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getting your opinions entirely from stand-up comics, Bigfoot forums, and various men named Dave might not be the optimal method for acquiring knowledge

  • Keeponstalin@lemmy.world
    10·
    22 hours ago

    I would always defend the US as a force for good in the democratic world (albeit a very flawed one) and highlight that compared to other major powers (russia, china), the US has been involved in a very good outcomes (post WW2 Germany/Japan, Polands and the Baltic nations after the breakup of the USSR).

    As an American who used to think that until I learned about the unabridged history of US domestic and foreign policy, the US has absolutely not been a force for good. In many, many cases, far from it.

    Knowing Better has many well made videos on the domestic side, including company towns, neoslavery, and the Indian removal.

    The US Doesn’t Meddle in Foreign Affairs

    America’s worldwide empire is made up of military bases, & how it became that way

    Every Place America Has Bombed (and why)

    United States involvement in regime change

    In addition to the history of propping up fascist dictators for the benefit of US corporate business, the US has also backed and materially support multiple genocides

    East Timor, Korea, Bangladesh, and Indonesia are the ones I know of. In addition to, of course, the ongoing genocide of Palestine.

    There is of course also the war crimes the US has committed against the populations of Afghanistan, Cuba, Korea, Iraq, and Cambodia. Among many others

    But Rogan’s behaviour is an example of degeneracy. True degeneracy. Not degenerate as a random insult or say the term “degenerate gambler”, but the actual term like in the dictionary. A regressive, undesirable behaviour that is an affront to the development of human society. And this is perhaps the largest media personality in the US.

    This has nothing to do with degeneracy. Outside of STEM, this term has no real use. ‘Social Degeneracy’ goes back to scientific racism and eugenics and has been used historically to dehumanize.

    Rogan, and practically every other alt-right podcaster, are reactionary and conservative. They are pro capitalism. Even when they acknowledge the material harms that people face, since they can’t rightfully recognize that capitalist exploitation is the root cause, they instead scapegoat minority groups such as immigrants, lgbt+, and pro-palestinian protesters.

    • Skiluros@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      3·
      16 hours ago

      Let’s leave the role of the US alone for now. I was just sharing my perspective in context or recent developments.

      I can see how the term degeneracy could be seen as loaded in the US context.

      But then my question would be, how would you describe Rogan’s behaviour and the fact that this particular act had zero impact on Rogan’s popularity? One could say that at the very least his following (and he is one of the largest media personalities in his home country) is tolerant of such acts.

      I would even go as far as saying that in other cultures even conservatives would share my views about the regressive nature of Rogan’s behaviour and the tolerance of his following for such antics.

      • Keeponstalin@lemmy.world
        2·
        2 hours ago

        how would you describe Rogan’s behaviour and the fact that this particular act had zero impact on Rogan’s popularity?

        It’s absolutely concerning. Rogan, aware or not, is promoting fasist propaganda and revisionism.

        The alt-right influence online has played, and continues to, normalize this kind of fascism for many people in the US. The systematic erosion of the education system in America, not just higher but all the way to elementary, has played a major role in this. Not for Joe, that may be the WWE lol, but certainly for the audience. The atomization of people also play a big role IMO. People have far fewer friends and groups IRL nowadays. I think that is absolutely making parasocial relationships, like with podcasters (or any other online personality) far more common than it would be otherwise.