Summarised by Centrist
In a world where “right-wing extremist” labels are handed out freely, Professor of Experimental Economics Ananish Chaudhuri shares on his journey from a progressive to a so-called “extremist.”
Newspapers buzzed with headlines calling Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s rise a “hard right” shift, mirroring reactions when Labour lost power in New Zealand. But Chaudhuri argues that progressivism today isn’t about helping people; instead, he suggests it’s become a rigid orthodoxy.
“You might be a right-wing extremist,” Chaudhuri jests, if you believe in basic concepts like biological sex, fair competition in sports, or universal rights.
His view: expressing what used to be common sense now makes one an “extremist.”
Chaudhuri, an experienced columnist, notes how his articles critical of COVID policies often couldn’t find a place in mainstream media.
“Do I suddenly become stupid when I argue against the progressive consensus?” he asks. Progressive politics, he claims, ignores practical concerns for the working class, while media support of a single viewpoint silences debate.
Chaudhuri calls out the controversial “Public Interest Journalism Fund,” which, he argues, has turned New Zealand media into government allies.
“In accepting this money, the mainstream media agreed to endorse a particular political view to the exclusion of others. They have continued to express that allegiance even after that government was thrown out via the popular vote,” he writes.
