Pseudo-Liberalism

When actions don't match beliefs. By Shivani

- Shivani

In a small town named Naraina, there lived a woman named Meena. Meena was known for her loud voice at town meetings. She often spoke about equality, freedom, and the need for change. Everyone called her a liberal because she championed many good causes, like saving the local park and supporting minority rights.

One day, Meena organised a community event to raise awareness about climate change. She invited local artists to showcase their work, hoping to inspire everyone to care for the environment. The event attracted a big crowd, and people praised Meena for her efforts. She felt proud and important, enjoying the applause from her friends and neighbours.

She owned a large cafe in town, which was quite popular. However, she didn't pay her employees a fair wage and often ignored their requests for better working conditions. Whenever her employees spoke up about their concerns, Meena hushed them off, saying they should be grateful for having a job.

“PSEUDO LIBERAL”REFERS TO THE HYPOCRITICAL, INTELLECTUAL POSTURE OF CLAIMING TO ACCEPT THE LEGITIMACY OF ANOTHER’S POSITION WHILE DISCARDING IT. THE PSEUDO VIEWPOINT SIMPLIFIES COMPLICATED PROBLEMS INTO TWO CATEGORIES: WHAT YOU THINK IS INCORRECT AND WHAT I THINK IS “CORRECT.”

As the weeks passed, Meena's cafe continued to thrive, and her event gained her even more recognition. One evening, her employees decided to speak out again. They wanted to form a union to address their grievances. They believed everyone deserved fair treatment, just like the values Meena preached. But when they approached her, Meena's smile faded.

“No, no, no! You don’t understand!” Meena exclaimed. “I am a progressive! I support workers’ rights, but not like this. You need to think about how this will affect my business!” Her voice was loud, but her words contradicted everything she claimed to stand for.