Are Radicals Reasonable or Revolutionary?
Today, the term “radical” is usually used as a weaponised label to denote extremism, but it can simply mean a desire for fundamental, root-level change. (The word is derived from the Latin “radix” simply meaning root)
In the 1800s, The Radicals used the name to distinguish the movement from the “wishy-washy” Whigs and the rigid Conservatives. The name was used as a badge of pride. It wasn’t about being angry; it was about being thorough. If the “roots” of poverty were poor education and bad housing, they wanted to dig those roots up.
Today, some may use the term “radical” to describe themselves as a way of making a distinction from more moderate activism, but generally the term is used by opponents in an attempt to discredit extremist tendencies.
What do you think when you hear the terms “Radical Feminist”, “Radical Islam” or “Radical Left”?
Is there room on the political spectrum for a new “Radical Centrists” party?
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