Hypocrisy of the Left? Let me count the ways. Well, at least some of them, since there are more than you can shake a stick at.
1. Gun control
You’re not a leftie in good standing unless you bitterly oppose the Second Amendment. Any Democratic politician who does not toe the line on this one will soon be primaried by a wokester. But, each and every high-profile Democratic politician has guards protecting him or her. Most are cognizant of unarmed fighting skills such as Karate or Tae Kwon Do. But they are also armed. With guns! Wait a second. I thought these pols opposed such weapons? Well, yes, for thee and me, but not for them. Their position is entirely justified; just ask them!
These people are indeed targeted by all sorts of crazies. It cannot be denied that they are in danger. But so too are the rest of us, particularly in Democratic controlled cities such as Chicago, New York, Baltimore.
Some of them riposte that since the Second Amendment was drawn up in the 18th century, we should allow people to own weapons of that day: muskets, etc. But the purpose of this part of the Constitution is not to protect hunting or target practice. It is to serve as a check on overweening and totalitarian government. So, yes, the populace should be confined to these earlier weapons. Just as soon as the U.S. military and the police are too. That is, never.
2. The minimum wage law and internships
The Left is adamant that the minimum wage is the last best hope for the poor. In their heart of hearts, they would really like to raise it to $25 or even $50. At least, that is where they are heading. As an immediate stop, $15 per hour is their goal. In their view, the minimum wage sets a floor under wages; the higher it is, the better off are the poverty-stricken, the unskilled, and demographic groups and youth who usually get the short end of the stick. (The truth of the matter is that this law is more akin to a hurdle or high jump bar: the higher it is, the more difficult it is to obtain employment in the first place for such folk).
Yet, the so-called “progressives” are equally wedded to the institution of internships. What’s that, you may ask? An intern works for an employer, but is paid zero, zilch, nada, nothing at all. But wait. Wouldn’t that contravene the national minimum wage that currently mandates that all workers be paid at least $7.25 hourly? Of course it would. It is thus fascinating to watch politicians try to defend both.
Broken field runners in football have nothing on defenders of both internships and minimum wages insofar as ducking and skedaddling out of the way of logic when they are confronted with this downright and blatant contradiction.
3. Racism
“Anti-racists” on the left side of the political spectrum have an all but monopoly on racism in the United States. This is true if you look at what they are saying. For example, President Joe Biden told a black man that unless he voted for him and the Democratic Party, he wasn’t really black. Say what? This means that African Americans who support Republicans or any other party are race traitors. If that isn’t actual racism, then nothing is. It is a bit demeaning, too.
4. COVID
This disease serves as yet another example of liberal hypocrisy. On the one hand, our fearless leaders still urge us to “mask up” and to remain six feet apart from one another. For a time — and now again — they demanded that churches, restaurants, barber shops, beauty parlors, shopping malls, etc., remain closed. Do they abide by these rulings? To ask this is to answer it: of course not. The most famous of these hypocritical episodes was Nancy Pelosi going to a beauty parlor, closed to the “little people.” To add insult to injury, she did so sans mask. Did she apologize for this episode? Beg forgiveness? She did no such thing. Instead, she mentioned her importance.
But this is only the tip of the iceberg. There are numerous other instances of members of our ruling class thumbing their noses at the very COVID regulations they lay down for the rest of us. What about numerous immigrants from across the Rio Grande? Are they checked for this disease? Shut up, you racist.
Then there is the issue of affirmative action for the National Institute of Health, the organization which gives grants to laboratories which are attempting to cure this disease. It seems that they have gone woke. They are now imposing affirmative action for less represented demographics. If the NIH was serious about ameliorating this scourge, they would instead subsidize those who were most likely to contribute to this effort, and forget all about race, gender, etc.
5. Immigration
The Democratic Party has in effect placed the welcome mat at our border with Mexico for people from that country and all of Latin America. But certainly not for Cubans attempting to escape communist despotism. Why the difference? Enquiring minds want to know! Could it be because Biden and company not too unreasonably expect the former to vote for them, and the latter against? Certainly not. Perish the thought. We’ll circle back to you on that one.
6. Milton Friedman
This economics Nobel Prize winner gave speeches on the virtues of economic freedom all over the world. He was a real Johnny-one-note demonstrating with logic and empirical evidence that laissez-faire capitalism would lead to peace and prosperity. Numerous communist countries heard his magnificent message. The Left said nothing much about that. The better to ignore him, they thought. However, there was one exception: when he spoke in Chile under Pinochet. They are still frothing at the mouth at that one. Didn’t Friedman realize that the latter was a bad guy? That he “disappeared” people? Whereas those commie dictators were all civilized. Sure.
7. Police Defunding
If you don’t favor defunding the police, you are obviously a white supremacist. No matter that the people who mainly suffer from this policy are inner-city blacks. While the mayors of San Francisco, Chicago, New York City and other Democratic strongholds are laying waste to law enforcement budgets, guess what they are also doing? You’ll never guess. Yes, increasing the security forces charged with protecting themselves and their own families. I think they should be awarded some sort of hypocrisy prize for that.
8. The “N” word
This is truly the third rail in modern day politics. Mention this, even as Lenny Bruce did, and it is all over for your career (unless you are Obama). You will be canceled, forthwith. And yet, if you’re a rap artist, and don’t mention this every third word, they kick you out of that profession. Ok, ok, they don’t have “white privilege.” But what about Hunter Biden? That excuse cannot cover him. But there is one that can: leftist hypocrisy.
9. Riots
When Democrat politicians lead riots and get arrested for doing so, the media honors them (#goodtrouble) and the law gives them either a free pass or a very light slap on the wrist. For example, Hank Johnson, John Lewis, Joyce Beatty, Al Green, Ron Reynolds, and Sheila Jackson Lee. In very sharp contrast indeed, when Donald Trump tries to prevent one (January 6, 2021), he is treated very differently.
10. Science
Our friends on the left take pride in their claim that they are the supporters of “Science” while those who disagree with them denigrate this institution. Nothing could be further from the truth. For the essence of true science, as John Stuart Mill eloquently attests in On Liberty, is divisiveness, debate, knowing the other side of the issue, and being willing to listen to alternative points of view. Does this sound like the Left? Of course not. From the electronic media to the traditional newspapers, to the campus, to the pulpit, these folk have shown themselves highly intolerant of any views other than their own. The wokesters have cancelled numerous professors and outside speakers who do not parrot the party line. Doctors have had their licenses threatened for daring to support a position not in keeping with the powers that be.
