Centroids: As far as I can tell, this new approach to centrism is all for the good.
As far as it goes it is compatible with RC. Here are some potential allies and maybe something can come of this. Let us hope Niskanen Center gains some traction. However, the are some observations to make.... First, where is there an opening to others besides insiders at Niskanen? Heck, if we were 100% in favor -and I am reserving judgment until I see more- what would we do? Say "yayy" and wave our placards from the sidewalk? I do not see an opening for RC.org in anything I have read so far. Second, what really IS politics? Niskanen seems to be one more alternative proposed by bureaucrats and functionaries to solve the problems of our era dispassionately and at the same time making all sorts of assumptions about what constitutes "good" and "truth." If Niskanen had a motto what would it be? "Save America for middle class people earning north of $100,000" ? That is the impression I have so far. And who are our mutual enemies? You do not have any kind of viable politics without identifying enemies and coming up with a program to defeat these enemies. That is, certainly in part, politics is a blood sport with winners and losers, and the whole idea is to be a winner and to make losers out of our enemies. OK, it is more complicated than this. Ideally we should want to win over our enemies, to lead them to the Truth, to create a whole new majority where many people in this majority used to be enemies but now are friends. But it expedites the process to defeat our enemies first so that they may see the light and have a reason to question the error of their ways. And this takes passion. Where is the passion coming from in the Niskanen proposal? Money? Which, when you think about it, maybe we need to explain to ourselves far better than we now do. What is the passion behind RC? I know what it is for me, and it isn't making America safe for people who are upper middle class. It is, in a sense, making America Christian again. NOT traditionally Christian, although there is some of that in the mix, especially where families are part of the picture, but in a broad sense that recaptures something of the spirit of the American Revolution. It means regaining a sense of decency, of the kind of morality that is good for us rather than the kind of strict morality that some people think religion necessarily is all about, a list of "shalt nots." The enemy is twofold, Cultural Marxism -and greed and ego led Capitalism embodied in self-centered libertarianism and in the money worship of the Right. The enemy is united in its disdain for Christianity and, for that matter, rejection of all real world religion. In different words, this is all about identity, all about fundamental values. That is where my passion comes from. Billy ________________________________ From: Dr. Ernie Prabhakar <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, December 24, 2018 6:09 AM To: Billy Rojas Subject: Fwd: Too far right and left? DC think tank releases manifesto for radical centrism Some background Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: David Gleason <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Date: December 23, 2018 at 10:03:46 PST To: "Dr. Ernie Prabhakar" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Cc: Truth Bowl <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Subject: Re: Too far right and left? DC think tank releases manifesto for radical centrism Wasn’t familiar with the Big Think so I looked them up. Seems they came out of Google, with funding by Peter Thiele and the Koch Brothers, but they also have Larry Summers and some Hollywood investors. Do they have a particular political bias or agenda? Sounds Libertarian-Capitalist, but that’s now pretty much anyone with enough money. Interesting idea! Definitely worth exploring further. David On Dec 23, 2018, at 9:08 AM, Dr. Ernie Prabhakar <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: RC making a comeback? This could be our market... Too far right and left? DC think tank releases manifesto for radical centrism https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/think-tank-proposes-radical-centrism-as-way-to-avoid-american-downfall (via Instapaper<http://www.instapaper.com/>) ________________________________ Big think's weekly newsletter. Get smarter faster from the comfort of your inbox. See our newsletter privacy policy here [https://assets.rbl.ms/18326201/2000x.png] Americans must choose the middle path, away from the fundamentalist positions on both the right and the left, argues a Washington think tank. Paul Ratner 22 December, 2018 * Niskanen Center, a Washington think tank, argues for avoiding the extremes of political positions. * The analysts propose that both a regulated free market and bolstered social insurance programs are important. * If we don't correct course soon, the American political system may never recover, warn the authors. Keep reading Show less capitalism<https://bigthink.com/tag/capitalism> economics<https://bigthink.com/tag/economics> inequality<https://bigthink.com/tag/inequality> health care<https://bigthink.com/tag/health-care> policy<https://bigthink.com/tag/policy> social change<https://bigthink.com/tag/social-change> united states<https://bigthink.com/tag/united-states> education<https://bigthink.com/tag/education> donald trump<https://bigthink.com/tag/donald-trump> government<https://bigthink.com/tag/government> <https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/think-tank-proposes-radical-centrism-as-way-to-avoid-american-downfall><https://share.flipboard.com/bookmarklet/popout?v=2&url=https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/think-tank-proposes-radical-centrism-as-way-to-avoid-american-downfall> You can now drag and drop whole countries to compare their size <https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/compare-true-size-of-countries> TheTrueSize.com<http://thetruesize.com/> offers hours of fun while you stretch and shrink countries and states all over the globe. 1 like Frank Jacobs 19 December, 2018 <https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/compare-true-size-of-countries> Strange Maps * Our world maps lie to us: North America and Europe aren't really that big and Africa really is much bigger. * It's all the fault of Mercator: even if the man himself wasn't necessarily Eurocentric, his projection is. * This interactive map tool reveals countries' true sizes without having to resort to the Peters projection. Keep reading Show less peters projection<https://bigthink.com/tag/peters-projection> the west wing<https://bigthink.com/tag/the-west-wing> africa<https://bigthink.com/tag/africa> europe<https://bigthink.com/tag/europe> russia<https://bigthink.com/tag/russia> United States<https://bigthink.com/tag/United-States> global issues<https://bigthink.com/tag/global-issues> inequality<https://bigthink.com/tag/inequality> map<https://bigthink.com/tag/map> <https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/compare-true-size-of-countries><https://share.flipboard.com/bookmarklet/popout?v=2&url=https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/compare-true-size-of-countries> Big think's weekly newsletter. Get smarter faster from the comfort of your inbox. See our newsletter privacy policy here [https://assets.rbl.ms/18326201/2000x.png] The Meaning of Christmas Literally... Involves Two Kinds of Liberation <https://bigthink.com/errors-we-live-by/the-meaning-of-christmas-literally-involves-two-kinds-of-liberation> Here's what the roots of both ends of the word Christmas mean. Jag Bhalla 24 December, 2016 <https://bigthink.com/errors-we-live-by/the-meaning-of-christmas-literally-involves-two-kinds-of-liberation> popular 1. The roots of the word “Christmas” rub two kinds of liberation (of, and from, the masses) with some shortening: Keep reading Show less <https://bigthink.com/errors-we-live-by/the-meaning-of-christmas-literally-involves-two-kinds-of-liberation><https://share.flipboard.com/bookmarklet/popout?v=2&url=https://bigthink.com/errors-we-live-by/the-meaning-of-christmas-literally-involves-two-kinds-of-liberation> >From 1990 to 2016, dementia has more than doubled ><https://bigthink.com/mind-brain/dementia-increase> About a quarter of victims' lost time was avoidable Robby Berman 22 December, 2018 <https://bigthink.com/mind-brain/dementia-increase> (Lightspring<https://www.shutterstock.com/g/lightspring>/Shutterstock) Mind & Brain<https://bigthink.com/mind-brain> * The incidence of dementia is rising at an alarming rate * While it's primarily diagnosed over age 50, it starts decades earlier * Modifying behavior to avoid a handful of known risk factors can help reduce the chance of getting dementia Keep reading Show less alzheimers<https://bigthink.com/tag/alzheimers> brain<https://bigthink.com/tag/brain> againg<https://bigthink.com/tag/againg> identity<https://bigthink.com/tag/identity> big problems<https://bigthink.com/tag/big-problems> mental health<https://bigthink.com/tag/mental-health> <https://bigthink.com/mind-brain/dementia-increase><https://share.flipboard.com/bookmarklet/popout?v=2&url=https://bigthink.com/mind-brain/dementia-increase> Why Facebook is developing a cryptocurrency for WhatsApp users <https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/facebook-creating-stablecoin-for-whatsapp-india> The social media company has long been expected to make a move into blockchain. Stephen Johnson 21 December, 2018 <https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/facebook-creating-stablecoin-for-whatsapp-india> Pixabay Technology & Innovation<https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation> * Facebook is reportedly developing a stablecoin for WhatsApp users in India. * A stablecoin is a class of cryptocurrency that's pegged to a stable asset like fiat currency or gold. * India currently has more than 200 million WhatsApp users, and it sees more than $60 billion in global remittances every year. Keep reading Show less economy<https://bigthink.com/tag/economy> innovation<https://bigthink.com/tag/innovation> india<https://bigthink.com/tag/india> blockchain<https://bigthink.com/tag/blockchain> money<https://bigthink.com/tag/money> social media<https://bigthink.com/tag/social-media> <https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/facebook-creating-stablecoin-for-whatsapp-india><https://share.flipboard.com/bookmarklet/popout?v=2&url=https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/facebook-creating-stablecoin-for-whatsapp-india> Big think's weekly newsletter. Get smarter faster from the comfort of your inbox. See our newsletter privacy policy here [https://assets.rbl.ms/18326201/2000x.png] How overparenting backfired on Americans <https://bigthink.com/videos/top-10-helicopter-parenting-backfired-on-americans> This is the most talked about Big Think video of 2018! What's your take? Jonathan Haidt 23 December, 2018 content.jwplatform.com<https://content.jwplatform.com/players/8bfiilL6-FvQKszTI.js> Videos<https://bigthink.com/videos> * American childhood is going, going… gone, says Professor Jonathan Haidt. * In the mid-'90s there was a sharp shift to overprotective parenting. In previous generations, kids were allowed to out of the house unsupervised from age 5-8, which has now become age 12-16. As a result, their independence, resilience, and problem-solving skills suffer. * "Give childhood back to kids so that they do what they most need to do, which is develop the skills of being an independent adult. Remember that the job of a parent is to work him or herself out of a job." * As a resource for parents, Jonathan Haidt recommends letgrow.org.<https://letgrow.org/> Keep reading Show less adventure<https://bigthink.com/tag/adventure> fear<https://bigthink.com/tag/fear> children<https://bigthink.com/tag/children> exploration<https://bigthink.com/tag/exploration> parenting<https://bigthink.com/tag/parenting> personal growth<https://bigthink.com/tag/personal-growth> play<https://bigthink.com/tag/play> social media<https://bigthink.com/tag/social-media> society<https://bigthink.com/tag/society> united states<https://bigthink.com/tag/united-states> education<https://bigthink.com/tag/education> <https://bigthink.com/videos/top-10-helicopter-parenting-backfired-on-americans><https://share.flipboard.com/bookmarklet/popout?v=2&url=https://bigthink.com/videos/top-10-helicopter-parenting-backfired-on-americans> USA ranked 27th in the world in education and healthcare—down from 6th in 1990 <https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/american-education-and-healthcare> America continues to tread water in healthcare and education while other countries have enacted reforms to great effect. Scotty Hendricks 03 October, 2018 <https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/american-education-and-healthcare> Joe Raedle/Getty Images Politics & Current Affairs<https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs> * The American healthcare and education systems are known to need some work, but a new study suggests we've fallen far in comparison to the rest of the world. * The findings show what progress, if any, 195 countries have made over the last twenty years * The study suggests that economic growth is tied to human capital, which gives a dire view of America's economic prospects. Keep reading Show less global development<https://bigthink.com/tag/global-development> united states<https://bigthink.com/tag/united-states> health care<https://bigthink.com/tag/health-care> china<https://bigthink.com/tag/china> global issues<https://bigthink.com/tag/global-issues> policy<https://bigthink.com/tag/policy> <https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/american-education-and-healthcare><https://share.flipboard.com/bookmarklet/popout?v=2&url=https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/american-education-and-healthcare> 5 holidays to celebrate this year that aren’t Christmas <https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/alternative-holidays-to-christmas> Going mad with Christmas cheer? Try one of these alternatives. Scotty Hendricks 22 December, 2018 <https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/alternative-holidays-to-christmas> Matt Cardy/Getty Images Culture & Religion<https://bigthink.com/culture-religion> * Christmas is an all consuming holiday, celebrated even in cultures where Christianity never took root. * However, some people just can't take it anymore. Some of them even invented new holidays as alternatives. * While some of the holidays are celebrated half jokingly, they all offer an escape from an often overbearing Christmas season. Keep reading Show less consumerism<https://bigthink.com/tag/consumerism> sun<https://bigthink.com/tag/sun> religion<https://bigthink.com/tag/religion> humor<https://bigthink.com/tag/humor> atheism<https://bigthink.com/tag/atheism> <https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/alternative-holidays-to-christmas><https://share.flipboard.com/bookmarklet/popout?v=2&url=https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/alternative-holidays-to-christmas> ________________________________ Sent from my iPhone -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Truth Bowl" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/truth-bowl/65017BE1-1C5A-4BF6-AF2F-AAC0A08ACB70%40gmail.com<https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/truth-bowl/65017BE1-1C5A-4BF6-AF2F-AAC0A08ACB70%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. 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.
