California progressives have launched a brutal legislative assault against freelancers, contractors, and others who have chosen not to become employees working for companies. After passing AB5, which became effective at the start of this year, many freelancers lost their jobs. My colleagues at RedState have reported extensively on this legislation since it first passed. It has already had an adverse impact on at least one member of the RedState crew.

But now, it appears the left wants to take their campaign against contractors, freelancers, and the companies that hire them, to the national level. Kira Davis reported on this story yesterday:

“Independent contractors across the nation could soon be suffering the same fate as their California counterparts. A federal version has passed through committee and now sits in the House of Representatives waiting for a floor vote. This is not a drill. This is real.”

But what if there is something we’re missing about this endeavor to target companies that hire freelancers?

AB5 harms contractors in multiple industries, including those who work with companies like Uber, Postmates, and Fiverr. But it is also destroying the livelihood of freelance journalists who create content for news sites. This means if the progressives get their way, writers on both the left and the right could lose their jobs. It would be a national disaster for those who write for a living. This would certainly further the anti-corporation agenda of the progressive left. But could it also provide another benefit for the Marxist crowd?

Let’s follow this scenario to its logical conclusion. If the left manages to enact this law, media companies will have to cut ties with most of their staff. This would affect both conservative and leftist outlets. It could possibly destroy the reach of these companies overnight.

But could the left have already considered this? The legislation would not impact television news outlets as much as online and print media. So who would be harmed the most? As you know, conservative thought is vastly underrepresented in the mainstream media. Fox News is the only major television news outlet that challenges the progressive movement.

If the left manages to implement a law like AB5 at the federal level, it could potentially cripple one of the only means by which the conservative movement has spread its ideas. It is through the use of alternative media that the right has had the ability to subvert the progressive media machine. In fact, conservative media is currently on the rise as more Americans consume right-leaning content on blogs, social media, podcasts, and videos. It’s no wonder that there is a push for silencing conservative voices online.

This type of legislation would essentially accomplish what the cultural totalitarians on the left are attempting to achieve: Progressive media supremacy. They would essentially own the airwaves, with Fox News being the only entity resisting them.

Is it possible that the left is sacrificing a pawn to protect more valuable pieces on the board?

It certainly seems that they might be willing to take a hit if it means they can obtain dominance over the media that Americans consume. In this scenario, the left might take a hit. But conservatism would be dealt a blow from which it might not recover.

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

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