Centrists Adopt Far-Right Rhetoric, Blame 'Dominating' Debate
Deutsche Welle asks if adopting far-right rhetoric 'helps or hurts' the political center. A deep question, that. But the framing implies this is some recent, experimental strategy, rather than the established playbook. The 'center' — often indistinguishable from the corporate wing of Western politics — has long hijacked narratives from the extremes to shift the entire Overton window rightwards.
Remember when calls for universal healthcare or living wages were 'radical'? Now, they're barely considered by a 'center' busy parroting xenophobic immigration talking points. This isn't about 'dominating debate'; it's about validating extremism by mainstreaming its language. When Chancellor Merz discusses Germany's 'cityscape' in coded language, he’s not combatting the far-right; he's granting
their dog-whistles cultural legitimacy. How many times will politicians embrace harmful rhetoric, then feign surprise when the actual extremists gain traction?