The true extremists in today’s society are the right-wing and the centrists, while the left-wing represents the moderates. This may seem counterintuitive, but when you examine the dynamics of power and ideology, it becomes clear. The past 40 years of neo-liberal dogma, embedded in every corner of our institutions, have pushed society apart. This deliberate fragmentation created fertile ground for extreme reactions.
In the 20th century, we understood why soft social democracy was necessary. It provided a buffer, a compromise that kept society from tearing itself apart. But the neoliberal project, championed by the so-called “centrist elites”, dismantled that social compact in pursuit of unregulated markets and corporate power. They planted and ploughed this mess, blinded by their own hubris. And now, those same centrists, the article-writing class, weep over the chaos they sowed.
Our liberals, many of them lovely and fluffy, and a few still hard and spiky, do not have the answers to today’s crises. Their “thinking,” rooted in this mess, is the problem. They can’t see past the path they’ve perpetuated, systems that have led us to this breaking point.
The reality is stark: for the next 40 years, it’s either the right or the left. There’s no neutral ground anymore, no room for centrist dithering. It’s time to take a side and buckle in for the ride. At the end of this upheaval, we might claw our way back to a social democratic compromise—or we might not.
The choice is clear, but the path will not be easy. The centrists and right-wingers won’t relinquish power without a fight, and the left will need to be bold, clear-eyed, and united to counter their influence. Whether we end up with a more equitable society or descend further into chaos depends on where we plant our feet today.
