The Missing Middle

Exploring how socio-economic shifts and divisive politics impact middle-class stability and moderate voices. Solutions for bridging gaps and revitalizing centrism.

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Maybe We Do Need To Have a National Conversation About Weirdness

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Weirdness is inherently good, but should be called out for reasonable discussion when it goes too far into politics.

Photo by Wendy Wei via Pexels

American politics seems to have recently devolved into opposing sides calling the other “weird.”

It’s an effective accusation — in a world where people have a desire to fit in, being called weird can sting. It comes with connotations of social rejection. It is intended to ostracize people.

From a political standpoint, it becomes a way to point out fringe elements that can sneak into a mainstream political alignment. Calling those fringe elements weird can make people think twice about offering their full support for the alignment, lest they be lumped in with the weirdos.

We won’t dive into examples of what progressives find weird about conservatives, what conservatives find weird about progressives, what never-Trumpers find weird about Trumpers, what liberals find weird about the left and the right, etc. Those things should be fairly obvious by this point. If not, maybe it’s a story for another day.

But maybe we do need to have a national conversation about the weirdness going around in politics so we can better understand what we find acceptable and…

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The Missing Middle
The Missing Middle

Published in The Missing Middle

Exploring how socio-economic shifts and divisive politics impact middle-class stability and moderate voices. Solutions for bridging gaps and revitalizing centrism.

Alex Ashton
Alex Ashton

Written by Alex Ashton

History, culture, family, religion, data, and technology from a center-left, civil libertarian, middle-class perspective. Publisher: The Missing Middle.

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