I lean more towards Pi-Guy's view from what I've seen, I wouldn't say it's all of them obviously, there are quite clearly some actual centrist but I've seen a lot of people who claim to be "centre" but dig deeper and they're full with right wing beliefs, I see a lot of people who claim they're centre but still vote Donald Trump cause "Dems bad" and I'm sorry you aren't centre if you're voting Trump, Lol.

I believe a lot of them Trump voters claim they're centre because they're deep down ashamed of some of their beliefs and then some of them pretend to be centre because they believe it makes them look more intelligent than those on the right or left, they will claim that they know better simply because they're centrist, that left and right are both bad and they're very smart for being in the middle.

Then there's people who pretend they're centrist to look unbiased but only ever criticise the left like Elon Musk, he is the perfect example of someone pretending to be centre but only ever parrots right wing talking points and only ever criticises the left wing. But there are a lot of legit centrists too and it depends on what country you're from I think, I think this "right wing pretending to be centrist" thing is more common in America.

To be clear about a few things.

I didn't say "that's what centrism means" or "every centrist is actually a right winger" or anything quite as definitive as that. 99% is a bit of an exaggeration, but it's a frequent problem. Either in calling themselves centrist and yet not actually believing an centrist viewpoints or they'll deride both sides, while strongly advocating for a particular side. 

This isn't to say there aren't centrists or anything like that. But I think frequently actual centrists don't actually call themselves "centrist". 

There's a difference between someone using the label and someone actually being that thing.

Why do you think of yourself as a centrist? What do left and right wing mean to you? 

And interacting with Bjorn.

Who is Bjorn?!

Björn Höcke is a German politician and a member of Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Along with Andreas Kalbitz, Höcke was the leader of the AfD's far-right Der Flügel faction, which the German government's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution declared a right-wing extremist organization.

In November 2021, Höcke's parliamentary immunity in the Landtag of Thuringia was cancelled. He was accused to have ended a speech in May with a phrase used by the SA whose use is illegal under insignia legislation. The phrase was "Everything for Germany".

The slogan “Everything for Germany” was introduced by the SA and its public use is punishable by law in Germany.

Sturmabteilung - Wikipedia

I think of myself as a centrist because while my position on most things leans left (reproductive rights, science, equal rights, etc) the current left feels to me toxic and hateful. They seem to think the solution to certain groups being discriminated against or disadvantaged is to redirect that hate at other people instead of ending it, like being openly and even proudly racist against white people, sexist against men, etc.

As someone who was born (mostly) white, male, and straight, I just got tired of my "own side" treating me like I was evil just for being born this way, and that I had to spend my entire life apologizing for my existence and hearing myself constantly demeaned.

It was hard to really feel like I was part of the left when the left openly treated me like the enemy.

What passes for "left" nowadays just isn't what I believe in.

I personally don't think it makes sense to base your political spectrum on other people like that.

There are plenty of people who describe themselves as left wingers, who actually share a ton of beliefs with far right wingers. 

The Nazis labeled themselves as Socialists, despite not really being that. 

There are plenty of people who describe themselves as centrists like Elon Musk, who seem to most frequently agree with far right wingers. 

North Korea labels itself as Democratic. But I don't think it'd make sense to look at North Korea and go well clearly Democracy is bad. 

I am a straight white male too. 

I can definitely understand your view, it is frequently difficult to be a straight white male in a lot of more left wing circles. 

As someone who was born (mostly) white, male, and straight, I just got tired of my "own side" treating me like I was evil just for being born this way, and that I had to spend my entire life apologizing for my existence and hearing myself constantly demeaned.

It was hard to really feel like I was part of the left when the left openly treated me like the enemy.

What passes for "left" nowadays just isn't what I believe in.

Equality feels like oppression to the privileged. What I mean by that is when born into a privilege that is not easily quantifiable, equality can feel like you are being disciplined or punished.

Straight white males on average exist in the front row and often don't see the struggles of those behind them.  When the kids in the back row who are farther away and barely even see the basket are given help (auto-aim, increased arm power, extra throws, etc...), the kids up front may feel that it is unjust and unfair.

But it's not unjust or unfair.  You still sit in that front row.  Again, this is all on average and not explicitly applicable to every single straight white male (such as myself). 

Nobody is asking you to apologize for being white, or male or straight.  The far right tells you the left is demanding this but they are not.

And speaking of far right....

With in regards to the self proclaimed centrists often merely acting like they centrists, I present you the "Fair and Balanced" Fox News. Nobody claims they are more center than Fox. Their viewers then take on that idea and also proclaim they are center.  They like the how Fox has branded themselves center because it gives them a sense of supremacy (see a connection there?).

And many don't know they are far right because the only people that tell them they are far right is the left itself who the "center" (read: far right) labels as the enemy.

They use this "center" viewpoint as a way to proclaim the left do these hateful things (like demanding you apologize for being a straight white male) while never having to worry about being called out for such nonsense. The far, far right (Newsmax, Alex Jones, etc...) certainly isn't going to tell Fox that the left isn't demanding that so these "centrists" never hear otherwise.

This view is a gross oversimplification, there are countless factors that determine someone's position in the world and skin colour or gender are just two of them, and thanks to the left, white people and males experience racism and sexism in today's culture too.

Culture warriors on the left will constantly tell you to shut up and that you're trash just for existing or that you're not allowed to speak. You're automatically viewed as bad based on traits you were born into through no choice of your own.

"Equality feels like oppression to the privileged" is just pithy rubbish used to justify mistreating people.

And that's exactly the problem; the left thinks you can solve hate with hate, and you can't, that's like trying to put out a wildfire with a flamethrower. The more you lecture and yell at people, the more you breed acrimony and resentment, and the more divided we all become. This is how we ended up with the alt right, the left became so aggressive and pushy that they pushed people into the arms of the far right.

Most things are a gross oversimplification. It's a big struggle with left wing politics in general. A lot of right wing politics is extremely black and white. Whereas a lot of left wing politics seems to confuse even people that claim to be left wing.

Both sides do similar things. They ban things that those people think are dangerous, and left wingers/right wingers have completely conflicting ideas on what things are dangerous to society.

Right wing spaces will ban you if you're pushing left wing views like anti-racism, "transgender ideology".

Left wing spaces will ban you if they feel you're pushing racist/sexist views, or in general dismissing the views of less fortunate people. 

Nah, it's a constant issue.

Straight people thought it was unfair that gay people were starting to be allowed to be married. 

A constant issue in America is that Christianity is the default. Anything opposed to that is oppressive to Christians. Muslims, Jews, Atheists having the same rights is unfair. 

I think there are a bunch of combined issues.

In a certain kind of way, I agree with you. A lot of times people say terrible things out of ignorance, and not out of spite. And a lot of left wing communities won't bother trying to tell the difference between those two cases. (But again, right wingers do the same things in the opposite direction. If you think this is just a left wing problem, then you aren't paying enough attention).

A lot of left wing issues require nuance. The fact that black people make less on average, does not mean that every black person must have less money than every white person. For a lot of people the idea that there was a black president is proof that the country is not biased against black people. The idea that Oprah has a billion dollars does not reject the idea that black people tend to have a harder time in America. Because as you say above skin color and gender are just two factors out of a billion. That idea that you are pushing as leftists being wrong, is actually a critical point to understanding leftist thought in the first place. Those two things should not be a factor at all. 

This is challenging for people to understand. Because we don't see the average experience of 30 million black people or the average experience of every white person. We only see snippets, anecdotal evidence. Donald Trump is not the average white person. No white celebrity is the average white person. No black celebrity is the average black person. 

Another issue: People are frequently sensitive and feel they're being attacked, when they're not. I've seen so many white people get upset when someone talks about how white people tend to have an easier time getting wealthy. They feel it is an attack on them. They worked hard for their money. Of course they did. 

This is just the most recent example that I saw, where people thought they were being attacked for no reason. 

I actually agree with some of your points against the right, but I feel like folks keep addressing me as if I am on the right, which I insist I am not.

For instance, I never thought it was unfair that gay people could get married; on the contrary, I marched in the streets for same sex marriage in my country.

I never thought it was unfair for others to have the same rights as Christians; I am an atheist myself.

My criticism of the left is not an endorsement of the right. 

That's what happens when you refer to the minority of the far-left as "the left" repeatedly. It also makes you sound like an American.