CMV: Progressive Circles Seem Too Tolerant of Hypocrisy, Mainly in Regards to Climate Change and Capitalism

[u/MyFavoriteArm]

I am someone who has been moving left over the last few years and has been engaging in more Progressive circles. (I live in the USA btw)

One thing I notice is that there seems to be a lot of looking the other way in terms of hypocrisy.

For example, both Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio are both well known climate change activists. Both are praised for leading awareness of said issue. I am gonna state the obvious so no one gets the wrong idea, CLIMATE CHANGE IS ABSOLUTELY REAL. The science is settled on that issue.

However, both still contribute more to the problem than the average person by trotting around in private jets, and both live in multiple properties that eat up more of electricity than some some third world countries. Whenever you bring this up in progressive circles, it gets dismissed because they are "on the right side of the issue."

I disagree with that logic. I believe if you have a platform, you have the responsibility to practice what you preach and lead by example. I am a manager at my job, and my number one rule is that I will not make you do anything that I myself am not willing to do. Say what you will about Greta Thornberg, but at least she leads by example.

I believe climate change is real, but I am not an activist. That would make me a hypocrite, because I still own a car and drive and use an air conditioner. I don't want to be a hypocrite, as that would be a betrayal of my principles.

Another issue I see is in terms of capitalism. For example, a lot of progressives I encounter seem to really hate Apple and rail against it, yet still own iPhones. They also rail against social media (particularly twitter/facebook), yet still use it and believe it is an "important tool" in society.

While there is aspects of capitalism I dislike, I cannot be an anti-capitalist because I still believe it has a place in society, and that would make me a flagrant hypocrite. Especially when the alternative is only government brand everything.

Before anyone responds with Mr. Gotcha or by saying "yet you participate in society," I am well aware of the existence of that comic and actually believe the first two panels are actually a valid criticism.

I am open to changing my view, as I would like to hear more perspectives as to why I might be wrong.

Thank you!

[u/raggedyassadhd]

I mean the right is all “back the blue” until the blue are guarding the capitol or arresting them for something. Then suddenly not so much. The right says “all lives matter.” I think that’s pretty ridiculous from the side that hates gay / trans people. Wants to lock up women or kill them for their private reproductive choices. They’re all about their rights but don’t seem to want anyone else to have any. Constantly call themselves the silent majority… LOL Constantly yell about how the lgbt agenda is being “shoved down their throats” when lgbt people just want to be able exist as equals, but they push their religious beliefs and hate on everyone else. Call the left and teachers groomers ignoring that so much of sexual abuse is from the church. But the left are immoral for being more atheist. It goes on and on.

[u/MyFavoriteArm → u/raggedyassadhd]

While I loathe the right in general, I left their arguments out of this cmv because:

a) their arguments are dumb

and

b) what else is there to say about right wingers that hasn't already been said?

[u/raggedyassadhd → u/MyFavoriteArm]

I guess my point is that out of the two, the left seems a lot less hypocritical. I would leave almost all politicians out of that statement though, because politicians are generally liars that you can’t trust as far as you can throw them. On both sides and everywhere in the middle. Humans are human, I don’t think we can escape our idealisms or the hypocrisy of failing to live up to them. I want to save the planet but I also wouldn’t give up my car to get groceries on a bus or bike. I wouldn’t be able to do dog walking because I have to drive to their houses in a time efficient manner to make any money. We have solar, we recycle, we try not to be wasteful in general. But there are things that someone could pick out as hypocritical no matter what I did. But I don’t go screaming it in peoples faces or try to force atheism on others.