Shallow and Wide

Yesterday the Israeli election produced unexpected results. The Kadima Party won 28 seats, one more than the Likud Party which had, till then, a ruling coalition. Some Israeli sources called the unpredicted preference for Kadima a "victory for the vital center."

The phrase "vital center" has become popular. It's not exactly clear whether we mean "Lively Center" or "Necessary Center", but we don't often argue the point that the Center is vital. The Center is the segment that keeps the group from devolving to the point where it accomplishes nothing and the group itself becomes no longer vital. Crucially, we mean the middle ground the Center occupies and not the methods it employs or the people it puts forward. We mean the work of crafting effective solutions by taking good ideas from everywhere and anywhere.

Vital Center. It has a nice sound, and you can dance to it.

But, what would happen if the Left were suddenly to disappear? Certainly, the Center would lose a source of good ideas. Soon, the Center and the Right would vie for control, and a new Center would emerge that is as much Right as it is Center.

If the Center is vital, then that which keeps it in the middle is also vital. Therefore, along with the Vital Center, shouldn't we also say the Vital Left?

It's no stretch to make the same observance if the Right were suddenly to disappear. The Center would, again, lose a source of good ideas. The Center would be pulled to the Left and would no longer occupy its former ground. So, shouldn't we also say the Vital Right?

Now we have a conundrum. The Center, the Left, and the Right are all vital if we want to have as many good ideas as possible from which to create effective solutions to our problems. Too often, we focus on the methods and personalities of each segment, and then vilify the segment, much to the detriment of finding effective solutions.

While it's good fun to watch the next installment of "Vilifying the Vital", we would be better served to acknowledge that all are vital and take good ideas from everywhere and anywhere. We need them.