Why Centrism is Misguided

For decades the Democratic party has urged its supporters to accept centrism over progressive ideas. This of course, at least since President Clinton, has been a ruse. Rather than a compromise between two competing parties what has occurred has been an unapologetic shift of the Democratic party towards the same slavish devotion of the GOP to corporate and wealthy interests to the point that both parties have been captured and paid for.

Beyond that however, a more problematic issue has made centrism an untenable position; fascism. Were the disagreements that separate the American people of equal validity on both sides, centrism could be argued for. But, that isn’t the case. While one side pushes towards progressive ideas to benefit all of the American people, the other pushes for authoritarianism, oppression, and violence against their perceived ‘enemies.’

The GOP has by and large become the party of voters and elected officials which are now openly hostile and increasingly violent towards a majority of the American population; people of color, Latinos, LGBTQ peoples, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, liberals, those of Asian descent, Native Americans, scientists, health experts, political opponents, and other ‘outsider’ groups.

To suggest that such people as these can be compromised with or that common ground can be found is tantamount to having urged the Allies to try and compromise or work with Hitler. And while I loathe the hyperbole of assigning everything one disagrees with as ‘fascism,’ ‘Nazism,’ or ‘Hitler,’ in this case, though not yet as horrific as the Jewish Holocaust, one begins to see the beginnings of such inklings seeping up from long suppressed straight, Christian, White resentment towards outsiders.

To suggest that the American people compromise, humor, cajole, or otherwise work together in any way with uncompromising and unapologetic racists, misogynists, xenophobes, homophobes, transphobes, anti-Semites, authoritarians, traitors and seditionists, domestic terrorists, and murderers (right wing groups have committed a number of murders) is beyond the pale.

Rather than urging ‘healing,’ ‘centrism,’ ‘compromise,’ or anything other than a full repudiation of everything many on the right have become, the left must fight against the growing crisis towards authoritarianism, bigotry, political violence, and treason spreading like a cancerous tumor in the right wing body politic.

Now, this isn’t to suggest that EVERY person who supported or voted for Trump, or the latest seditious antics of the GOP is a member of the above mentioned group of deplorables. There are likely millions who voted for Trump, both times, because they have been forgivably misled and deluded by political operatives and right wing media. Similarly, there are likely millions who voted to the right because they were unforgivably genuinely concerned over what they had been led to believe was a threatening push towards the much dreaded ‘socialism.’ And lastly, there were also likely millions who, like sports fanatics, support their ‘team’ no matter what.

Such people are not of the same ilk as those unwilling to compromise, unwilling to allow democracy to function as it should, and unwilling to surrender power when lost. Such people SHOULD be worked with to reach some kind of functional compromise between the two sides.

For those in full knowledge (no matter how many times they may deny it) however, of their anti-democratic and anti-American views and actions, and who willfully work towards fascist ends or engage in bigoted violence against fellow Americans, no compromise should be considered. To allow it to have taken seed in the first place was a grave error. To allow it to flourish would be monstrous.

Until the GOP and its supporters purge themselves of the vermin within their ranks the progressive party cannot in good conscience work with them. By doing so and allowing the current strain of Republicanism to get a pass undermines the ability of the government to ensure the protection of the American people from right wing extremism and violence.

America narrowly escaped a fascist takeover. It may not be so lucky next time.