Hypocrisy on the Left: For the Sake of Social Justice
In June 2016, attempting to intake both sides of the EU referendum in Britain, I was overwhelmed by the faulty promises of the Brexit supporters and astonished by the hypocritical accusations of the Remain voters. Promising to save millions of British pounds once Britain departed from the European Union was a strongly persuasive declaration, to thus be disregarded by Brexiteers immediately the vote was won. My case here is not to discuss my opinion on the referendum’s question, but instead to mention the accusations from the liberal remain voters during the campaign as one example of hypocrisy seen on the left; where again, social justice warrior-ship and regressive leftism was strong.
The left, swift to conceal judgments on its critics whether liberal or conservative, convey preconceived feelings on racism and xenophobia. Bandwagon liberals and social justice warriors have a favourite phrase: “that is racist…” compiled with more complaints like “you are Islamophobic” and “you have privilege so your opinion doesn’t matter”. If you disagree with their activisms, they will loosely drop accusations like a watermelon from a ledge, consequently succeeding in the desire that uninformed people will follow the regressive cause with an aim to fortify a ‘likeable’ reputation as someone who stood up with compassion for others, no matter at whom the compassion is targeted; to satisfy their fear of being socially ostracised. The hypocrisy is revealed when the social justice warriors (or SJWs) are irrelevantly ‘offended’ by the notion of a far-righter accusing all Muslims of terrorism. Then, in turn, judge all Brexit voters of racism, xenophobia and being old. So does it not appear hypocritical for the left to generalise whilst similarly forbidding generalist statements about Muslims? I find it embarrassing to side myself with the complaisant left for this surplus reason. Additionally, regressive liberals are easily offended when ‘burkinis’ are banned in France, yet audaciously want to order an astrophysicist — as was the case with Dr Matt Taylor — on what shirt he must or mustn’t wear. Sadly he was defeated and had to apologise for being ‘sexist’ and ‘offensive’.
Racism is a serious issue. Applying it to everyone who holds a contrasting view from the populist opinion is entitled to clarification. However, regressive leftists and SJW’s very easily and loosely assign the term ‘racist’ without that clarification; without vital logical reasoning. The hypocritical leftists have programmed themselves to take arbitrary, robotic, triggered action to anyone who offends them, or anyone whom might offend others. Sloppily crying ‘racist’ to easy targets is an actual disgrace to the victims who legitimately suffered racism witnessed during the dark era of Jim Crow; the horrors of lynching in US history; the genocide of Native Americans; the disgrace of Hitler’s regime; the spread of the thousand plus years of Islamic slavery (and yes, not just European slavery). Among many other epochs in history, these are examples of true racism by true racists.
Why is it, that these self-described liberals despise free speech, free press, free expression when those ideals are fundamental positions of liberal philosophy? Charlie Hebdo suffered appalling consequences after publishing its illustrations. Instead of opposing anti-liberal and archaic religion for its violent action against nonbelievers as a result of free press, the left rampaged on the side of Islamists who believe very stubbornly that those who ‘offend’ them will be subject to conflict.
I support the values within liberalism; the principles of the enlightenment; thus, I cannot side myself with the right, but just as much as I cannot side myself with the authoritarian goals of the modern left. The hypocritical, ingratiating, obsequious left want to limit freedom of speech that isn’t their own more than anything else, and have the audacity to imply that they must be the employees of predilection and fashionable sectarianism.
