we should, as a society, take seriously the fact that people are genuinely hurt by the tradition. I don't care about the loud "black movement" in Holland, which has no legitimacy and which has totally derailed - allying with radical Muslims, Hamas supporters and the like ("the victim coalition"). However, I do care about the Dutch Surinamese kid that comes home from school crying because some other kid has called him Zwarte Piet. This is something we should address, because this kid is just as Dutch as any "white Dutch" kid and he needs to feel at home in his own country.

I have no idea how and why, but I think it is high time to build bridges between the communities. The problem is that the Zwarte Piet debate has become so emotional (the loudest voices are the most extreme voices) for so many people that any outcome will only anger people even more. (Last year, an anti-ZP activist spoiled the celebration's "secret" on live tv, when many children were watching...). That has obviously been the underlying motive for the "black movement" in the first place, in order to stir things up, but it's toxic for our society. Zwarte Piet is not the real problem, the bridge between Surinamese communities and "native Dutch" society is the real problem. These communties need to find ways to come together and find common ground. But about Zwarte Piet... I honestly don't know what to do with that.