Recreational Outrage

Center. Remember center?

A centrist understands that there will never be consensus on how best to govern. Hobbes and Locke are destined to debate forever in the halls of politics. So they learn the art of compromise and understand that a peaceful society can not be a unilateral society. In my mind a true centrist is principled, and selective of which ideas to support, independent of platform or party, that make the most sense to him/her.

I believe in universal healthcare and education. I think education should be free to any citizen up to any level, so long as they are doing the work. Buckminster Fuller’s World Game prioritized education because it has a great rate of return for a nation. Similarly, a healthy population is a more productive one. On the other hand, I abhor bureaucratic bloat, waste, and corruption. I thought that DOGE was a great idea and that doing a rebuild of the education system was long overdue.

I believe in the rule of law and think pandering to the mob – as with sanctuary cities – is a one way ticket to bloodshed. Illegal immigration can’t be allowed, but needs to be enforced in a humane way. Governments should be transparent and accountable; too much now falls under the purview of ‘national security’. Speech must be free. In-country businesses need to take priority over international trading partners.

I also think real-estate speculation should be more heavily taxed, while income taxes need to go down. I want a social net to catch people that fall, but not a hammock for those unwilling. I support pragmatic climate action, but recognize the economy needs to stay stable. Abortions should be legal, but only for instances of rape or incest and the like; the Plan B pill should be widely available. It’s a hard moral line – but even centrists, maybe even especially centrists, need to have strong morals. I believe that immigration is a critical part of a country’s success, but that it needs to be tightly controlled. I can be anti-Woke without worshiping Donald Trump. It’s possible to think things through on your own.

This graphic has been making the rounds. It’s troubling. The lack of the diversity of thought on the Left results in a self-reinforcing echo chamber. But what really stands out is the lack of centrists. We’re a dying breed. Where did you guys go?

Perhaps people are afraid to be center. Center is where you sit down and argue your case. It is a place where you need to be able to defend and support your beliefs. This requires logic and research. It requires thinking and articulation. It’s much easier to just have a pre-packaged, ready for the microwave set of beliefs you can push a few buttons for and bingo, you’ve got your understanding of the world. Maybe this has made centrists into cowards, like the transit riders you see in viral videos just pretending not to see someone being attacked or abused. If centrists really are the silent majority (they aren’t but we can dream), then they need to start speaking up before everyone else ends up tearing apart the very fabric of society.