"Moderate" is a term that means "someone who agrees with me".
"Extremist" is a term that means "someone who doesn't agree with me"
The argument to and from "mainstream" politics and "the centre" is the abnegation of politics itself.
Michael Moore, for example, is a moderate. By comparison to the Black Bloc, the militant anti-capitalist movement, active communists (as opposed communist sympathisers), and the Tutti Bianco.
Being a moderate is not a virtue - it is only indicative of political ignorance or political opportunism. "Extremist" is merely an emotionally evocative term applied to ones political enemies, for the purpose of discxdreditiing their argument without having to actually level a criticism; its base political slander.
But it also doesn't worrry me much - a hundred years ago 'radical' meant 'bomb-chucking anarchist', but the term has been so reinterpreted that even Tony Bliar can now stand under the label. Once the political ineffectiveness of the politics of the centre is again demonstrated, "extremism" will be rehabilitated as well, and normal, real political service in which opposing ideas are actually discussed and challenged will resume.
Paisano, above, demonstrated that he was a frothing religious fanatic and political extremist by his very reference to abortion on demand at the public expense. Religious dogma should have no relevance to matters of health care - these are political and medical issues not religious ones. If a given person has an ethical objection to abortion, they don't have to have one - applying that dogma to public policy is a violation of the seperation of church and state.
This message has been edited by contracycle, 11-12-2004 06:48 AM
™ Version 4.2