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The Perfect Liberal as the Natural Enemy of the Good Progressive
A failure in the defence of centrism
In high school I identified politically as far far radical omg super left. I have a friend who probably considered herself further left of me and were were sort of constantly sparring to see who was actually further left. I’ve written previously on the evolution of my economic ideology but my sociological and governmental ideology really has only become more nuanced or — in a few places — actually gone further left.
But ignore everything that’s actually realistic or true about me. White men on the internet call me a centrist/moderate and add me to “wine mom” lists so clearly they have the right of it.
I participate in the Democratic Party now and despite my deep, almost pathological distaste for social interaction I am dedicated to making the world a better place so I will have substantive conversations about policy in contexts where I can influence it for the better. I consider political activity in the form of involvement in government simultaneously a defence of the rights and liberties my grandparents risked everything to win for me and my duty to society. This causes me to interact with people who have had decades long careers in the relevant professions who really know their stuff. And most of them have been lifelong Democrats.
