Hi Mike, Sent from my iPhone
> On Sep 16, 2015, at 15:46, MG <[email protected]> wrote: > > There's also the term "Vital Center," which was a favorite of Schlesinger. If > anything, I'd peg that as an alternative RC term. Good point. Still, in getting the sense that Centrism as a term has outlived its shelf life. We need a better rallying cry... E > >> On Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at 5:09:55 AM UTC-4, [email protected] wrote: >> >> >> Is the word "radical" political poison? >> >> To be certain the term is unpopular among moderates and >> most establishment types; such people live for some version of >> the status quo. They have no use for bold new ideas, no use for >> political drama of any kind, and no use for people who have >> strong moral principles. But this is precisely why the word radical >> is so appealing to many other people. >> >> This is not some sort of empty assertion. Just a few days ago I circulated >> a lengthy list of people and institutions that are out front in their use >> of the word -in which they obviously take pride. Let us think about >> a few of these examples. >> >> Take Virginia's senator, John Warner. He was first elected seven years ago >> advertising himself as a Radical Centrist. Which he more-or-less is. >> He won re-election in 2014 running as a Radical Centrist, True, his >> margin of victory was as narrow as it was possible to get, but the fact >> was that he won -despite a very strong Republican challenger >> and a GOP tidal wave that drowned all kinds of Democrats >> from coast to coast. Now may it be pointed out that the office >> of Senator is as high as it gets except for governors of large states >> and the presidency. This is no trivial thing. >> >> Warner represents the East Coast branch of RC, associated with the >> New American Foundation and The Atlantic magazine and website. >> This branch dwarfs our small organization by an order of magnitude, >> but this is to say that it has a lot of money and powerful institutional >> support. >> It does this even though its major spokesmen, thinking especially >> of Michael Lind and Ted Halstead, self identify as Radical Centrists. >> Indeed, a decade ago they co-authored a book called The Radical Center >> which seems to have sold quite well. >> >> Where does New American get its money? There are maybe 100 significant >> sources but among them are names like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. >> They know that New America sometimes calls itself a Radical Centrist >> organization but that does not stop them from donating millions. >> >> Then there is the NY Times, maybe you have heard of it. On its staff >> is Thomas Friedman, and maybe you have heard of him, too. Well, TF >> is on record in his columns as being a Radical Centrist. Personally >> I don't think he is, or is at best is only a Radical Centrist now and then, >> but the point is that he regards the phrase as something good, >> he does not run away from it, he embraces it. >> >> The same has been true -also in both cases even if it was a >> mischaracterization- for Governor Schwarzenegger and >> Governor Ventura, one a Republican and the other >> a political Independent. >> >> A host of non-profits call themselves Radical Centrist as do a >> good number of private individuals including several journalists, >> such as one in Arkansas and another in the state of Washington. >> But who we should be most concerned about is the Quivira Coalition, >> in bushiness for at least 15 or 20 years, mostly in New Mexico, Colorado, >> Nevada, and other inland-West states I think the group has >> about 50,000 members, mostly ranchers, small business owners, >> environmentalists, and the like. To say the least this group is a model >> of what can be done and an inspiration. They also are professed >> Radical Centrists. >> >> What do detractors of the word "radical" intend for RC.org? That we >> should ignore all of this and forget why all kinds of people freely choose >> to use the term to describe themselves? This is preposterous -to use >> the mildest possible rebuke to such an ill-advised critique. After all, >> a good critique takes into account not only its own subjective dislikes >> it acknowledges the strengths of those who take an opposite position. >> and forthrightly deals with them. But our most avid critic has never >> done any such thing. >> >> Finally there is the insulting character of that line of reasoning. >> I can only speak for myself but suspect that Ernie has a similar attitude. >> For a good number of years I have been outspoken in advocacy >> of Radical Centrism; my signature appears under well over 100 essays >> and articles written primarily for RC.com and another large number >> for other people. You don't realize that I gave my choice of using >> this terminology a good deal of thought to begin with and continue >> using it for reasons that are persuasive to me and that I believe >> will eventually be persuasive to many others? >> >> A moderate may feel strongly that he should be a moderate. OK, that is >> not a problem for me. And he can use whatever terminology that he >> prefers, including middle or centrist (without a qualifier) or any other >> such vocabulary. But to rant to the effect that Radical Centrists >> are "wrong" to choose this terminology, that the concept of RC >> is somehow impossible to maintain, and so forth, well, >> that crosses a line -into extremely poor judgement. >> >> Besides, try telling Senator Warner that his views are wrong >> and that he cannot succeed in politics calling himself a >> Radical Centrist. What do you suppose he would >> say to that? >> >> But whatever Senator Warner says or does not say, I have my own >> reasons for identifying as a Radical Centrist and take the greatest >> possible pride in doing so. >> >> Billy > > -- > -- > Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community > <[email protected]> > Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism > Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
