Do As I Say (Not As I Do)

The American Left prides itself on a selfless commitment to economic and social justice. With moral certitude, confident of the purity of their motives and the evil nature of their opponents, they support a familiar litany of causes and programs: progressive taxes, affirmative action, greater regulation of corporations, increasing the inheritance tax, stricter environmental safeguards, consumer rights, and more. But do liberals actually practice what they preach? Peter Schweizer dug deep into the tax returns, real estate documents, business and investment patterns, court depositions, and hiring practices of Michael Moore, Al Franken, Noam Chomsky, the Clintons, Nancy Pelosi, the Kennedys, Ralph Nader, Cornel West, George Soros and Barbra Streisand. All are adept at avoiding taxes, invest in the very industries they denounce, and abandon environmental causes when they impinge on their own property rights. While they cry racism and support affirmative action, they have abysmal records when it comes to hiring minorities. They condemn abstinence-based sex ed programs, but enroll their own children in such programs. Schweizer makes it clear that when it comes to what matters most in their lives--the protection of their property, privacy, and families--even the most outspoken liberals jettison their progressive ideas and adopt conservative principles. In short, liberalism forces its adherents to become hypocrites. Schweizer's conclusion is strikingly simple and highly persuasive: liberal principles that don't work for individuals have no place in shaping national programs and policies.