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Promoted from the diaries by streiff. Promotion does not imply endorsement.
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If you have been paying attention to the news lately, then you probably know that far-left “media watchdog” group Media Matters is at it again. This time, it was Fox News’ Tucker Carlson in the group’s crosshairs. The organization managed to find 13-year-old audio of Carlson making some offensive remarks in an appearance with Bubba the Love Sponge on his radio talk show.

Carlson, who was working for MSNBC at the time, made some controversial comments about Iraqis and women, and in an effort to gin up fake outrage, Media Matters published the audio clip of the interview. In a dramatic show of outrage, many on the left clutched their plastic pearls and signaled their virtue on social media by pretending to be offended by his comments. Despite the fact that the comments were made over ten years ago in an interview with a well-known radio shock jock, the organization likely hoped that this revelation would somehow lead to Carlson’s downfall.

They were wrong.

On his show, Carlson defiantly stated that he had no intention of apologizing and called out Media Matters and the far-left outrage mob for carrying out their cynical hit job. He also indicated that Fox News was behind him which dashed the hopes of the progressive left.

Media Matters has been known to use underhanded tactics to silence conservatives in the media, and for the most part, they have been largely unsuccessful. But now, in a political atmosphere rife with outrage, it appears that some have finally started to fight back.  Why? Because nobody wants to live in the society that groups like Media Matters is attempting to create.

Media Matters bills itself as a “progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation.” On their website, the group features numerous articles attempting to debunk conservative news reports and opinions that are expressed on various forms of media.

So what’s wrong with that? We may not agree with the organization’s views, but they have a right to express their opinions, right? After all, don’t conservatives have the same type of organization in the website Newsbusters?

But the issue isn’t that Media Matters is a left-wing website, the issue is that their description of their operations is deceptive. They do not simply provide counterarguments to conservative media, they have attempted to ruin the careers of several conservative pundits on various occasions. Why? Because like many other far-left groups, they are not satisfied with debate, they wish to silence those with whom they disagree.

Media Matters has tried to incite boycotts against prominent conservatives like Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh simply for expressing opinions that conflict with progressive thought. Through their campaigns, they have targeted the companies that advertise on conservative shows and threatened them with boycotts if they continue to support right-leaning programming.

The boycotts have been complete failures — while some companies have removed their advertising, the boycotts did not make much of a dent in Fox News’ bottom line, and they did not fire the individuals who were being targeted. Nevertheless, they have persisted. But Carlson was one of the few to publicly defy Media Matters’ bullying tactics.

Whereas apologies used to be given and taken in good faith, groups like Media Matters have turned mea culpas into white flags that are the symbolic equivalent of baring one’s neck to their attacker, hoping they will be shown mercy. The far left does not want apologies to right a wrong, they want to use them to ruin the lives of their targets.

Take a look at Kevin Hart, for example. When he was announced as the next host for the Academy Awards, the progressive left came after him over some homophobic tweets he posted over a decade ago. While he was defiant at first, he later apologized again for the tweets. But the situation still backfired on the left and the Academy, who attempted to have him back as host. He refused, and he’s doing fine.

Is it possible that some Americans are rejecting outrage culture? It appears that this might be the case. Perhaps the public is sick of the constant peddling of outrage that we are seeing on both the left and the right. When it comes to attempts to ruin people’s careers for statements they made in the distant past, it seems that refusing to apologize isn’t the death sentence we thought it might be.

In a piece for RedState, Brandon Morse wrote:

“For the left, an apology isn’t a way to absolvement, it’s an invitation for retribution. The left has exhibited through their actions again and again that saying “sorry” is asking to be punished, and if possible, to allow them to dictate how you conduct personal and/or business dealings in the future.”

He’s right. Apologies are no longer sincere expressions of remorse; they have become a political tool which the far left uses to shame people into compliance. Are there times when apologies are appropriate? Sure. Carlson’s statements were offensive.

But offering an apology in response to the fake outrage mafia is akin to jumping out of an airplane without a parachute, and Carlson would have been a fool to give into the progressive mob. In the world of progressivism, there is no room for forgiveness — unless you’re on the far left.

This is the world that groups like Media Matters are trying to create; a society that is governed by the cultural totalitarianism of the progressive left. You cannot step out of line, you cannot utter any words that the leftist powers that be do not approve. If you make a mistake, you better hope that organizations like Media Matters don’t discover it ten years later — they will use it to bully you into submission.

Is it any wonder that sensible Americans on both the right and the left would not want to live in this world?

Thanks for reading! If you loved/hated what you read, let me know on Twitter: @JeffOnTheRight