Selective Outrage

ModernConservative - Blogs&Forums - Modcon Central

...... The left is bubbling over with concern about human rights...right? At least, that's what they want you to think. Unfortunately, if you take a detailed look at all the conflicts that get them upset—and all the conflicts about which they are silent—you discover a disturbing pattern. So, as I said in Selective Outrage: How the left's agenda trumps genuine concern for human suffering:

Simply put, the left gets completely outraged at conflicts in which the side perceived to have more power is from the groups and ideologies they "dislike," but they remain silent when the side with the power comes from an ideological position they support. You can reverse those components too—they are outraged when they "like" the victims and silent (or worse) when they don't. It doesn't matter how brutal the conflict is, or who has a better claim to use force in their own defense—the only thing that appears to matter is group identity.


More recently, I also hit this topic in Human Rights are not the primary concern of Human Rights Watch. I probably wouldn't have hit this subject again so soon, but Tammy's article gives me the chance to make sure this is absolutely. crystal. clear.


So, these groups and individuals on the left get outraged if the "perpetrators" are...

• center-right
• allies of the United States
• white
• Christian or Jewish

and/or the "victims" are...

• enemies of the United States
• from a "protected" ethnic group, i.e., blacks, Hispanics
• Muslims
• anywhere on the political left


However, they are largely silent (and in some cases, supportive) if the "perpetrators" are...

• enemies of the United States
• from a "protected" ethnic group, i.e., blacks, Hispanics
• Muslims
• anywhere on the political left
• people who make life difficult for Republicans, esp. G.W. Bush

and/or the victims are...

• center-right
• allies of the United States
• white
• Christian or Jewish


Just as disturbing...you will notice that they are largely silent in the case of conflicts where BOTH sides are from one of their favored groups. An example here would be the Congo, where millions are dying. Both sides are black African, which means there's no way for them to use the conflict to pander to (and cover for their past behavior towards) black Americans. And there's simply no one to root for or against, so they don't say much of anything.

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