Taking Responsibility
So one of the things that riles me is the way the left doesn’t hold themselves to their own standards and values. I’m pretty sure the right doesn’t either but I spend more time with, around, and talking to left-of-center types so I have a bit more experience with it there.
Don’t get me wrong if a conservative speaks highly of family values and the sanctity of marriage then cheats on his or her spouse, that’s both disappointing and discrediting. When pro-lifers turn around and cheer on the death penalty, again disappointing and discrediting. It’s also a little bit revolting.
From the left, there’s such a constant narrative and self-identification of being thoughtful, good people. The left champions everyday, hard-working people. It champions the public interest and supports individual freedom and community support of needy-individuals. Yet, whenever liberal policies fail, undermine their goals, or create mixed results, any criticism or concern gets defensively deflected as though admitting any problems or any failure is tantamount to surrender. If someone says, I’m concerned about spending, the response – more often than not – is to blame Bush or the speaker for insincerity. Less common is owning the spending and explaining why it’s necessary. When I find it, and I do, I really do respect those liberal advocates so much more.
When the ACORN prostitute scandal broke, quite a few left of center voices decried a conservative conspiracy and took a “two dead bodies, everything’s fine” approach. Everything wasn’t fine. The Census and IRS had already been having issues with the organization and this was the latest in a string of questionable issues that warranted a deeper look at problems – including corruption – that had beset the organization. Whatever good ACORN was doing, whether ostensibly or actually, surely was not enough to warrant overlooking the problems of ACORN, yet for some it was.
With regards to SEIU-Tea Party violence, compare and contrast.
There seems to be this whole deflect and defend machine that surely does defend liberal organizations and individuals from unfair assaults. However, it seems just as clear that the machine protects some organizations and individuals from any meaningful oversight or even helpful criticism. I should think that would be dangerous enough for the integrity and success of the political left to warrant more speaking out that it does. There are all sorts of people willing to criticize members for being insufficiently committed to the cause but far fewer willing to criticize members for being corrupt. On the issue of taking responsibility or even encouraging people and organizations to take responsibility for their actions, there really is a conspiracy of silence on both sides.
I will say that I was really encouraged by how the Democrats and other liberal organizations handled and continue to handle the Roman Polanski arrest. Here’s an opportunity where vocal and influential liberal donors in Hollywood rallied to Polanski’s defense only to go nowhere and to be – at times – criticized for statements that excused or otherwise downplayed the criminal and abhorrent aspects of rape, statutory rape, and drugging a woman in order to do so.
I think the frankness of President Obama and Secretary Duncan on issues of education fit that mold as well.
In short, I think these are qualities that should be encouraged on the both sides, and given that the Democrats are the only game in town, the left in particular.
UPDATE: nice Democrats are more attractive than ones who gloss over a beating by blaming the implausible victim.
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