This article exposes 'reactionary centrism,' a phenomenon where self-proclaimed moderates disproportionately criticize the left while claiming neutrality, thereby creating false equivalences and hindering necessary democratic reforms.
The article critiques 'reactionary centrism,' a concept coined by Aaron Huertas, which describes self-declared moderates who claim to oppose both left and right extremes but direct most of their criticism towards the left. This dynamic, prevalent after Trump's 2016 election, fostered a 'moral panic' about 'wokeness' and 'identity politics,' leading to a false equivalence between progressive issues and the existential threats posed by the far-right. The author argues that this perspective, which often frames the right's actions as mere 'backlash' rather than a self-generated political project, makes it difficult to recognize the true nature of far-right agendas. The article also highlights the 'narcissism' in liberal self-criticism post-2016, where the focus on their own supposed failures inadvertently reinforced the right's narrative of a 'real America' and their sole claim to represent it. Ultimately, the author contends that in today's asymmetrical political landscape, a reflexive centrist position that equates figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with Donald Trump is dangerous and actively contributes to the destruction of democracy, urging for a critical re-evaluation of what centrism means in contemporary politics.
