“people respond by thinking that only extreme solutions will work“
Depends whether “people” is a majority or a ‘mood’ or whether it’s the current ‘leader(s)’.
History shows that (sometimes) people are led to believe there is a problem/enemy and they must do whatever is being told to them.
My view is that defining things in left/right terms may be useful shorthand but also obscures too many things and inhibits wider thought/action.
It’s like ‘private good, public bad’ (and the reverse) - ‘pick a side’.
More useful to consider the binary nature of the choices and who is promoting simple choices/certainties.
One irony of Covid is that the current UKGov has managed to find/spend ‘public money’ in quantities that few left of centre politicians would dare propose.
Suited centrism has probably had its day.
Cameron and Brown would surely agree on at least 90% of things these days.
If they (or different wearers of similar suits) are the answer, the question is wrong.
In the big scheme of things both Covid and Brexit are sideshow.
Climate, resources (especially water - not much of a concern for most people in the UK, apart from floods) and population movement are bigger issues in a world context.
A few months ago it seemed that ‘no return to normal after Covid’ was a popular idea.
Now I think people would vote for anyone who promised any normality/certainty.