CuriousCat Archive Page 170 of 202

  1. "Communism would’ve worked out just fine if it weren’t for the US." Is this a statement you believe to be true?

    I don't pretend to know what would've happened in alternate timelines. I think we would have a better idea of whether socialism works if capitalist nations would stop trying to overthrow them or starve them with sanctions.

  2. Can you list any conservative ideas that have, in the long term, ended up on the right side of history? I'm really struggling to name many at all, which led me to wonder why conservativism is still so popular when it doesn't have many good ideas.

    I mean, conservatives don't think history has gone in a very good direction, that's why they're always talking about how great America *used* to be and how we have to get back to that. So, they think those policies were right and the fact that people disagree is proof that we are living in a dark timeline.

  3. I just saw a lady lifting something very heavy at the gym and I decided to kind-heartedly and with no malicious intent by complimenting her newfound strength in the gym and the woman replied to me: "I guess you're going to have to rethink your gender norms."

    Which makes me wonder, why is she so rude? How do I respond or frame my question in the 1st place?

    Why do you need to say that? If she's lifting something heavy, why would you think her strength is "newfound" if she's obviously been working up the the weight she's lifting? Have you ever gone up to a man and said something like that?

    People don't go to the gym to chat with strangers, so maybe just let women lift in peace.

  4. Actually, the most popular response video I found is by Sargon, which I think proves hbomb’s point.

    in response to Opinion of Hbomb's recent fiasco?

    don't watch sargon

  5. Defense for the position?

    in response to Opinion of Hbomb's recent fiasco?

    "there is no moderate position between truth and lies" is a pretty solid argument

  6. Have you read the comics? Her character's a lot more developed there (and I genuinely could not have thought she played Envy, like holy cow does she look nothing like now)

    in response to what's the favorite role(s) or movie(s) she's involved in,for you?

    haven't read the comics

  7. Is it unusual for you to conclude that a movie would be improved by giving the plot more space to breathe? I've been trying to think of some other examples of this ever since I saw the remake of 'The Thomas Crown Affair.'

    in response to Alita is an interesting movie in that it feels both too long and too short at the same time. Do you think there could have been some easy cuts that could have made the movie flows better, or is it unavoidable due to wanting to stick closely to the source material (and I've seen quite a few people, even the original author, praising that)?

    I generally wish a lot of movies were either 20 minutes longer or had elements cut out. People talk a lot about "the death of the second act" and it's really that the second act is where a lot of important character development and thematic complication happens, and it's also the part most likely to get hacked to bits to get the runtime down.

    I don't have a particular length I prefer in a movie, I just want it to be as long as it needs to be.

  8. Why is it that the opinions of conservative YouTube (i.e PragerU) and associated pundits seem textbook, and even if you disagree with them you have second thoughts whenever opposing their opinions aloud?

    I reject the premise of this question.

  9. Opinion of Hbomb's recent fiasco?

    Is that the one where he made a single tweet with a provocative but defensible opinion on centrism and assholes made entire videos about that tweet and dogpiled him until he deleted it, or was there another fiasco?

  10. Back Mirror or The Twilight Zone?

    Looking forward to watch Jordan Peele's latest remaining of the Twilight Zone?

    I haven't really watched much Twilight Zone and I'm very ambivalent about Black Mirror, so I'm gonna abstain from this one.

    I should probably get around to watching what Peele's been up to.

  11. what's the favorite role(s) or movie(s) she's involved in,for you?

    in response to Is Brie Larson alright?

    I liked her in Scott Pilgrim.

  12. Have you read Walter Benjamin's The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction?

    no

  13. Is Brie Larson alright?

    she good

  14. Is it alright this time to go full meta in future comic book movies this time onwards? Or in comic books today generally?

    I just watched Spiderman: Into The Spider-Verse and David Foster Wallace was right when it comes to sincere irony

    I don't think I'm the arbiter of what is or isn't alright to do in superhero stories.

    But, yes, we are living in the era of the metanarrative. I think it's only making our stories more resonant for them to acknowledge the long history we have with them and comment on what that history means within the text itself.

  15. Is it really that bad?

    in response to Do you plan on quitting curious cat when you become more popular?

    It's not so much that it's bad as that I question why I'm here. It's led to some interesting discussion, it's helped me clarify thoughts, it's given me new stuff to research, and it's challenged some of my assumptions. But is that what I'm here for? Or is it to enjoy the feeling of being treated like a subject of interest? It's unavoidably both, but in what proportions? Is the second thing good for me? Is that the bad kind of parasocial?

    I get people asking me for relationship advice, or confessing suicidal ideation, and I feel like I'm making someone's life much, much worse if I just ignore them when they talk about their deepest problems, but I am *not* qualified for this, and I should *not* be the person they are reaching out to, and it is *not* what I'm here for. It is the worst kind of parasocial relationship when the person you ask to bring you back from the ledge is some guy you watch on YouTube.

    So, I don't know. I've stopped linking to Curious Cat in the show notes of my videos, and I forward a lot fewer questions to Twitter nowadays. I guess I'm experimenting with keeping it but drawing less attention to it, seeing if that balances things. But it is likely that I will just stop posting here eventually.

  16. Different anon...

    But is it possible to dodge questions like this these days? I feel that it's getting to be such a cliche and there are a lot of people who have private inclinations not to share very personal weaknesses as well

    in response to If someone asks you "what's your biggest strength and weakness?" How would you answer?

    maybe my personal weaknesses are not things I feel like sharing with a large and anonymous audience and find it weird that a stranger would ask for it

  18. What would you say to the idea that the Republican Party is not a ideologically conservative party, it's a white identity politics party, and that Donald Trump has a better definition of what "conservative" actually is to Americans?

    in response to If someone asks you "what's your biggest strength and weakness?" How would you answer?

    I would say a white identity party IS ideologically conservative.

  19. isn't this a bit contrary to the premise of the Alt-Right Handbook? like, part of cleaning up the poop is following the truth back to its source — genuine systemic white supremacy — and denouncing that?

    in response to Did Terfism start in Radical Feminist circles?

    I have talked about what the Alt-Right is and where they workshopped their tactics. I have never talked about their specific origins, what movements they grew out of, who the seminal figures were. I don't think their origins are particularly important. What matters is understanding the ideology and learning to fight it.

  20. If someone asks you "what's your biggest strength and weakness?"

    How would you answer?

    u asked shannon this question too

  21. I understand that the same way, but when those Gamers complain, they’re operating under the “any censorship = authoritarian = baaaaaaad” line of thinking. It’s the same sort of truism that JP daddy often use, now that I think about it. Do you think there’s any effective way to counter this type of argument?

    in response to Do you consider "self-censorship" to be an actual thing that exist? Like, if I write a comment than edit it later on, does that count as "self-censorship" or does it only count if I'm somehow "forced" to do it? You hear this term being fling around a lot by Gamers when overseas devs remove controversial elements in their video games (or put more clothes onto female characters, the horror) that at this point, it feels like another buzzword with no longer has meaning, like "free speech".

    As a general rule, if I know how to counter a conservative strategy, I will have already told you.

  22. Did Terfism start in Radical Feminist circles?

    I don't care where poop comes from, I just care that it gets cleaned up.

  23. Do you consider "self-censorship" to be an actual thing that exist? Like, if I write a comment than edit it later on, does that count as "self-censorship" or does it only count if I'm somehow "forced" to do it? You hear this term being fling around a lot by Gamers when overseas devs remove controversial elements in their video games (or put more clothes onto female characters, the horror) that at this point, it feels like another buzzword with no longer has meaning, like "free speech".

    I dunno, I use the phrase "self-censorship" to mean "knowing when to keep my damn mouth shut" and don't consider it a problem if I don't blurt out every boring thought that comes into my head. I'm not sure how other people use it.

  24. Same anon, and the jerk who replied "have you tried radical acceptance?" to that one answer when you said something like "the reason I'm sad is because the world is awful." "Radical acceptance" what my shrink said when I told her survival requires living an actively unpleasant life so why should I bother with that when there is nothing left to live for. I tried explaining (badly and inarticulately while speaking with limited time because I can only ever express anything even mildly complex in writing with infinite revisions) the concept that the amount of work required to produce basic necessities is vastly less than the amount needed to afford them, and that if we got rid of jobs that provide zero or negative benefit we could all breathe a lot easier. She was also confused about why someone would not want to get bossed around all day. Also "how do you know that every workplace is exploitative?" (and due to self-consciousness around the whole "leftists don't think for themselves" BS concept, I couldn't bring myself to say "read about the labor theory of value") Also hearing horror stories about people's experiences doesn't count and all thinking is overthinking.

    The guy I was seeing before that went beyond "what is is all that can be, even if it kinda sucks" and insisted that no problems existed currently. With him I was discussing the problem with potentially writing something harmful, and how I don't know how to know what to avoid because I don't have a complete list of all the concepts to research. His response was "you can never please everyone so stop caring if someone is offended." Because it's impossible to both not want to be cancelled and not want to hurt anyone, I guess. I mean, obviously, caring about yourself and others are 100% mutually exclusive. He even said something like "some subconscious stuff is going to slip in there, you can't stop it" whatever the hell that is supposed to mean. I don't know of a way to interpret that other than "go out there and speak the truth, even if the eeeeeeevil sjw's try to suppress it." (vomits)

    ...I wonder if it's a regional thing? Are professionals good elsewhere? Is there some secret registry of people who aren't awful that everyone except me knows about? Are there reasons to live other than bland hedonism and revenge outside the galaxy brain state?

    in response to how in fuck do you find a properly leftist therapist that acknowledges that systemic problems are not just immutable facts that we will all have to deal with forever

    Jesus, yeah, you've had some mediocre therapists, and I'm sorry to hear that!

    I've seen like 5 different shrinks in my time, and none all have taken my lead on politics and lifestyle choices. We can maybe chalk this up to a few factors: For one, until recently I couldn't afford independent therapists, so I was usually at centers where students or recent graduates were accumulating hours before getting independently licensed. Students and interns are more affordable, and are also more heavily supervised. They're less likely to go off-book and express their own opinions, and a lot of folks say you actually get more consistently decent therapy that way. I've also only had therapists in California and New England, and I imagine shrinks in those areas are pretty used to having progressive patients, but I can't say for sure.

    At least of late, when I'm looking for a therapist I explicitly say that I'm looking for people who have experience with polyamory, queer issues, and trans issues, because I'm polyamorous and have a lot of queer and trans people in my life and I don't want to have to explain what that stuff is or constantly correct pronouns. That probably weeds out a lot of the less progressive shrinks as well.

    I've said elsewhere that I vet therapists by asking for recommendations from friends, so, if you have any lefty friends in therapy, maybe ask about their experiences? And, if you're working with an institute that's trying to find a good match for you, outline some of the specific work you're trying to do and make sure there are some progressive things in there. I have no idea if any of that will work, but that's what I'd try.

    Good luck. <3

  25. Do you plan on quitting curious cat when you become more popular?

    I've been planning to quit CuriousCat for months.

  26. I feel almost the same way. Lots of parts (read: the entire romance) were rushed and the emotional beats feel unearned (not just that heart scene, but when Alita just casually let Hugo gets stabbed, like, whyyyyy). But at the same time, I don't think I could sit through another hour watching them slowly and "properly" fall in love.

    in response to Alita is an interesting movie in that it feels both too long and too short at the same time. Do you think there could have been some easy cuts that could have made the movie flows better, or is it unavoidable due to wanting to stick closely to the source material (and I've seen quite a few people, even the original author, praising that)?

    I felt like a lot of the action beats, even, would have landed better if they'd had room to breathe. The editing isn't as frenetic as some of Rodriguez' other work, but it still feels like it was passed through a Cuisinart.

  28. Story? Style?

    Anything similar in books too?

    in response to Has there been anyone who tried to replicate The Beginners Guide in present video games or even in movies or tv shows?

    Nothing that I've seen/read since The Beginner's Guide came out. I reference both Exit Through the Gift Shop and Synecdoche, New York in the video, which I think run in some similar terrain, but they were already out. Book-wise, The Beginner's Guide has a streak of Pale Fire in it, or House of Leaves, or even Dhalgren.

    We're living in The Era of the Metanarrative right now, where filmmakers seem to realize that you can't make long-running franchises in a postmodern world without eventually commenting on the audience's history with that media within the text. This is Into the Spider-verse, Star Wars episodes VII and VIII, even Wonder Woman to an extent. So the stage is set for something that doesn't just acknowledge the audience but really interrogates their relationship to the work. For all I know it's already out, but I haven't personally seen it.

  29. In a narrative writing, be it for movies or books:

    Can sex act as one of the primary functions to determine the strength of relationships between characters?

    A decent writer can make that work as a shorthand, yeah. If we're getting into the larger question of whether a couple's behavior in bed is indicative of their behavior in the relationship, well, there's a lot of evidence that there's no strong correlation. But we're talking about fiction.

  30. but isn't it kinda the least sucky thing on his whole body though? compared to... every other parts?

    in response to I think you’re right about how good Sonic’s fur is. It distracts me enough from his eyes (which I think Sonic stole from some poor babies) enough that I can tolerate the redesign.

    a) "it looks worse than the original design by a smaller margin than the other changes" isn't exactly *good*

    b) the point of the fur was to keep him from looking nude, but they went and have him human legs so he still looks *really nude* and the fur just makes it more conspicuous

    c) I agree with Dan Olson's observation: https://twitter.com/FoldableHuman/status/1102733589085478912

    d) I am so incredibly excited for this trash

  31. Alita is an interesting movie in that it feels both too long and too short at the same time. Do you think there could have been some easy cuts that could have made the movie flows better, or is it unavoidable due to wanting to stick closely to the source material (and I've seen quite a few people, even the original author, praising that)?

    Didn't feel too long to me. I felt what it needed was to be an hour longer with no additional plot. I would have been a-ok with a much longer movie that had room to breathe.

  32. Has there been anyone who tried to replicate The Beginners Guide in present video games or even in movies or tv shows?

    Replicate how?

  33. Why do you consistently dodge questions about communism. It makes me feel like you're being insincere about something?

    I have answered many questions about communism and socialism. I dodge the ones that are accusatory, bad faith, or ignorant.

  34. I think you’re right about how good Sonic’s fur is. It distracts me enough from his eyes (which I think Sonic stole from some poor babies) enough that I can tolerate the redesign.

    if you thought I was saying it's good, you misunderstand why it brings me joy

  35. should leftists use capital letters?

    cOmRaDeS uSe CaMeL cAsE

  36. how do you find a therapist?

    I ask my friends on Facebook what shrinks/groups they recommend. Cross-reference that with who in the area takes my insurance. Cross reference that with who does the kind of therapy that works best for me (cognitive-behavioral and/or psychodynamic). That usually gives me a nice, narrow list.

  37. What's your most "Favorite" scene & line from any character in Hot Fuzz?

    Especially with regards with Olivia Colman in it

    this is arguably the funniest single shot in any movie

  38. How would you place in the eloquence olympics?

    pourly

  39. how in fuck do you find a properly leftist therapist that acknowledges that systemic problems are not just immutable facts that we will all have to deal with forever

    A good therapist will take your lead on whatever your perspective is. I haven't ever run into the problem of a shrink pushing back on the implication that systems can change.

  40. Not asking for a universal law, all relationships are different, but generally speaking do you find that relationships between poly and mono people can work, or is it more beneficial for both parties to stick to others of the same persuasion?

    Enh. If it's a polyamorous person going monogs, it sometimes works. If it's a monogamous person going poly, well, that's how a lot of poly people get started. In either case, it's risky and can lead to disaster.

  41. Is family planning a good advice to anyone with financial difficulties?

    I mean it just feels like an excuse to ignore the systemic problems of capitalism in favor of restricting yourself to do other things of personal interests in life

    Sorry, are we using the same definition of "family planning?" Because to my understanding it has to do with getting - or not getting - pregnant, and I don't follow the connection to capitalism you're making.

  42. If my two housemates seems to be whispering behind my back for just a simple cough but they don't mind another housemate who does the same thing...

    What should i do?

    burn the house down

  43. "Women are all not the same, men are all the same."

    That's why people say all men are the same

    Right?

    omg you finally proved that feminism is fake you mad bastard

  44. it’s not in an edgelord’s self interest to act against their class interests. do you really think they’re benefiting themselves?

    "benefit" is not a single axis concept. what they are doing satisfies them in some way, and that's why they do it. really, it's irrelevant whether they benefit, only that they *believe* they'll benefit.

    touched on this at greater length here: https://curiouscat.me/InnuendoStudios/post/721927538

  45. Which communist leader is your favourite? Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin or Mao?

    hbomberguy

  46. Don't democrat representatives themselves have interest to see more non-white voting?

    in response to Do you think the new congress can/will do something effective to counter the republican voter disenfranchisement tactics? Like introduce medicare-for-all and tie it to a federal issued photo ID that is automatically given to each citizen, or make voting day a national holiday?

    I don't know why Democrats don't make combating voter suppression one of their top campaign goals. They're certainly doing more than Republicans are, but it's not a point the whole Party rallies around. It seems like a no-brainer. But I have some suspicions.

    For one, Democrats over-focus on appealing to Centrists. They think of campaigning as both Parties having their bases locked down and fighting over the people - usually white people - on the fence. They don't put much attention on empowering their base. I suspect part of this is the worry that doing anything for Black people will alienate the coveted white Centrists, the fabled "white working class," and they don't think the Black people they gain will outnumber the white Centrists they'll lose. Doesn't seem matter that this KEEPS COSTING THEM ELECTIONS or that the only Democrats to win the Presidency in 40 years did so by courting the Black vote. They just keep chasing those mythical Centrists.

    Thing is, you can't just give Black people the vote, you have to give them policies they want to vote for. The Black vote is not a guarantee, and Democrats are still predominantly white and routinely fail to champion racial causes. They rarely have more to offer Black voters than "who the hell else are you gonna vote for?" And then they scold Black voters for staying home on election day.

    The more cynical side of me also suspects that Democrats are hesitant to break up voter suppression systems because they might want to use them someday. I mean, what if they're supporting a policy that Black people won't like? Maybe it would be in their interest then that those DMVs are shut down. Or, slightly less cynically: Who's to say they won't shut down some DMVs in Republican neighborhoods? Maybe they don't want to illegalize gerrymandering because they might need it to create some more Democrat districts someday.

    I don't have any evidence of these suspicions, but I fear they may be true for at least *some* Dems.

  47. Where do you draw the line between beliefs and values? To what extent do values determine what people will believe vs to what extent can new information or a change in beliefs alter someone's values?

    If we define "values" as a person's moral systems, and "beliefs" as referring to what they think is true, I would say that, in areas where you have consciously interrogated what is right and wrong, beliefs follow values, and, anything you haven't interrogated, values follow beliefs.

    Or, to be less obtuse: people, by default, tend to believe whatever they need to believe to keep living the life they're already living. Everyone assumes that they are a good person, so they deduce that whatever they're doing is probably right. And they will more readily accept any information that confirms this. People believe arguments that fit their ideology. And, if their behaviors have to change for logistical reasons, they will unconsciously adapt their ideology to justify the new behavior. But, when you stop and challenge a particular value, ask, "is this *really* moral or is it just familiar?", then people sometimes change their values, and then their beliefs and actions tend to change as well.

    Unchallenged beliefs dictate values, and challenged beliefs are dictated by them.

  48. Do you think the new congress can/will do something effective to counter the republican voter disenfranchisement tactics? Like introduce medicare-for-all and tie it to a federal issued photo ID that is automatically given to each citizen, or make voting day a national holiday?

    in response to oh!!! shit that sounds bad :\ here you can just to city hall and waste your morning in line to get the id renewed. But how is this specifically against minorities, instead of people who keeps forgetting to renew their id?

    I don't prognosticate.

    Some of the new politicians are more vocally supportive of those positions, and we are in a better place to push them through since the midterms. The necessary step is, is the *public* putting pressure on the Democrats to do it?

  49. Do you think there’s any way to judge the progress we’ve made on social issue? I feel like one second we have Terry Crews testifying in front of congress about toxic masculinity and gaining unanimous support, the next second assholes start pouring out to condemn how the Gillete ad (featuring Terry Crews) “hates men” and how “toxic masculinity” is made up by feminists to demonize men. This doesn’t change my stance at all, it just gets me wondering if there could ever be any “win” for the progressive movement.

    There's an adage that goes:

    First they ignore you
    Then they laugh at you
    Then they fight you
    Then you win

    The fact that they are fighting us means they know ignoring us and laughing at us aren't enough. They recognize we are a threat. That is measure of progress.

  50. is the "up-to-date period" particularly short? can you drive without an up to date driver-license (if DMV is the Department of Motor Vehicles)?

    in response to i've just watched Kyle Kalgreen's excellent video on Birth of a Nation, and I got reminded of the weirdest way american government is racist against minorities, which is asking for photo id to vote: as someone coming from a nation that requires a photo id + the special voting card to vote, it's always very hard to wrap my mind around how that's a calculated move against minorities (my nation is majority white, so much so that saying "white" in our language is not synonim for the race in power). Don't you guys need photos for id's? Are your id's cards more valuable than ours (they're just pieces of papers with a photo on it, seriously, we're that behind the time, it's a nightmare when you're taking a flight cus other nations don't recognize them) so you have an incentive to keep them at home and not with you at all times?? (also i did google this but the answers i find is "yes it is" with no context..). thanks!!!!!!

    It varies by state, but, if you get pulled over with an expired license, or even one with inaccurate information (like it has an address where you don't live anymore), you can get a fine or have your insurance go up. Repeat offenses can get you arrested.

  51. where do you see yourself in
    three to five years?

    fam I dunno where I'm gonna be in 3-5 hours

  52. From a tactics POV, if the misinformation I'm correcting comes out of someone well known like Dinesh D'Souza or Trump, who have obvious incentives to lie and don't care about criticism, is it better to mention that they're lying jackasses, or will that come off as being too biased, and so would be dismissed by some people, even though it's true and puts their positions in a greater context?

    in response to Hi. So while I'm not actively looking for alt right people to argue with on Twitter, if I see a bad take while I'm scrolling past, I'll correct it and link to some relevant sources. I try (keyword "try", sometimes I get really upset) to take the stance that maybe they've honestly never left their bubble before, so I want to be open to conversation. But every time I've gotten responses back, it's always that my sources are biased, or that I haven't read this one specific instance where the opposite event occurred. How can I change someone's mind if they don't bother to honestly engage with me?

    I've said elsewhere that people believe the truth easier when you don't frame it as a debate with a liar.

  53. oh!!! shit that sounds bad :\ here you can just to city hall and waste your morning in line to get the id renewed. But how is this specifically against minorities, instead of people who keeps forgetting to renew their id?

    in response to i've just watched Kyle Kalgreen's excellent video on Birth of a Nation, and I got reminded of the weirdest way american government is racist against minorities, which is asking for photo id to vote: as someone coming from a nation that requires a photo id + the special voting card to vote, it's always very hard to wrap my mind around how that's a calculated move against minorities (my nation is majority white, so much so that saying "white" in our language is not synonim for the race in power). Don't you guys need photos for id's? Are your id's cards more valuable than ours (they're just pieces of papers with a photo on it, seriously, we're that behind the time, it's a nightmare when you're taking a flight cus other nations don't recognize them) so you have an incentive to keep them at home and not with you at all times?? (also i did google this but the answers i find is "yes it is" with no context..). thanks!!!!!!

    Which neighborhoods do you think they close DMVs in?

  54. Hi. So while I'm not actively looking for alt right people to argue with on Twitter, if I see a bad take while I'm scrolling past, I'll correct it and link to some relevant sources. I try (keyword "try", sometimes I get really upset) to take the stance that maybe they've honestly never left their bubble before, so I want to be open to conversation. But every time I've gotten responses back, it's always that my sources are biased, or that I haven't read this one specific instance where the opposite event occurred. How can I change someone's mind if they don't bother to honestly engage with me?

    They don't have a bad belief system because they've been misinformed; they believe misinformation because they have a bad belief system. Belief systems can change, but almost never from a stranger on the internet. People can only shift ideology when there is trust and respect built with the person trying to do the shifting.

    If you don't have that relationship with the person, do what you can to reach the people they are spreading misinformation to, but leave them alone as best you can. The work that needs to be done can't be done by you.

  56. How do you feel about EVO dropping melee from their line up,

    bad

  57. Wait then,

    What ACTUAL event were the announcer referring to??

    in response to Fancy seeing a lightsaber tournament as an official Olympics sporting event? https://www.facebook.com/KUSINews/videos/2109081585840732/

    They were describing lightsaber fighting as a form of fencing where you're actually trying to tap your opponent. What we were watching was a choreographed performance.

    Frankly, I'd be more hyped for *that* being the Olympic sport, like doubles figure skating.

  58. i've just watched Kyle Kalgreen's excellent video on Birth of a Nation, and I got reminded of the weirdest way american government is racist against minorities, which is asking for photo id to vote: as someone coming from a nation that requires a photo id + the special voting card to vote, it's always very hard to wrap my mind around how that's a calculated move against minorities (my nation is majority white, so much so that saying "white" in our language is not synonim for the race in power). Don't you guys need photos for id's? Are your id's cards more valuable than ours (they're just pieces of papers with a photo on it, seriously, we're that behind the time, it's a nightmare when you're taking a flight cus other nations don't recognize them) so you have an incentive to keep them at home and not with you at all times?? (also i did google this but the answers i find is "yes it is" with no context..). thanks!!!!!!

    A legally valid photo ID has to be issued by the DMV, and has to be up-to-date. So the trick is to require photo IDs before voting and then shut down DMVs in the area.

  59. Fancy seeing a lightsaber tournament as an official Olympics sporting event?

    https://www.facebook.com/KUSINews/videos/2109081585840732/

    That's a weird video, because the competitive sport the announcers are describing is not the clearly choreographed performance we are watching.

  60. We need a cadre of political betters to lead the masses. I had come to see you and other YouTubers as potential leaders but it's disappointing that you wash your hands of so many issues domestically and internationally.

    How do you expect to become a cadre or a political leader if you run away from so many questions?

    You have a platform that people look to and listen and wait for your every word for action. You should use it for action much more often. I'm not asking you to start organizing. We have community organizers and AOC for that. But your platform (with a large waiting political audience mind you) should be constantly given directives more than just the alt-rights playbook.

    I don't cotton to the idea of "a cadre of political betters to lead the masses," that's the kind of hierarchical thinking that fascists latch onto to hijack movements. The masses are the movement.

    I don't "wash my hands" of domestic or international issues, I simply don't opine on things I haven't researched. Shooting my mouth off on issues of which I am ignorant isn't praxis.

    I would encourage action if I knew which actions to encourage. You can't solve problems you don't understand, so I begin with trying to understand.

    I also tire of people who think revolutionary action consists of finding people with a bigger platform and telling them to start the revolution. If that were my MO, I would just yell at the vlogbrothers and call myself a guerilla.

  61. You were probably just kidding about being miserable, but if you're feeling too overwhelmed then maybe a vacation is needed?

    I'm a Millennial. What are these "vacations" of which you speak?

  62. Seems (emphasis on "seems") like Youtube has finally done something to the algorithm to make it stop recommending reactionary channels (I'd send you the link but curiouscat won't let me for some reason, so just google "YouTube stops recommending alt-right channels" on Digital Social Contract). Guess the breadtube revolution will start soon. Don't forget us when you're at 1 mil subs!

    I've seen that circling around. I'm still waiting to see how it plays out.

  63. So 100% serious question.

    Listening to the Fascism video from the Alt Right Playbook and I have this question that comes to mind.

    Are Power Exchange Dynamics inherently fascist? Are they not fascist just authoritarian? Or does the consensual focus of such dynamics keep them from being either and only taking on the appearance of them by virtue of how they are formed.

    Yes, yes, I know I'm applying governance to personal relationships, which is always a recipe for disaster and derptitude but .... this is my brain on your videos during workouts.

    I'm no expert, but the BDSM community has so many structures in place to delineate between power exchange within a scene vs. unhealthy dynamics in the relationship, so many expectations for how you are supposed to care for your partner once a scene ends, so many unique terms for different shades of power imbalance, that I really don't think power exchange is inherently fascist. Frankly, I think our government could learn a lot from our personal relationships.

  64. It’s the end of a month, so I’m excited for the Leftist Videos Deluge

    It's the end of the month, so all your lefty YouTube favs are miserable and underslept.

  65. How are unions not simply another layer of management that takes a cut of the workers surplus value?

    Because, in a union, you are granted power in exchange for your dues. Your boss just makes money off you.

  66. Do you support Louis Farrakhan?

    No.

  67. The SPLC has listed Black Nationalism as an extremist hate group. Do you disagree with their categorization?

    No, the SPLC lists Black nationalism as an ideology, and lists a number of extremist groups that fall under that umbrella, while also stressing that many kinds of anti-racist, non-extremist groups are also part of Black nationalism.

    Do your research.

  68. Can black people be racist?

    People who do even a little study into race theory will be acquainted with the difference between racial prejudice - having negative feelings for a group based on their race, which anyone can feel - and racism, which is when that prejudice is systemic. So a necessary component of racism is oppression. Now, that's not the way our (usually white) elementary school teachers taught us to use the word, but when people say "African-Americans can't be racist," that's what they mean: in the US, Black people are not in a position to oppress anyone. If anyone doesn't like the phrase "Black people can't be racist" because it sounds like saying it's OK for a Black person to hate people for being white, or Mexican, or Asian, just replace the term in your head with "oppressive" or whatever word makes you feel better about it.

    Black people can be racist in countries where they hold institutional power, but "which countries are mean to white people" isn't something I've felt a pressing need to look into.

  70. Who are a group you would advocate violence towards?

    boxers, obvs

  71. What's your endgame for your political beliefs exactly? Like, what do you actually want society to look like?

    I've been very clear about this.

  72. white nationalism is only one thing but black nationalism suddenly means a lot of things?

    in response to What do you think of black nationalism?

    Yes, because "white nationalism," as a term, was only chosen to rebrand racism and make it sound as broad and multi-faceted as Black nationalism.

  73. Where would all the centrists go? To the Right?

    in response to So in your last answer it sounds like you still have hope for the democrats, what do you think needs to happen to clean up the democratic party?

    The Right does nothing to appeal to centrists and they keep winning elections, so clearly what centrists do doesn't matter very much. We might find that centrists actually respect a Party that has an actual plan for the future instead of just being loosely against all the terrible stuff the other Party is doing.

  74. I asked you about your feelings re: Joss Whedon a good while back, where you mentioned that Serenity is comfort food for you. I love the movie too, viscerally, but I was wondering: Do you think Serenity works as a MOVIE (rather than a larger-than-average budget series finale)? Like, people coming into the cinema off the street seeing this as a complete experience?

    They certainly attempt to re-introduce everything, but I'm doubtful at how successfully they actually manage it - I can't judge clearly, because I *do* have those 15 hours of preceding story and character (I know you do too, so there's some speculation about outside experience involved).

    In general, do you think it's possible to create a big screen continuation - NOT reboot - of a TV show that has a fairly even chance of satisfying pre-existing fans and newcomers?

    I know people who watched Serenity without seeing Firefly and loved it, so I guess it works? In my opinion, there are too many beats that don't make sense without that context, and the structure is really convoluted. But it's good!

    And, sure, I think making big screen continuations is entirely workable. I think it's easiest if the movie is just another story in that universe, and not meant to pay off threads from the show. This is how the better Star Trek movies work, for instance.

  75. So in your last answer it sounds like you still have hope for the democrats, what do you think needs to happen to clean up the democratic party?

    Stop trying to build coalitions with centrists and start building coalitions with leftists.

Anon commented:
Ian replied: