As I’ve written before Dr. Demarche of The Daily Demarche is a great organizer. He’s organizing something he calls “The Best of Both Worlds” matched pairs of left blogosphere and right blogosphere bloggers, an exploration of “the future of global democracy and the role which the United States should play in the spread of democracy to oppressed or less developed nations”. Here’s his description:
We have e-mailed several of our fellow right-of-center bloggers and asked them to participate. Each of theses writers will then find and invite a blogger from the left with which to partner. Together the two will decide if they want to refine the topic any further, or if they want to keep it general. Each blogger will then produce an initial piece, aiming to release them at the same time so that neither initial offering is a rebuttal to the other. After the release of the first pieces each author will link to the other’s post and produce a rebuttal. The idea is not to simply deconstruct, or to “fisk” the other writer’s piece, but rather to examine the ideas offered and provide an honest evaluation and reply. This back and forth can go on as long as each pair wishes. We will host links to each debate as well, so that there is a central repository. Should a third (or beyond) blogger wish to contribute to the debate they would of course be welcome to do so- but the first two are under no obligation to respond.
Blog-friend Marc Schulman of American Future has paired with Eric Martin of Total Information Awareness, risen to the challenge, and has produced his opening salvo (linked above).
Dr. Demarche invited me to participate, too, but, as will surprise no one who knows me, I’ve temporized. So, should I participate? Who should I partner with? Most importantly, which side should I be on? I’m a genuine centrist, maybe even a mugwump.
It doesn’t sound like you’re a guy for this experiment. Unless you want to argue the center against a wingnut and a moonbat. That doesn’t sound like much fun.
Welcome to my world, Sluggo. As I think I’ve written before I’ve frequently been accused of being a left-wing ideologue and a right-wing ideologue on the same day. Sometimes for the same post or comment.
Yeah, that’s the trouble with this experiment (which is noble in the amount of thought and effort put into it). The center is missing — as usual.
It is remotely possible that some civility and even some compromise will emerge, and it will hopefully put the best of left and right reasoning on display. But the prospect of any conversion or even moderation coming about is dim. It just sounds like a chivalric ideological tournament, rather than a no-holds-barred steel cage match. Well, I guess that’s progress.
The sexiest issues (abortion, guns, national security) are being driven more and more by the fringes and the notion of compromise has become synonymous with the phrase ‘slippery slope’. Talking reasonably is an act of betrayal. I’m a right winger. I’m a partisan. But I hope I still know the difference between disagreement and treason. I hope something good comes of it.