A Liberal Insider Calls for a Deep Reset of Modern Liberalism

The Revolutionary Center, written by former a editor at one outlet, offers a three-part diagnosis of contemporary liberalism. First, it warns that the doctrine has drifted into hubris, exemplified by misguided drug reforms and costly immigration approaches that have harmed disadvantaged communities. Second, the book provides a sweeping historical sweep from proto-liberals like Desiderius Erasmus and Thomas Hobbes to the present clash of elite-driven and populist currents in the United States and Great Britain.

Third, Wooldridge reflects on liberalism’s essential commitment to individual rights, free speech and meritocracy, suggesting that a modest, self-critical stance is needed to restore its relevance. He criticises current liberal elites for prioritising their own comforts while neglecting the ideology’s original reformist spirit. The work calls for a prudent, less extreme version of liberalism that can adapt without losing its moral compass.