Addressing the left’s professional public relations extremists

OPINION:

In the modern socio-political landscape, a new breed of leftwing activism anchors itself to the extremes. You’ve seen them. Crazed environmentalists who glue their hands to roads in the name of climate change. Animal liberation groups that demonize farmers. Or anti-capitalist lunatics who protest at the homes of successful business leaders.

These are not the organic movements of the 1960s and 1970s that called for peace and love. They are organized by professional public relations arsonists who always want to move the goalposts to make a profit. Their currency is not the ability to sell a good or service but to generate outrage against an industry by trafficking emotions, misinformation, and junk science.

It’s a disturbing trend that policymakers, business leaders, and the American public need to educate themselves about. Otherwise, they could find themselves misled and manipulated.

At the heart of this issue is a fundamental disconnect between economically productive sectors of society—farmers, entrepreneurs, job creators, and energy producers—and groups that, while claiming to champion moral and environmental causes, contribute little. These groups do not produce food, create jobs, manufacture goods, produce works of art, or power our homes and offices.

Instead, they fundraise off fabricated outrage to attack the sectors that built and sustain America—all under the guise of well-intentioned advocacy.

Consider the farmer, who works from dawn till dusk to feed not just a nation but the world. In the distorted view painted by anti-agriculture extremists, these custodians of the earth are not heroes but villains—being accused of environmental destruction and animal cruelty. The local restaurant owner, who provides employment opportunities, is painted not as a community pillar but as an exploiter. Energy companies that strive to affordably heat homes are vilified as planet poisoners.

This narrative is not only misleading but dangerously reductive. It ignores the complexities and challenges of getting a crop from field to table, creating economic mobility, or keeping the country’s lights on sustainably.

The financial underpinnings of these efforts are equal parts troubling and ironic. Many are bankrolled by foundations linked to vast fortunes amassed by previous generations. The money that fuels their activity was earned through the very free market system these activists now decry. And the funding patterns raise questions about the influence of wealth on public discourse and using financial power to drive anti-capitalist outcomes.

The implications for targeted industries and individuals are profound. Farmers, entrepreneurs, and energy producers find themselves not only defending their livelihoods but also navigating a public relations minefield. As businesses and brands increasingly find themselves in the crosshairs of these groups, the question is how they can navigate this new reality.

The answer lies in going on the offensive. The agenda of PR arsonists need to be exposed while legitimate stakeholders (not bomb throwers) are genuinely engaged. And as a supplement, aggressive education campaigns are required to proactively inoculate the public and policymakers from smear tactics and undermine the undeserving credibility of bad actors.

While advocacy can play an important role in a healthy democracy, extremism that traffics in misinformation and outrage contributes nothing of value. Those who produce, innovate, and sustain must stop playing defense, or anti-industry forces will win the day.

• Jack Hubbard is an owner and partner at Berman and Company.