A Polarized Society and an Accusation Called Fence-Sitting

A Polarized Society and an Accusation Called Fence-Sitting

A polarized society and an accusation called fence-sitting. A study showed that the number of tweets published with the keyword ‘fence-sitter’ reached its highest level after the death of Mahsa Amini compared to previous months. It is said that when a society becomes polarized, moderation has no place. You are either on one side or the other; there is no middle ground. If your behavior and speech are such that you do not take any side, you are accused of fence-sitting.

Conservatives had borrowed the term ‘sedition dwellers’ years ago to describe this position, although these days, the reformist movement and reformist figures are more accused of fence-sitting, while simultaneously being one of the accused in recent protests by the radical revolutionary faction.

Fence-Sitter as an Insult

The term fence-sitter has always referred to those who, in any situation, choose to stay neutral to avoid conflict, metaphorically sleeping in the middle of the quilt. But these days, beyond being a taunt, it is used as an insult and a derogatory term. The expression fence-sitter in this context is a slur or narrative war to intimidate a voiceless and scattered group to push them towards one of the two poles. Some believe that fence-sitting results from false polarizations that have formed in virtual space due to inaction and the impossibility of activity in the real world.

This expression is used without considering how much external reality it has or how sufficient it is for describing the few remaining actors in the real world with their own complexities. Others believe that fence-sitting became an insult by those who never settled for any middle ground and always wanted everyone to be their ardent supporters, not just ordinary supporters, but die-hard ones, the same ones who have been team managers instead of state managers for years.

The Fence-Sitter is in the Minority

While in the world, most people tend to favor conservatism, moderation, and standing in the middle, what has happened that in Iran, moderation has become an insult? From this, it is concluded that radicals are not in the majority but simply have a loud voice, and in a radicalized space, the two factions have such powerful megaphones that the narrative of the majority in the middle is not heard or cannot even form.

So much so that if someone is critical of the government, they have no choice but to adopt the language and narrative of the radical faction, or else they are condemned to be unseen and unheard, and boycotted. Conversely, if someone is considered conservative and opposes fundamental changes in society but does not accept the current structure’s performance, they are forced to align with the official narrative, or else they too will be ostracized.

In the current situation, any individual or moderate force that tries to reduce the anger of the people and the government and calls for replacing it with a rational atmosphere is met with objection. Elizabeth Noelle-Neumann, a political science scholar, uses the term ‘spiral of silence’ in this context, where individuals prefer to remain silent out of fear of being ostracized and isolated by society. The outcome is reaching a state of intolerance, which prevents achieving a democratic society.

The Narrow Playing Field

The polarized playing field is very narrow. For example, if someone criticizes foreign policy today, how can they express their criticism in such a way that they are not playing on the field of a particular foreign opposing government, nor are they turning a blind eye to diplomatic issues in response to them? In reality, this narrowing of the field causes the truth to be sacrificed. What matters is not your critiques and arguments in support or rejection of a statement or action, but the atmosphere around your words that has become important, and your speech is judged based on it.

One of the reformist figures who has been frequently accused of fence-sitting these days is Ahmad Zeidabadi. A Twitter user addressed him, saying, ‘Stop fence-sitting, Mr. Zeidabadi. Even if you say nothing, people won’t say you’re mute.’ He has a Telegram channel called ‘Different View’ where he expresses his positions, which have been heavily criticized recently, and some have accused him of not having a different view at all.

However, another user wrote in support of him, ‘When they hurl vile insults at Ahmad Zeidabadi despite his background and call him a fence-sitter and whitewasher at best, you can read between the lines from this summary.’

Fence-Sitter or Mediating Force

Meanwhile, some believe that overcoming the current crisis requires the existence and presence of a mediating ring between the people and the government, those who are now referred to as fence-sitters. These figures may not necessarily be recognized as reformists in the familiar political stream but have a reformist approach. This is in a situation where the complete removal of mediating and moderate political forces from Iran’s political space in recent years has also played a very important role in the radicalization of the political space and the discourse system of the protesters.

Those who believe that we must continue to seek ways to negotiate with the power institutions say that we still and always need mediating forces. It is important for groups that are credible in the eyes of the power institutions and have social, scientific, and cultural authority, such as university professors, to take the initiative to engage in dialogue with influential officials.

Reza Kianian wrote in one of his social media posts that being a fence-sitter is not an insult. ‘You’re either with me or against me’ is a slogan of absolutists, no matter from whose mouth it comes. Those present in the streets or teenagers like Nika and Mahsa never called anyone a fence-sitter and do not say it. This term belongs to the super left-wing or super right-wing extremists internally.

In line with this writing, the following articles are recommended

• The Media Battle in London in Favor of Tehran’s Security Forces
• Turbans Tossing: Yes or No

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