What's your definition of a political moderate?

[Mummelmann]

It's interesting to see how different people around the world define certain things in politics. The difference between here (Sweden) and my home country (Norway) is quite big, despite us being culturally similar and neighbors. Norway tends more towards liberal values and nationalism with a clear national romantic tinge, whereas Sweden has taken a turn towards a large divide between a heavily authoritarian left and a proper "yeehaw!" right. Centrists and even moderates are considered cowards here, people who have little right to have opinions or be heard. The most amusing thing is that both the farthest left and farthest right have one thing in common; blatant nationalistic notions and attitude, but from two different angles. One is that the nation is an intellectual and humanitarian superpower whose moral superiority and insights give them the right to lecture others, the other is a classic "many problems - one great big solution" Ethno-nationalistic approach with a little "no understanding that a society which is run only by and for-profits might take a toll on certain groups in the population" sprinkled on top.

As for the US, it always puzzled me how the people calling for strict gun control and increased taxation are labeled as "liberals". Increased taxation, calls for government intervention and regulation, and a wish for more judicial and legal mandate to control the population in certain aspects; classic liberalism? Topsy-turvy land to me.

Sometimes, I really like my country's national motto, it's a simple one from before WWII, and its usefulness was even greater directly after the war. "Do your duty - claim your rights." It was originally a working-class slogan but became one of the pillars of the modern industrially advanced welfare state with a fairly balanced hybrid economy as its engine.

As for myself, I define myself to be slightly to left of center, with a motion towards liberalism rather than authoritarian. It's hard to find people with the same overall tendencies here, most people I meet have some pretty extreme opinions and populism is rampant here, both on the right and left-wing. Back home things are a bit better but they're slowly sliding onto the same muddy path, at the same pace as they are becoming less provincial and more centralized and continental in their ways.