Hypocrisy

The progressive left’s hypocrisy over “free speech” hit a new high with Jamaal Bowman’s (D-NY) (and the rest of the Squad) call for the firing of CNN’s Scott Jennings because he called Ilhan Omar (D-MN) “a public relations agent for Hamas.”

The far-left progressive position that Jennings’ comments were anti-Muslim and Islamophobic received vocal support from Bowman, Cori Bush (D-MO), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) among others.

This all occurred on a program devoted to debating politics and political issues.

Calling out an American Muslim for her anti-Israel comments is Islamophobia, so I guess if you call out my comments regarding Hamas, I can claim antisemitism?

The problem, of course, is that the progressive left has a very consistent record of denying the free speech of others.  Ask any conservative speaker at a US college or university that has been either disinvited or heckled into silence, or any Israeli speaking in a public forum anywhere in the US and particularly on a college campus.  Progressives are not alone in this dor sure, but hypocrisy is hypocrisy regardless of political leaning.

Besides, labeling Ilhan Omar a public relations agent for Hamas is not Islamophobia or anti-Muslim, it’s a fairly accurate observation of the sum and substance of her attitude toward the State of Israel.  It may not have been nice, or politic, or politely stated, but it rings pretty true to those of us who do not hold to the progressive view of the world.

Free speech works both ways.  So if progressives, and particularly Squad members can accuse Israel of “genocide”, and accept at face value Hamas’ propaganda regarding casualties and conditions without any corroboration, and call Hamas a “political movement, not a terrorist group”, and call the murder, rape, and torture of Israeli civilians a “legitimate response”, and support the establishment of Hamas’ objectives, “by any means necessary” (which many consider a call for killing Jews) and expect no pushback about their shilling and support for terrorists, well, then, tough nougies as they say.  Get a thicker skin.

A note to the players in this game:  If you dish it out, you better be prepared to take it.