The New McCarthyism?

I have a small web development company. I’ve done some campaign sites - oddly enough, for Democrats! - but most of our work is apolitical. I don’t talk politics or even current events with my clients if I can help it, if something does come up I just listen and say as little as possible. My recent foray into state politics was similar for a few reasons. One thing I noticed was that in spite of the fact that our group’s stated policy was to be non-partisan, nearly everyone I dealt with assumed that I had the same political views that they did. It was common to have someone go off on a long tangent in complete confidence that I agreed with them. I kept my mouth shut or in a very fixed smile, nodded politely, and did what I could to keep everybody on board until the Governor finally came through with the veto. Through all that process, I only did a few interviews. I got a spokesman to deal with the media and did my best to keep my name out of it. When I do talk politics, I do so here, and write things that are offensive to a variety of people. I write under my own name for several reasons. I’m not ashamed of any of it, so why hide? Even if I were, I feel it’s better to be upfront about things than “caught” at them. However, I do make an effort to keep it low profile because I think overlap in these areas of life is just inappropriate and unhelpful.

So I was amused to read about the Conservative coping mechanism: the secret resume and see-dubya’s response to the need for it:

Nonetheless, it’s a little difficult to take this crap from the adherents of leftist orthodoxy, who praise themselves incessantly for their openness, tolerance, and so-called diversity. It looks to me like those blacklists Hollywood complains about are alive and well, in many different industries, but nowadays it’s not communists on the lists. Even if most liberals out there would be willing to give conservatives a fair shake, my friend and I have independently come to the conclusion that there are more than enough out there who won’t.

No, they won’t. As the left is prone to say, “It’s the hypocrisy” that is the real problem. When a group “who has reverence for those who serve in our military and believes that American liberal democracy is a unique success, different from others, and it’s worthy of the respect of our popular culture” finds it necessary to actively conceal their beliefs from the “tolerant” in order to keep working, it’s all about the hypocrisy.

I gave the campaign sites for Democrats the same effort and care that I do for every other website we build. So should my political views have prevented me from building them? Well, maybe. They just assumed I agreed, but if they knew how conservative I am they probably would have selected another developer. I avoid giving money to people whose philosophies or practices I don’t like; why shouldn’t they? I know a guy in a related line of work who’s pretty far left and it irritates me every time I deal with him. I avoid him as much as I can because a)I don’t want to put any money into the pocket of that semi-Marxist nutjob just on principle. After all, he’s pretty keen to take money out of mine. And b) I don’t want to deal with anyone who is stupid enough to think that Karl Rove is ever going to get frog-marched anywhere or that Bush will be, or even should be, impeached. (And further, who is ignorant enough to think that impeachment is the same as being removed from office.) So clearly, to some extent I have a political test for people I do business with. And other people do as well. I have lost projects because of my faith, and if I ever lose one because of my political views, I’m okay with it. We all want to do business with people we’re comfortable with, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Just stop pretending to be open-minded and tolerant, lefties.  You’re not.  You just approve of different things than right-wingers do.