The National Review has an interview with one Peter Schweizer, who has a new book coming out called Do As I Say, Not As I Do: Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy. In the book he details case after case of prominent liberals who live precisely the opposite of what they preach. Barbara Streisand, who campaigns for reducing consumption, pays $20,000 a year to water her lawn. Michael Moore, who villifies capitalism and the stock market, has a portfolio that includes Halliburton, Boeing and HMO’s. Nanci Pelosi, who champions unions, will have none of them in her vineyards and hotels. Noam Chomsky, who rails against the rich’s tax shelters and the military-industrial complex, has his own Pentagon-funded tax shelter. Al Franken, who declaims vigourously on the bigotry of whites, has a worse hiring record with respect to minorities than Bob Jones University.
Yes, we are all hypocrites and I talk about that in the book. But liberal hypocrisy and conservative hypocrisy are quite different on two accounts. First, you hear about conservative hypocrisy all the time. A pro-family congressman caught in an extramarital affair, a minister caught in the same. This stuff is exposed by the media all the time. The leaders of the liberal-Left get a complete pass on their hypocrisy. Second, and this is even more important, the consequences of liberal hypocrisy are different than for the conservative variety. When conservatives abandon their principles and become hypocrites, they end up hurting themselves and their families. Conservative principles are like guard rails on a winding road. They are irritating but fundamentally good for you. Liberal hypocrisy is the opposite. When the liberal-left abandon their principles and become hypocrites, they actually improve their lives. Their kids end up in better schools, they have more money, and their families are more content. Their ideas are truly that bad.
Hat tip: Transterrestrial Musings.