David Roberts: Progressivism Is Pragmatism: Steven Chu at Department of Energy

grist.org I've been reading the discussion sparked by Chris Hayes' latest piece in The Nation -- " The Pragmatist ," about Obama's much-discussed pragmatism -- with great interest. Pragmatism is a subject dear to my heart and something I studied in grad school, though the kind you study there and what goes by the name in political discussion bear little resemblance. On that note, Hayes is absolutely on point: ... pragmatism requires an openness to the possibility of radical solutions. It demands a skepticism not just toward the certainties of ideologues and dogmatism but also of elite consensus and the status quo. This is a definition of pragmatism that is in almost every way the opposite of its invocation among those in the establishment. For them, pragmatism means accepting the institutional forces that severely limit innovation and boldness; it means listening to the counsel of the Wise Men; it means not rocking the boat. I won't rehash the whole discussion, but something ... (link)