Critical Centrism: The Case for the Need of Political Centrists To Call Out Both Sides

 Modern-day politics has become the refuge of the fanatic. Agreeing to disagree is nigh extinct. Coming together and admitting while you don't always agree, you should at least hear each other out is now completely unheard of.

And as a political moderate, that galls me.

I prefer that title to "centrist", because, like most people, I too see centrism as a refusal to take a stand for something or instead I did, until I came to the conclusion I thought both sides kinda suck and that means I'm a centrist by virtue of contempt for both.

For example, I think the LGBT lobby trying to argue kids should be exposed to sexual cosplay (drag) is twenty different kinds of depraved, but I do think their enemies are just as depraved for attempting unironic book banning. I think reparations to black people is a cynical, venal, stupid, and dishonest ploy by liberals to keep black "on the plantation" by waving the bloody shirt about slavery, though conservatives who are total crime eradication zealots are fools for not realizing you can't solve crime by jailing all the criminals as harshly as possible. I thought Hilary Clinton was a shady and dishonest scumbag who should have never gotten near the Oval Office, but to be fair Trump already was an admitted scumbag, so our options blew either way. And the prospective 2024 is going to offer yet another round of choices from both sides that amount to a pick your poison than an honest choice based on people who you can trust to have morals and principles even if their politics gall you.

In short, the two-party system has too many lunatics, degenerates, and outright losers for me to like or respect either side. The politician who actually does their job instead of grandstanding for cameras is long dead, replaced by both sides putting a bunch of people onstage who do the least damage when they aren't doing anything at all.

That said, I'm sure I'm not alone. I think the fed-up members of the two sides of the aisle should form their own team to basically call out the two main teams. If politics is a game between two opposing teams, we need a third team of dedicated umpires to call them out on their violations of ethics, breaches of public trust, and outright stupidity at the expense of the voter, the person who should actually matter.

I'm not sure that's feasible in this day and age. I've had feet in both camps, still do, and it's hard to find anyone who is sane in either because while the left shuns those who cannot be made pliable tools, the right shuns those who point out their hypocrisy. The actual camps of both sides are thus filled with lickspittles and jellyfish who bend with the wind.

Unfortunately, as this world continues to get further mad, I sometimes feel I'm a lone voice telling both sides their Emperors are naked fools, but even more unfortunately I remain doubtful saying as much does me a lot of good because both sides have madmen who have banished anything less than the most simpering of yesmen and butt kissers.

Regardless, I do think that if enough voices banded together to call out both sides, they could be a powerful moderating influence politics sorely needs. Unfortunately, that requires even more courage than taking a stand for either side, as the way of the centrist is to oppose everyone else.

At the same time, I still think it's worth doing because the only other alternative is to pretend both sides' Emperors aren't naked. And I'm done pretending either sides' pants aren't on their heads instead of their waistlines instead.