The Left is obsessed with outrage. Whether it be Twitter mobs created to shame and excoriate individuals who dare challenge the liberal orthodoxy, or violent, physical mobs formed to protest the ostensible injustice of conservative thought, the Left is perpetually filled with “righteous” indignation. The #MeToo Movement is the latest iteration of this blusterous phenomenon.
Born out of a well-intentioned desire to eliminate Hollywood’s dreaded “casting couch,” the #MeToo Movement has since evolved, becoming the Left’s rallying cry against the exploitation of women everywhere. Indeed, leftists in the #MeToo Movement pride themselves on their principled and uncompromising stand against inequality and the mistreatment of women in the workplace. Except, of course, when one of their liberal exemplars is the culprit of that kind of exploitation.
Elon Musk is one such culprit.
It is no surprise that Elon Musk is beloved by many on the Left. The eccentric billionaire and self-described “business magnet” has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in renewable energy initiatives. Liberals see Musk as a hero and a warrior against climate change, and consequently, they fail to hold him to the same standards they set for everyone else.
On January 3, 2019, Musk’s SpaceX filed papers with the Securities & Exchange Commission and indicated that it would be sticking with their financial backer, Steve Jurvetson. The decision to retain Jurvetson as a board member and name him a company director should have infuriated members of the #MeToo Movement, as he epitomizes everything the movement is fighting against. A man in a position of power, Jurvetson has allegedly used his authority to sexually harass and abuse women, behavior that prompted his own venture capitalist firm to dump him. Nevertheless, Musk stands by Jurvetson, merely placing him on a temporary leave of SpaceX and Tesla’s boards in an ostensible attempt to look good for the cameras.
But why would Musk’s SpaceX make such a morally vacuous decision? There are two possible reasons. The first and the most obvious reason is money. Quite simply, Jurvetson has it, and SpaceX desperately needs it. According to Bloomberg, SpaceX has struggled recently to acquire loans from big banks like Goldman Sachs, which balked at the prospect of providing the company with additional capital. SpaceX, a “cash-burning space exploration company,” has razor-thin profit margins, and investing in it carries substantial risk. It makes sense, then, for SpaceX to cozy up to Jurvetson since he helped throw Musk a lifeline when Musk was on the brink of bankruptcy in 2008.
Aside from the monetary incentive, Musk’s decision to retain Jurvetson despite his alleged malfeasances may reflect Musk’s own problems with women and sexual harassment in his company. According to several female employees at Tesla, Musk’s electric car company, rampant sexism and harassment exist throughout the workplace. In fact, the women went so far as to label the company a “predator zone.” Despite the severity of the situation at Tesla, according to NPR, Musk sent an all-staff email arguing that affected employees should be accepting of apologies and should have a thicker skin.
To be clear, Musk’s behavior is entirely unacceptable. Yet unfortunately, powerful individuals using their influence to disregard societal rules and decency is not wholly uncommon. The real question is: where is the Left’s outrage? Where is the #MeToo Movement’s swift and absolute condemnation of Musk’s actions? Instead of liberals’ usual wailing and blustering, we are met with the tragic sound of tacit acceptance. Silence.
Perhaps this shouldn’t be shocking news. It’s no secret that Democrats have an unfortunate habit of turning a blind eye to their members’ own hypocrisy. Take Bernie Sanders, for example. A Democratic Socialist, Sanders once argued that people shouldn’t have a choice of deodorant so long as there are still hungry children in the country. His criticisms of capitalism’s excesses didn’t prevent him from purchasing a $600,000 beachfront residence – his third home. Despite his blatant hypocrisy, Sanders remains a darling of the Left and a top potential 2020 Democratic nominee.
The unfortunate truth is that, while liberals revel in their anger against perceived injustice, they are more than happy to shield their eyes from the dubious behavior of their political allies. And while the #MeToo Movement claims to fight against sexual harassment and represent embattled women, they succeed only in generating selective outrage and pushing a narrative that protects and suits their ideology.
Megan Barth, is co-chair of RedWave America PAC and founder of Reagan Babe, a political news and commentary website.
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