What is a new centrist?

Someone who is new to the political center. As to what the “center” is precisely, the word, like many political terms, is open to interpretation and hard to pin down. In a most general sense, a centrist is a moderate, as opposed to an extremist or radical. However, not all moderates are centrists nor are all centrists moderates. For example, I consider Senators Joseph Lieberman (D) of Connecticut and John McCain (R) of Arizona centrists but far from moderate regarding foreign policy.

What is The New Centrist?
This site was originally intended to collect, transmit and discuss matters pertaining to historical inquiry and historical research, foreign affairs, current events, and political theory but I hope to expand tangentially to cultural matters like food, music and visual art.

I was contemplating whether I wanted to keep this blog semi-anonymous or if a more public persona would be appropriate. Both have their merits. In the first case, I can take positions that might get me ostracized from friends and acquaintances or fired from my job. Not that I’ll necessarily take those positions, but it’s nice to know the option is there. In the latter case, I could fill the blog with my published and unpublished works and otherwise engage in shameless self-promotion. I’ve decided to chart a course between the two.

Who am I?
I’m a former radical political activist who has moved closer to the center in the past decade or so, a Ph.D. candidate who teaches history and political science at various universities in New York City, and an amateur photographer. My centrism is informed by a strong belief in political pluralism, pragmatism, classical liberalism and libertarianism, and, to a much lesser extent, neuroscience and biology. Using somewhat dated terminology, I could be identified as a “Cold War liberal” and advocate of the “vital center.” As a signatory to the Euston Manifesto the global struggle to promote human liberty and defeat totalitarianism is a primary personal and political concern.

What’s up with the Header Picture?
I change the header periodically. The current picture was taken from a rooftop in Brooklyn. The Statue of Liberty is visible on the left side of the image.

A Disclaimer
Comments deemed offensive will be removed. No, I do not agree with the perspectives of all the links provided on the left side of the page.

If you want to contact The New Centrist, send email to:

thenewcentrist (at) gmail.com