The Radical Middle #1
[published in The Green Paper, Issue 2, May 1991]
We hear from the anarchists and the socialists in the Green movement all
the time. My goal with this column is to explore the exciting new territory
that some Greens and some other groups are staking out — the territory
that I believe is the future of the Greens and of American politics.
Greens who think this way take the slogan “Neither Left nor Right, but in
front” very seriously. For many, it was the singular thing that attracted
them to the movement. They recognize the flaws in the capitalist system, but
know that socialism is part of that same system — that both are based
on growth, progress, and the exploitation of natural resources and people.
They care about suffering in their fellow human, but have a basic work ethic
that tells them a welfare state is wrong — that it makes things worse
for those being “helped”; that it makes them dependent, like children, on
the State. They respect diversity and individual rights, but believe that
permissiveness can go too far — that there are negative forces in the
world and that, without some rules, a community’s values will erode.
I am calling the position the Radical Middle, with an appreciative nod to
Harry Stevens for the name, though our views of what it encompasses are quite
different. I am not entirely pleased with the name, though, because the word
radical, no matter how appropriate, turns off many mainstream Americans, something
I definitely do not want to do. You can be sure that this politics is radical.
Taken to its extreme logical conclusion (which I’m not suggesting will happen),
it calls for, among other things, the halting and localizing of our growth-based
mass economy. But taken on a case-by-case basis, this politics is common sense.
It appeals to what people know in their gut is right.
The Radical Middle has a long heritage in this country, following in the
footsteps of past movements like the Populist Party at the end of the last
century. I will explore some of those examples in future columns here, as
well as specific examples of how Radical Middle positions compare to the current
Right and Left on issues of the day.
Many progressives are quick to blame the current Supreme Court and the current
administration for the recent backsliding in social justice legislation, but
they are overlooking one simple fact: the current administration was elected
by the people. Of course, the system is imperfect and the choices on both
sides were uninspiring, but think of the effectiveness of the liberal bashing
that Bush did in his campaign. That could not have worked if there was not
support for it.
Many progressives have an arrogant attitude that the unwashed masses who
used to vote Democratic and now vote Republican don’t know what they are doing,
that they are being duped. It’s true that much of the Republican Party message
that these people voted for is only imagery with no substance, but the substance
they are looking for cannot be found in the Democrats and other progressive
groups – even in symbols.
The true hope for the Greens is to offer mainstream America what it is looking
for: not a coalition of minorities and oppressed peoples, but a combination
of traditional values, minimal government, and a society that takes care of
all those within it and the planet it exists on. If the Greens can articulate
that message — if the Greens want to articulate this message — then
we will make a real difference in American politics.
© 2004 Philip F. Rose
