Center Field: Why I am a moderate

I am a moderate. I embrace my centrism proudly, assertively, passionately, unapologetically - but not violently, intolerantly, or fanatically, of course.  I dislike extremism, zealotry, orthodoxy, and partisanship. I abhor all or nothing, take it or leave it, approaches. I believe life is more complicated than the black-white, red-blue, Ebert & Roeper film critics' thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down approach so prevalent today. I seek balance, temperance, alternative viewpoints, middle paths, syntheses, synergies, unlikely alliances, even paradoxes, creative tensions and shotgun marriages, especially in politics. 

"What's a moderate to do," I often wonder as I read shrill blogs and increasingly angry books from the left and the right, as I watch the maneuvering in Congress and the screaming in the Knesset. Those of us who define ourselves as moderate or nonpartisan get hit from both sides. Too many people need to imprison everyone in neat little partisan boxes, and resent those who see complexity, acknowledging flaws and strengths on both sides. Today, for too many people, too many of the differences line up all too neatly, toxically - politically, religiously, sociologically, culturally - dangerously reinforcing each other. In America the "reds" tend to be more conservative, religious, moralistic and angry. The "blues" tend to be more liberal, secular and libertine - yet still angry. Similarly in Israel, the differences pile up dangerously with the "orange" camp, as the more conservative, religious and moralistic types facing off against the liberal, secular, libertine "blues." The mirror-image mutual contempt is palpable, unproductive, toxic.

Some anger is healthy in a democracy. Especially in our consumer-addled, narcotized societies, anger motivates. We need passion to pull ourselves away from our iPods and plunge into politics. Moreover, anger can be logical. The humanitarian and philosopher Elie Wiesel notes, wisely, that anger is the rational response to terrorism. The mass murder of innocents and genocidal calls to destroy Western society should not be treated lightly, moderately.  Still, activists on both sides of the great modern partisan divides stoke a fury that demonizes fellow citizens and curdles their own souls, singeing the social fabric strong communities and effective democracies need.

Healthy communities need cross-cutting loyalties and shifting alliances. In the 1890s, ethnic and religious allegiances often undermined class solidarity, preventing Gilded Age America from becoming as stratified or radicalized as Europe. In New York for example, Irish Catholic immigrants felt more affinity with the Irish Catholic gentry praying with them at St. Patrick's Cathedral, all of whom voted for Tammany Hall Democrats, rather than with poor native Protestants who voted Republican. Similarly, the secularist David Ben-Gurion understood in the 1950s that Israel's religious community needed to be respected, acknowledged and woven into the nation's governing and ideological fabric. In that spirit of multidimensional identities and cross-cutting ties, Rodney King's cry during the 1992 Los Angeles riots after policemen beat him with nightsticks - "Why can't we get along?" -- should resonate throughout the West, spurring the smartest among us to act more intelligently, reasonably and constructively.     

I dislike orthodoxy, and get nervous when surrounded by too many people who are too sure of themselves politically. I do not doubt that there are certain absolutes - slavery is evil, bigotry is wrong. But I acknowledge complexity, true diversity of opinion, and the constructive, humbling, mind-expanding opiate called doubt.

We need a Golden Middle that is strong, resonant, constructive and idealistic, not soft, mushy and formless. Civility is mass-produced by millions of small but big-hearted gestures, but all too easily destroyed by a few loud small-minded people. All of us, regardless of our political colors, should make amends for the hysteria of these last few years, reflect on today's continuing tensions and approach tomorrow with more openness, mutuality, acceptance, respect, humility and love - even for those who will still dare to disagree with us.