CuriousCat Archive Page 129 of 202

  1. Do you ever worry that none of your work will matter?

    define "matter"

  2. What will you do if Trump is re-elected?

    same thing I've been doing for the last four years Pinky

  3. Are you ever going to talk about Moldbug and NRx? I've been seeing more of those lately so I've been yearning for that school of thought to be adressed.

    Nah, I'll just tell more people to read Neoreaction a Basilisk.

  4. What do you think of people who use George Orwell's Animal Farm to explain why "communism is bad yo" ?

    I am aware these people exist but I've never had the misfortune of talking to one. So I guess I don't really think of them at all.

  5. In your alt right playbook videos you tend to explore your ideas mostly through a hypothetical framing and avoid giving specific examples, as well as often not mentioning your sources directly even though it's clear you do a lot of research.

    How did you decide on this rhetorical style? Do you worry that someone entering your videos with an attitude of skepticism will more easily brush of your ideas if you seem to them as "just some guy with opinions" or do you think missing out on the ethos of quoting academics is worth it to appear more approachable or something along those lines.

    I know you cite your sources of course, but I'm thinking more of people's subconscious/ermotional reactions to your rhetorical style.

    I decided not to name names for a few reasons:

    1) Don't platform shitty people.
    2) Don't put anybody - shitty or otherwise - at risk of harassment from getting mentioned in a lefty video.
    3) Don't give people listening the option of hairsplitting over the details of my examples instead of addressing my larger argument.

    No, I don't think it makes my work easier to brush off, because I've seen how people do #3.

  6. No, just any. I hear so many bad things about it, so I was curious if you had an opinion on it.

    in response to The general Chapo thing. An episode of that podcast.

    I don't listen to it. I think Chapo fans are worse than Chapo itself, but you get the audience you build and, well, the things wrong with Chapo are why they have so many toxic fans. Of the various epicenters of The Dirtbag Left, Chapo is not the worst offender by any stretch, but they're the most prominent, and tend to be the gateway to the worse stuff.

    I don't know. I don't know a ton about them. They do their thing and I do mine. I hope people who do my thing eventually outnumber the people who do theirs.

  7. What's your favourite performance?

    in response to Have you ever acted?

    Philip in Orphans

  8. That's a more mature way of seeing it, but its hard with Joshua Collins, Bernie or Bust, accusing Pete Buttigieg of not being gay, the snake emoji stuff, Chapo followers, Dirtbag Leftists, widespread misunderstanding about the FED, and other stuff.

    It's hard when my brain starts to associate socialism with cringe.

    in response to Are you starting to feel a bit embarrassed to be associated with the online left? Can't tell if this is just me.

    What gets me through the day is reminding myself that the people who are loud on Twitter are not, in fact, the whole movement.

  9. Best adult swim show?

    Venture Bros

  10. Just saw Dan Olson saying people think he derived his 'Blood is compulsory' paraphrase in his new video from your Call of Duty vid:

    Do these people think you wrote that line and hired Richard Dreyfuss to read it for a Youtube video? That would be an incredible flex.

    me and ricky dreyfuss are like *this*

  11. On a scale of 1 to 10, how boring is being an atheist, meat-eating, straight, able-bodied, heterosexual, leftist, cisgendered, white man?

    I'm vegan

  12. well, yes, love the showtunes, but that diction neeeeeever goes away.

    the lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue. The lips, the teeth...

    in response to yes. anybody who was in community theatre can tell.

    lo

    li

    ta

  13. Did you manage to beat the final Octopath Traveler boss (y'know, the hideous eye) and how many hours of grinding did it take?

    fuck no, I watched that fight on YouTube

  14. do centrist politics exist? watching your videos has led me to believe that on the whole, centrists are people with the privilege to pretend they don't have political opinions and then default to the conservative one when it comes down to it. Obviously, it's more nuanced, as all political stances are...but am I reading something wrong or do centrists not *actually* exist?

    "Centrism" is not a set of specific politics so much as it is a commitment to maintaining the status quo and assuming moving too far in any direction is bad. It is a descriptor we mostly use for categorizing other people; not a lot of people self-identify as centrists. And the politics of centrists depends entirely and what they are in the center of; as the Right moves right faster than the Left moves left, "centrism" gets more conservative.

    So, yes, it definitely exists, but not in the same way liberalism or leftism or conservatism or libertarianism or anarchism exist.

  15. how would you draw the line between psychopathy (-lionaires) and actual neurodiversity?

    Psychopathy is an antiquated medical term for what we would today characterize as antisocial personality disorder and it's a wee bit ableist to be throwing it around to describe people who are just assholes.

    That's the term for wealthy people who lack empathy. Assholes.

  16. Hi, do you have a serious official email address, that you can be contacted by?

    I have one, but I don't give it out lightly. What are you looking to contact me about?

  17. Don't you mean f**h?

    in response to Invent a new cuss

    it's ok to swear on the internet, fnuh bucket

  18. How can one best convince somebody to vote for "the lesser of two evils" instead of voting for a third party or not voting at all?

    Well, that behavior is deriving from a set of deeper beliefs that, in many ways, you probably share with them, even if you think they took a wrong turn somewhere. Changing it takes a lot more than winning a single argument, so I'd focus less on "how can I get you to do X in the upcoming election?" and try exploring, in a less goal-oriented way, "where have we diverged?"

    We need to get better at caring about these things between elections.

  19. yes. anybody who was in community theatre can tell.

    in response to Have you ever acted?

    ...it was the showtunes, wasn't it?

  20. Are you starting to feel a bit embarrassed to be associated with the online left?

    Can't tell if this is just me.

    I can't control who people associate me with, but I don't feel any shame about the people I choose to interact with.

  21. The general Chapo thing. An episode of that podcast.

    in response to Have you listened to that Chapo thing?

    Any particular episode we talking about here?

  22. Have you ever acted?

    Yeah, I was raised in community theatre.

  23. Forgive me if I missed this.... but did you ever see the sonic movie? Did... did you like it?

    I saw it. It was... I dunno. Considerably less interesting than the trashfire the first trailer promised, slightly better than the boring movie from the second trailer, still not very... good? But relatively inoffensive. I think Detective Pikachu and Sonic are about equal in terms of storytelling but Detective Pikachu is a much prettier, much better made movie that manages a handful of wondrous moments.

  25. Have you listened to that Chapo thing?

    which Chapo thing?

  26. Do follow the politics of any other country or just Britain?

    I don't really follow Britain, either, I just follow a handful of British YouTubers who talk about Britain.

  28. Have you played Analogue: A Hate Story? If so, what did you think about it?

    I played Digital: A Love Story, but haven't sat down with Analogue yet.

  30. Invent a new cuss

    fnuh

  31. What's the funniest game you've played?

    Recency bias is really favoring Disco Elysium, but I think Tales from the Borderlands might have been funnier.

  32. Where should we draw the line in feeling empathy towards assholes and bad people?

    what do you mean by "feeling empathy?" if you're referring to the point where you stop trying to reach out to them, I'd say that varies from person to person but should probably end when it the effort to reach them starts to exceed the benefit to the movement and/or outweighs the cost to one's personal well-being. if you mean the point where you stop *caring* about them? I'm not sure there's any particular value to cutting of your empathy. I understand caring about people who cause pain can, itself, be painful, but I don't think becoming colder is in our best interest. it's less important what you feel than what you *do* with your feelings.

  33. ass danced off is your true masterpiece.

    I peaked early.

  34. Do you ever get surprised when you realize just how niche someone is who is a big deal to you?

    (This question was inspired by the fact that the biggest Errant Signal video only has 269K views)

    Yeah, that was central to my video on Phil Fish!

  35. Party goer or party pooper?

    False binary. Sometimes I go, sometimes I poop.

  36. Are you a clean or a messy person?

    I range between "kinda cluttered" and "not that cluttered," but never fully achieve tidiness nor messiness.

  37. Now that your spiffy new PC has allowed you to catch up on some stuff, what's currently on your catch-up list after Disco Elysium?

    And, bonus question, what game currently in development are you most interested in?

    I'm at a fork in the road with my catch-up list. Having just played two adventure-ish games that I'd consider near-masterpieces, it's hard not to feel like it's downhill from here. My next adventure-ish games are Eastshade, Observation, Mutazione, else Heart.Break(), and the remaining seasons of The Walking Dead. I'm not really anticipating any of them being masterpieces - maybe else Heart.Break() - so I'm tempted to switch genres. My more AAA game list is stuff like Control, Nier: Automata, Sekiro, Prey, and Titanfall 2, which I think I'm *way* more likely to fall in love with. But they're also a lot more expensive, and they scratch a very different itch, so it's a question of which one I'm feeling most. It feels a lot crappier to plunk down $60 on something I only kind of like. It's so long since AAA was a regular part of my life, I forgot about this part!

    As for hype, I don't have a lot on the radar at the moment. I'm keeping an eye on Columnae, Twelve Minutes, and To Azimuth (which might be canceled for a second time), but I'd categorize it as curiosity more than hype. Feel free to let me know what I should be looking forward to!

  38. Since capitalism isn't going away just yet, and many people straight up can't afford to buy a home (whether it's a house or condo) do you think it's possible to ethically be a landlord?

    If you're in a position to be a landlord, you're in a position to open a housing cooperative.

  39. I know it doesn't fit perfectly into ARP, but is this something you might make a video on at some point?

    in response to Do you think the current rising conflict on the left might be a necessary step towards a genuinely healthy, societally conscious movement? Clearing house, as it were, because it turns out that sharing economic goals doesn't automatically make for a tenable alliance if you're opposed on a social justice level?

    I haven't decide whether or how to approach the subject of how the Left is dividing and the people trying to define it as something uglier than I'm OK with. I can't imagine it won't start turning up in places, though.

  40. Honestly I see what you're going for here, but i'm from the uk so I know how fragile that difference is, "the good bits" are looking ropey and have done for ages thanks to successive dismantling and an opposition to scared to do anything different, and if that isn't more like American politics show me what is

    in response to (Different Anon) Genuinely curious, what's better about them? I only hear about the bad stuff like them having the lion's share of TERFs, a slightly less bad Trump, and Brexit.

    The fact that "might descend into American-style politics" is your benchmark for failure is why I think you have it marginally better.

  41. (Different Anon) Genuinely curious, what's better about them?

    I only hear about the bad stuff like them having the lion's share of TERFs, a slightly less bad Trump, and Brexit.

    in response to Do you think Britain has better politics than the US?

    they have universal healthcare, their police aren't militarized, they rarely have mass shootings, they have more guaranteed access to abortion, they have stronger social safety nets, their representatives are more diverse, and they actually managed to elect their version of Bernie Sanders

    there's still about 8 billion things horribly wrong with Britain, they're just also wrong here and we don't have the good bits

  42. Can you gives a preview of what your next video is going to be about and when it's due?

    no

  43. Do you think the current rising conflict on the left might be a necessary step towards a genuinely healthy, societally conscious movement? Clearing house, as it were, because it turns out that sharing economic goals doesn't automatically make for a tenable alliance if you're opposed on a social justice level?

    in response to What do you think about the recent rise of groups like stupidpol and the "dirtbag left" as a whole?

    I kind of see it as a battle for the soul of the American Left, and things turning out better or worse depends on who wins.

  48. What would your realistic replacement for capitalism look like? I don't think many liberals are ideologically committed to capitalism (except for those who are themselves capitalists). But the only ones on the left with clear plans for an alternative seem to be tankies.

    in response to What would your ideal replacement for capitalism look like in practice?

    there are almost as many ideas for what post-capitalist society could look like as there are anticapitalists.

    doing socialism *right* means doing it in a way it hasn't been tried before. this is very difficult to imagine, because we don't get to start fresh somewhere. the American Revolution had the luxury of being on a separate continent from the people they rebelled against. they had the luxury of creating a new form of government and without having a long history to write over or meddling from neighboring nations. and, for the record, they failed; the nation began with the Articles of Confederation, which was wiped clean and the nation restarted with the Constitution 8 years later.

    we're not going to have that leeway. there's no uncolonized land to start fresh on. we have to replace something deeply entrenched.

    I do think one of the problems with messaging on the left is that the right sells an idealized vision of the past and we *don't* have an idealized vision of the future to counter with. but a phrase I use often these days is "there are a hundred ways forward and only one way back." everyone knows what the past looks like because they lived through it. it's documented. theorizing the future means synthesizing from thousands of different ideas. it's always going to be more work, and, while I want us to get better and imagining that future, it will never be as clear to people as their nostalgia for the past. our path forward is going to be a path into a degree of relative uncertainty. I think the only way to create a movement is to leave some room for uncertainty.

    I mean, we're collectivists. what right do I have to offer you a vision of the future you haven't had a say in? let's build it *together*.

  49. Having never played Loom before, what would you say are its biggest draws? What sets it apart from other adventure games?

    honestly, it takes maybe 4 hours to play beginning to end and it's cheap, just get it and go in cold

  50. Is it okay if I use an excerpt of your Alt Right Playbook videos on my own video essays? I feel like you explain some things better than I would.

    with attribution and a link, always

  51. What's a book/TV show/video game that absolutely should NOT be adapted into a movie but that you would definitely watch if it was?

    tetris

  52. Yeah but Ian have you SEEN zoomers? They're mobbing fast food workers screaming Rick and Morty quotes at them and they think Post Mallone makes good music.

    in response to What do you think Millenials will be like "Kids These Days" about

    that rick and morty guy looked too old to be a zoomer to me

  54. since someone asked about liberalism. what's the difference between a socialist and a communist? I've been on lefttube for like a year and haven't figured it out.

    I'm frankly kinda fuzzy on it myself. I know Marx said socialism was a transitory phase between capitalism and communism, but I'm not sure what the distinctions are.

  55. What's your thoughts on Daedalic Entertainment's games?

    the only game of theirs I've played all the way through is, weirdly, Pillars of the Earth, which was fairly compelling but not, like, brilliant. I tried some Deponia, couldn't stand the protagonist, heard that "not standing the protagonist" is the intended response and the whole story is about a douche learning to be a better person, saw that it takes 3 full games to complete that arc and has some rugged transphobia along the way and thought... pass.

  56. Any particular reason?

    in response to Thoughts on Lord Of War?

    I'd blame it primarily on the lack of good qualities

  57. What would you say is the biggest obstacle to leftism today?

    c... capitalism?

  58. Do you think Britain has better politics than the US?

    there are some areas where they're worse than us, but, on balance, I'd say yes

  59. What would your ideal replacement for capitalism look like in practice?

    my *ideal* would involve a lot of jetpacks

  60. What do you think about the recent rise of groups like stupidpol and the "dirtbag left" as a whole?

    I think I've made my position on such things pretty clear

  61. If you were put on the spot to pitch a book about one video game, what would you pick?

    LOOM. I actually pitched a book on LOOM to Boss Fight Books one time. Didn't hear back...

  62. What did you think of Enter the Florpus?

    Probably the best episode of Zim, but... enh? I liked Zim's chaotic energy more than I liked most of its "lol so random" jokes or any individual plotlines. Always felt like a show I wanted to like more than I did. So Florpus seemed like it finally achieved the vibe it was grasping for on the show. But it's mostly just a good time, nothing earth-shattering.

  63. Are you a fan of stories in games that are told through scattered pieces of lore, like Fromsoft games? I'm never really that engaged in them, cause I think I'm more interested in the characters than just the deep, dark abyss of lore.

    I haven't played any From games so far. I like the way Hollow Knight parcels out lore, keeping things ambiguous enough that your imagination takes over, filling in the gaps. But I gather From games are even more obtuse than the games they inspire. So... I dunno! Different strokes for different folks.

  64. How do you feel about the idea that elected officials can't cause progress, but they can legitimize progress that has been made by the people?

    in response to Do you imagine yourself as a politician one day?

    There's a lot elected officials can do for us, even, I think, causing progress along certain axes. I just want to work towards deeper change than I think can come from there, and resigning myself to "I can help the movement but can't really be part of it" just doesn't appeal to me.

  65. Could you used "Lotharian Danskin" as a Twitter name next month? Unless you've done so already, that is.

    in response to What words would you use to describe Ian Danskin?

    I ain't makin' no WoW jokes

  66. Since you're poly, is marriage one of your aspirations? Or do you just not care for it?

    I could be mistaken, but I think that's none of your business.

  67. Would you encourage other leftists to run for office if they think they have a decent shot at winning?

    in response to Do you imagine yourself as a politician one day?

    Sure, just... when you vote for them, be realistic about what they can achieve, be aware that participation in the system DEMANDS a certain erosion of one's ideals, and never forget that real change has to come from *us*, not *them*, and, when the time comes, they will be the obstacle between us and change. Getting to pick your obstacle is a boon, because some are far more willing to work with you than others, but don't mistake them for an ally or a representative.

  68. Thoughts on Lord Of War?

    it's not that good

  69. What's the difference between a libertarian and a liberal?

    small government vs. big government

  70. Asking as a liberal, are lefties our allies?

    They can be in the short term. Overall, you share a lot of similar goals, but have fundamentally different ideas about how to achieve them and what caused the problems you're trying to fix. Leftists don't believe the ways you're trying to address the world's imperfections can work, that they can only buy time until the problems resurface. The fact that you share so many goals - equality, cooperation, mutual respect - but will not take the leap of rejecting capitalism can make a leftist feel more frustration with you than they do our mutual enemies. They can be skeptical of any alliance with you because they know a time will come when the alliance is untenable, when the leftist feels no further progress can be made without addressing capitalism directly, and when that happens you will no longer be an ally. So working with you can feel like waiting to be cast out.

    Also a lot of us were liberals before we were leftists and feel frustration with our younger selves when we look at you. That's not 100% fair, it's not entirely *unfair*, either, in that "I took the next step, why can't you?" kinda way.

    Because I am, myself, a leftist, I'm going to tell you to find yourself a patient leftist who can sit down with you and explain why capitalism is both fundamentally unsustainable and fundamentally immoral. I'm going to ask you to look past the people who always seem angry with you - while I get where those people are coming from, I don't think that's particularly productive, either - and try to understand what we believe in and why. I believe, at their core, most liberals want the same things as leftists, but think they can be achieved without giving capitalism up. I want you to entertain the possibility that they can't, and I want to trust that your desire for fairness and democracy will win out over your reluctance to disavow capitalism.

    I hope this doesn't come off as condescending. Just, please understand, everything we try to do is for the good of all, yourself included.

  71. Do you imagine yourself as a politician one day?

    I can't deny I think about it sometimes, because I see the game being played and think I could play it better. But I also wonder if this is like all those folks who see the problems with capitalism but are still tempted to perpetuate them because they have idea for how to make a lot of money off the current system. I'm at this point DEEPLY cynical that real progress is going to come through electoral politics and should probably put my energies elsewhere and continue seeing elected officials as stopgap solutions.

  72. Is it necessary for senior government officials to cut their monthly wages to financially support the marginalized communities and the affected people during this pandemic?

    Is that sufficient enough and is this a viable helpful policy?

    cut their monthly wages?! THEY MANAGE TRILLIONS OF FUCKING DOLLARS THAT WE GIVE THEM FOR EXACTLY THIS KIND OF SCENARIO! I don't give a SHIT about their wages, I want them to take the money I GAVE THEM and use it to HANDLE MY NEEDS and stop handing it to Wall Street billionaires!

  73. are you single now or just goofing

    in response to is your partner a democratic socialist?

    you think I wouldn't date an electrical outlet? I'm polyamorous, baby, I can date a whole power strip.

  74. Is your power outlet a democratic socialist?

    in response to is your partner a democratic socialist?

    my power outlet's a partner

Anon commented:
Ian replied: