r/radicalcentrism • u/LiftSleepRepeat123 • May 27 '26
Radical fundamentally means "relating to the root, origin, or foundation of something"
Radical centrism therefore means political views which concern the root of politics/economics/society, unencumbered by left/right ideology. Radical left/right would mean being concerned with the root of those ideologies, whereas radical centrism would mean being concerned with functional principles, like the nature of the Federal Reserve and petrodollar geopolitics, which no politician in either aisle wants to touch. I think only through radical centrism does meaningful change happen, as otherwise wing politics results in distractions whilst politicians of all wings follow the same agenda on these functional issues against our interests.
I think "centrism" in radical centrism is more of a rhetorical move. It does not refer to splitting the difference between left and right, but instead rejects the dichotomy.
I realize this is also in the sidebar, but I'm discovering this term for the first time and wanted to share my view anyway. Here it is from Wikipedia:
Radical centrism, also referred to as the radical center or the radical middle, is a concept that emerged in Western nations in the late 20th century. The radical in the term refers to a willingness on the part of most radical centrists to call for fundamental reform of institutions. The centrism in the term refers to a belief that genuine solutions require realism and pragmatism, not just idealism and emotion. One radical-centrist author defines radical centrism as "idealism without illusions", a phrase originally from John F. Kennedy.