Whenever a Right Winger calls progressives “fake liberals” or “pseudo progressive” or something on those lines, we get a very useful insight into the nature of the shrinking discourse window. However, since we often miss it, I wanted to throw some light on it.
You see, the discourse is uaually divided into two sides. This is for purposes of simplicity. It is done for the same reason that high school debates happen between for and against a particular framing of a motion. It keeps things clear and allows for a clear conclusion to be reached. It has very little to do with how real life works though. It is simply convenient. This is why the popular versions of a number of conversations and debates about society and public policy take the form of such binaries. The average TV studio “debate” has two sides.
One of these sides is occupied by the Progressive and the other side is occupied by the Conservative. The Conservative side was once the fringes, but now, thanks to a fresh infusion of power, has become the mainstream.
This mainstream status however, has not been won with the strength of their ideas. It has been stolen through devious means. In recent times, this deviousness has played out in the form of balance play. Basically, Conservatives taking up both sides of the discourse. Some of them take up the traditional extreme position while others play at being liberal and progressive by advocating for a balance position that is equidistant from both extremes.
Let me illustrate this with a hypothetical example.
The “both sides” narrative or the “compromise” position doesn’t stay in the same place. It moves up the ladder and becomes part of the discourse, pushing out one side even as it pretends to be against the other side. Eventually, it serves the more powerful side. The house is always completely burned down even as a pretense of discourse continues.
So what’s the solution?
The first debate should have been about what is the best way to extinguish the fire. Not whether the fire should be extinguished. We should not be under any doubt regarding whether a burning house with people in it is a good thing or a bad thing.