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Health & Fitness

Blackballed

Is the blackball dead?

I remember reading about Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s and how actors were blackballed if they were found to have Communist sympathies.

These days, we supposedly frown on that sort of political purge, but in fact, such purges are alive and well.

There is a purge going on right now over the political leanings of an executive at Mozilla Corp., maker of the popular Firefox browser. The issue? Marriage.

It seems that Branden Eich gave $1000 to a pro-marriage group in favor of Proposition 8. Because California requires disclosure, that donation became public, and his employees disapprove. They are publicly voicing their disapproval, and are putting pressure on Eich to step aside.

Now, I fully support the right of Mozilla Corp to hire and fire its CEO for whatever reason it wishes. I support the right of the Mozilla Corp employees to leave or stay at Mozilla for whatever reason they like. What I find shocking is that intelligent people support "diversity" by refusing to work with one of "them

Hollywood blackballed actors who were thought "subversive", and at least in some people's minds represented a threat to society. This modern version seeks to exclude those who are not sufficiently "inclusive". It is political correctness being rammed down the throats of those who object. It is social and economic exile to dissenters. It is spectacular hypocrisy. It is also classic doublethink. Welcome to 1984, where inclusiveness is required, but not for "them".

Follow me on Twitter: @donlee1037

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