Monday, November 30, 2020

Towards a Radical Center



Centrism has now become a radical cause and something for which one has to man the barricades. It’s a position founded on the assumption of objective reality. The notion that one’s perception is created contextually by tribal norms is a position that's ironically maintained by both the far left and right who now make strange bedfellows. In fact, the accusation of rigged or fraudulent elections that defy empirical proof is something that’s not only held by the Trumpocracy. Far left parties believe that everything about the capitalist system is tainted. The notion of right and wrong and moral standards essentially a centrist idea derived from the notion that there are unerring ethical principles and along with them verifiable empirical realities. A centrist would concede defeat in an election since he or she believes that the system, which includes the principles of democracy as stated in the constitution, is something which can be validated. Someone on the far right or left is not likely to concede anything since to them everything is corrupt. Statesman-like behavior is not characteristic of agitators and activists who will do anything to accomplish their goal. However a radical centrist bases his or her behavior on principles of law which include due process and a respect for inalienable rights. Radical centrism, based the kind of equanimity and coalition building that President-elect Biden trumpets, affords little of the crowd sourced millenarianism of revolutionary movements. It's a stance which has become increasingly harder to defend in a world where the charisma of agitation has become a message in and of itself. Toward the Radical Center is also the title of a book by the Czech playwright, Karel Capek who argued against the extremes of fascism and communism.



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