"Let us now consider the peculiar politics of Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced movie producer.
Today Weinstein is in the headlines for an astonishing array of alleged sexual harassment and assaults, but once upon a time he was renowned for something quite different: his generous patronage of liberal politicians and progressive causes.
This leading impresario of awful was an enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. He was a strong critic of racism, sexism and censorship.
He hosted sumptuous parties to raise money for the fight against Aids.
In 2004 he was a prominent supporter of a women’s group called “Mothers Opposing Bush”.And in the aftermath of the terrorist attack against the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, he stood up boldly for freedom of the press.
Taking to the pages of Variety, Weinstein announced that “No one can ever defeat the ability of great artists to show us our world.”
To call this man a hypocrite is to state the obvious.
This champion of women is now accused of sexual harassment on an epic scale.
This defender of the press was excellent at manipulating it and on one memorable occasion is said to have physically roughed up a reporter asking tough questions.
...Countless people who should have known better are proclaiming their surprise at Harvey Weinstein’s alleged abuses.
But in truth, their blindness is even more sweeping than that.
They are lost these days in a hall of moral mirrors, weeping tears of admiration for their own virtue and good taste."
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