Cliff Mass, Professor of Atmospheric Science at Washington University, lost his job for blog posts. To clarify, he wasn’t fired from his teaching job. He was fired from his moonlighting gig at an NPR affiliate.
Mass worked part time as a weatherman on KNKX (NPR affiliate). Known for making controversial statements, he underestimated the power of CHAZ.
In his blog post, he reflected on the Seattle rioting,
Just to be completely clear I am a strong supporter of peaceful protests and assemblies. It is an essential aspect of our democracy and protected in the U.S. Constitution. Peaceful protests have played a critical role in many positive social movements, such as woman suffrage, ending the Vietnam war, and in promoting civil rights. I have participated in peaceful protests myself. But violence—destroying business and hurting people—is a different story. It is not only illegal, and destructive, but it undermines civil society and democracy, and usually hurts the least advantaged among us the most. That is what I was speaking out against.
Clearly Mass is a progressive. So why would a progressive station fire him?
Left v. the Left
Mass offers seven points of clarification over his firing and the culture within KNKX
1. The leaders of KNKX justified my firing based upon my August 5th blog post that criticized violent individuals in downtown Seattle, criticized the City Council, supported Chief Best, and noted some similarities to what happened in Germany in the 1930s.
2. The leaders of KNKX terminated me the next day without speaking to me before they made the decision. They also did not discuss the matter with the KNKX Advisory Council.
3. KNKX put out a statement that was factually untrue and easily can be proven false.
4. Activist groups have been trying to get me dismissed from KNKX for over a year because they are unhappy with my science-based approach to climate change.
5. KNKX did not oppose my advocacy when I supported progressive viewpoints, but was uncomfortable with my moderate stances.
6. KNKX management is beholden to and attempts to please left-leaning activist donors.
7. That NPR is full of examples of calling Republicans and police Nazis and brownshirts, but if someone suggests the violent left have evinced Fascist behavior, that is reason for termination.
Self Defeating Ideology
As someone who considers himself progressive, I am amazed at how quickly we eat our own. This is why decentralized movements are so disastrous.
