The Listening Society on worldviews

In Chapter One of The Listening Society Freinacht defines the sociological 'center' pragmatically, more in terms of its dominant competitive functionality than some lame compromise between liberal and conservative. And this is particular to the Nordic countries where what he calls Green Social Liberalism has proven to work best, a worldview that has transcended and replaced its predecessors, a point I made in my paper.

"There is no 'center' in any strict, analytical sense. What we have is one victorious meta-ideology, one recipe for society that has beaten its competitors when it comes to functionality and rhetorical edge. It is this meta-ideology that is disguised as a 'center,' as being the sensible, moderate form of politics. The 'middle' is a position that under other circumstances would have appeared as extreme. […] This meta-ideology is dominant simply because it is superior under the current economic, technological, socio-psychological, and historical circumstances. This doesn't give Green Social Liberalism any transcendental value or divine justification. It just happens to have a competitive edge under the current circumstances."

He also makes a point I made in my paper, that
this best to date system is necessary from which to launch the emerging system, what I call the Collaborative Commons. Elements of social democracy will set the stage for this emerging worldview that will transcend and replace it, but we need to at least come up to that worldview first before we can go beyond it. Hence we have a dual task: To reinstate a social democracy in the US, while also envisioning, supporting and implementing the Collaborative Commons as what's next.

"How about taking a sober look at the new political landscape, and from there develop a new ideology based on the already dominant Green Social Liberalism? Can you take the full consequences of it--and raise it to a new and higher level? […] See 'the center' for what it is--the total victory on one ideology over all alternatives. And then use it. Break it's limits."