Market values permeate our society. Given that we're defining radicals as people who force us to deal with social realities, to be a bona-fide radical in America today you've got to be someone who questions the values of capitalism. If we value the function of radicals, then that means we have also to grant that the critics of capitalism play a necessary and worthwhile role in our public discourse. Fine and good. Now, let's get to the fun stuff.
Radicals seek to broaden the realm of the possible.
Legislators like me can and should be visionary and bold, willing to explore fully the realm of the possible, but we must work primarily within the confines of political realities. In Wisconsin, my home state, it was centrist legislators like me who set the stage for bold reform of social policy. But the main positive achievement of W-2 has been the transformation of the welfare debate in Wisconsin. I would, and do, advocate for more ambitious programs than the governor does. During this debate, many on the left seemed tone-deaf not only to the general public's extreme dislike of the AFDC system but also to the depth of animosity toward the program among the working poor and the welfare recipients themselves.