Progressivism IS Pragmatism

[Shiver]

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/12/15/231238/35">Progressivism is Pragmatism: Steven Chu at Department of Energy

David Roberts, Grist.com

Dec. 16th, 2008

I've been reading the discussion sparked by Chris Hayes' latest piece in The Nation -- "The Pragmatist," about Obama's much-discussed pragmatism -- with interest. Pragmatism is a subject dear to my heart, something I studied in grad school, though the kind you study there and what goes by the name in political discussion bear little resemblance.

Hayes is absolutely on point here:

... pragmatism requires an openness to the possibility of radical solutions. It demands a skepticism not just toward the certainties of ideologues and dogmatism but also of elite consensus and the status quo. This is a definition of pragmatism that is in almost every way the opposite of its invocation among those in the establishment. For them, pragmatism means accepting the institutional forces that severely limit innovation and boldness; it means listening to the counsel of the Wise Men; it means not rocking the boat.

I won't rehash the whole discussion, but something relevant to Gristian subjects popped up today. Andrew Sullivan draws attention to what he calls a "great comment" over at The American Conservative, under a post by Daniel Larison. The commenter says this:

One of the best examples of Obama's pragmatism is his appointment of Chu as energy secretary. Imagine that, and actual expert scientist in charge of energy research and development! Rather than a politician or military official or a "green" progressive environmentalist, Obama picked a guy who actually knows science. Is this being "centrist", or is it being pragmatic in the real sense of the word.

This misses something crucial: Chu is a "'green' progressive environmentalist." Read this or this and tell me he's not. He's a progressive environmentalist because he "actually knows science." He says we must act boldly because circumstances, if seen clearly, demand boldness.

*snip*

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More at above link. Links to the mentioned Chris Hayes and Daniel Larison articles provided as well.