Ian Dunt

Yeah, yeah. So hardly any centrists really think or behave that way, the middle ground, that's got a long heritage. You could trace that middle ground stuff back to Aristotle, like the medium, basically. The smartest place to be is in between the two extremes. You don't want to be too brave. You don't want to be too cowardly.

Yeah, yeah. So hardly any centrists really think or behave that way, the middle ground, that's got a long heritage. You could trace that middle ground stuff back to Aristotle, like the medium, basically. The smartest place to be is in between the two extremes. You don't want to be too brave. You don't want to be too cowardly.

But someone who's always cowardly, without someone who's too brave, will die very quickly. You look for the moderate middle. But actually, there's another way of looking at this stuff, which is about the centrism of the whole. And it's basically to say, what are you? You're not looking for the middle ground, but you are non-tribal. You are non-ideological.

But someone who's always cowardly, without someone who's too brave, will die very quickly. You look for the moderate middle. But actually, there's another way of looking at this stuff, which is about the centrism of the whole. And it's basically to say, what are you? You're not looking for the middle ground, but you are non-tribal. You are non-ideological.

You're interested in practical solutions to problems. And you're primarily concerned with thinking that there are good ideas all over the place, scattered around in different political traditions and different individuals at different times. And your job is not to submit to tribalism, to keep on being open to those ideas. That has got quite a proud history to it.

You're interested in practical solutions to problems. And you're primarily concerned with thinking that there are good ideas all over the place, scattered around in different political traditions and different individuals at different times. And your job is not to submit to tribalism, to keep on being open to those ideas. That has got quite a proud history to it.

A lot of the people who formed part of that history wouldn't call themselves centrists, to be fair. But then no one does. Even Macron doesn't call himself a centrist. Pretty much the only person that does is Tony Blair. I mean, Starmer doesn't really use that word very much.

A lot of the people who formed part of that history wouldn't call themselves centrists, to be fair. But then no one does. Even Macron doesn't call himself a centrist. Pretty much the only person that does is Tony Blair. I mean, Starmer doesn't really use that word very much.

This is the mad thing, right? This is the problem that they get themselves into.

This is the mad thing, right? This is the problem that they get themselves into.

So they start and they go, well, we don't like ideology and, you know, we don't like uncompromising behavior. We want cooperation and consensus. And then you get to a certain point and they're like, oh, actually, no, no. I mean, you can't do that. Right. Because of course you do. Because where does that end up? Like, if you've got no ideological, it's like, oh, so how do you feel about Nazism?

So they start and they go, well, we don't like ideology and, you know, we don't like uncompromising behavior. We want cooperation and consensus. And then you get to a certain point and they're like, oh, actually, no, no. I mean, you can't do that. Right. Because of course you do. Because where does that end up? Like, if you've got no ideological, it's like, oh, so how do you feel about Nazism?

It's that thing of, you know, it's in the antechamber of fascism apology. And of course they don't like that stuff. So then they're like, oh no, well, actually we are opposed to this and imperialism and, you know, all the other stuff that no one likes. So then you're like, oh, so you do have values. So there are things that you won't compromise on.

It's that thing of, you know, it's in the antechamber of fascism apology. And of course they don't like that stuff. So then they're like, oh no, well, actually we are opposed to this and imperialism and, you know, all the other stuff that no one likes. So then you're like, oh, so you do have values. So there are things that you won't compromise on.

And over and over again in the story, you see people confront that reality. They're like, I believe in compromise, but I won't compromise on that. So like, for instance, John Stuart Mill was like kind of a core part of the centrism story. Again, he wouldn't call himself that, obviously, but you know, he was. There's two, like on one issue, Women's liberation.

And over and over again in the story, you see people confront that reality. They're like, I believe in compromise, but I won't compromise on that. So like, for instance, John Stuart Mill was like kind of a core part of the centrism story. Again, he wouldn't call himself that, obviously, but you know, he was. There's two, like on one issue, Women's liberation.

He was just like maybe like 150 years ahead of his time. I mean, in a way, like him and his wife, Harriet Taylor, were like the start of the female suffrage movement in this country. He was so far ahead that reading him at the time on feminism must have just been like reading some alien from a distant planet. When it comes to colonialism, I mean, he used to work for the East India Company.

He was just like maybe like 150 years ahead of his time. I mean, in a way, like him and his wife, Harriet Taylor, were like the start of the female suffrage movement in this country. He was so far ahead that reading him at the time on feminism must have just been like reading some alien from a distant planet. When it comes to colonialism, I mean, he used to work for the East India Company.

So he would sit there and he was a kind of centrist on colonialism. He was like, look, we can't just leave instantly, but we should leave eventually. He's called it government by leading strings. The job of colonialism was to try and raise the country to the level where it could self-govern. which at the time would have seemed like a moderate opinion, now obviously seems completely toxic.

So he would sit there and he was a kind of centrist on colonialism. He was like, look, we can't just leave instantly, but we should leave eventually. He's called it government by leading strings. The job of colonialism was to try and raise the country to the level where it could self-govern. which at the time would have seemed like a moderate opinion, now obviously seems completely toxic.