Some Thoughts:

...on extremism

While perusing weblogs from all across the political spectrum, a thought struck me. There is something fundamental that extremists on both the right and the left have in common. The farther you go out from the center, the more the assumption takes hold that all "reasonable" people think like you, or would if they were merely enlightened by some means.

From a comment to a post on Centerfield:

Not only will we have our opinion, we'll deny that it's an opinion at all.

   -William Swann

Extremists not only think that everyone should think like they do, but they're willing to take action or put systems in place to force other to conform to their personal vision of the world.

Does this mean anyone who has strongly held beliefs is an extremist? No. Strongly held beliefs are not in and of themselves extremist. The extremism comes in when there is (1) a fundamental assumption that every other rational, normal person holds those same beliefs because they are intuitively obvious, and (2) a complete vilification of those who do not hold the same beliefs.

It was F. Scott Fitzgerald who said "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function." Extremists fail that test.

From another comment on Centerfield:

Thus, borrowing from the common saying about how to help a man who is hungry:

- The right asks who is keeping the man from fishing for his own food. No one? Then what's the problem? ("Get a job!")

- The left wants to feed the man because he is hungry. ("Hey, we can and should help.")

Of course, as the saying goes, the real solution is to teach the man to fish. I would add that we also should make sure he doesn't starve first.

   -Erasmus