I am called a Centrist or a citizen who feels no allegiance to any of the
extreme political parties. Leaders also use the word Centrist because by definition it means “a member of a center party
whose political views are centered between the liberal (extreme left) view and
the conservative (extreme right) view.” While it is true that there are
Centrist Parties that fit this description, essentially all of them exist in other
countries through the world. So why is the term Centrist so popular in the United States?
It is popular because most of the time the
word Centrist is use in the United
States it is used connotatively to imply “These are the undecided people who
can’t make-up their minds,” or “These are the citizens without a strong ideology;” or “These are the
voters who are afraid of the policies
to the extreme left and the extreme right of the political spectrum, so they
engage in the practice of promoting moderation between these extremes.”
While it might be true that they are American
Centrists who fit the connotations, my suspicions are that for most American Centrists
it is none of the above. Actually, it is probably quite the opposite.
For example, I, like many other American Centrists,
pride myself on being well informed on issues. I actively seek out the best
arguments from many parties: In addition to the Democratic and Republican
Parties, I seek out the arguments from the Progressive, Libertarian, Green,
Tea, and other Parties (and activist groups). Additionally, I try to listen to
the discussions and debates by the experts from the academic community on
Public Radio, C-SPAN, … and I follow-up by reading research studies, which is
easy to do through the use of Internet research centers like ERIC. Further
more, I also listen to BBC and other foreign newscasts for the purpose of
hearing the debate from the perspectives of foreign experts, which most frequently
appear to be more in-depth coverage with less political bias. As a result of
cumulative sum of the knowledge gained from these wide arrays of sources, I
have a definite opinion on most issues, a strong ideology, and I am not afraid
of the extreme ends of the spectrum. In fact, all truth be told, there are many
issues in which I find myself in complete agreement with the extreme right and
others in which I totally agree with the extreme left. For example, I am 100%
in favor of a strong military defense that includes a well funded and
modernized military (a position that is supported by the Extreme Right). At the
same time I am 100 percent in favor of universal health care (a position that
is supported by the Extreme Left).
What I have come to realize through these
thorough investigations of issues is that the complete answers to the
challenges facing our nation do not reside within one party. Instead, within
each party, there are segments of the answers that should be selected for
constructing the best solutions to the challenges facing our nation. This
realization makes it impossible for me to commit to any party, who demands that
I completely embrace their stance on issues – in spite of the fact that I am
clearly aware that portions of their stance are wrong! I cannot commit to the Republican Party or
Democratic Party, for I find neither party completely right or completely wrong
on most issues. They are only completely un-cooperative with each other and
everyone else! And their lack of cooperation, in my judgment, is the major
issue!
So until Americans begin to assertively
search for the truths and act in accordance with the truth, we will remain a
nation of gridlock. In the mean time I will continue to encourage my fellow
citizens to do their own independent research and strive to become well
informed, like us American Centrists.
By
James A. Porter
