Thread by @FDsignifier

Let me explain why deplatforming reactionaries IS much better than "defeating them in the marketplace of ideas" 🧵

So im going to avoid the low hanging fruit of pointing out that im not sure that open debate actually serves to "defeat" ideas. There are many uses for debate. I'll say it again for the 100th time. Debate is useful in many contexts.

But in terms of spreading or limiting the spread of ideas, a panel with a liberal, a neo nazi, and a moderate is not going to do a ton to move the needle on certain issues outside of generating drama content and adsense

Sneako "debated" like 500 people and NEVER changed and neither did his fanbase. He was very clearly riding a wave there was no "defeating" sneako he was only growing off of our efforts to "defeat" his ideas.

The same is said for almost all of these career reactionaries who have been "exposed" like 1000 times. Debate is useful but Destiny had Sneako on his channel for like a month straight cause it was good content that generated views. FOH with this "marketplace of ideas" nonsense.

However deplatforming completely kills these reactionaries in short periods because it takes them out of their content/drama ecosystem and exposes their lack of actual talent and original thought and they eventually starve to death

From my perspective political streamer/debate/reaction genre is dependent on basically 2 things.

1- A strong personality that people are drawn to
2- Content to react to

The vast majority of the people in this genre while talented in many ways are generally not making doing a lot of truly original work. At most they will develop a piece or have a reaction that has an extensive core theme behind it which kinda falls into the "commentary" genre

But the biggest draw of this type of content is reaction/drama, or even better reaction TO drama. Extra points if THEY are the drama.

And this is universal. Big trending topics are always gonna pull more eyeballs. People love drama, it is what it is. Breadtube would not exists if it didn't appeal to left leaning people's visceral desire for emotional engagement.

There's a reason why every breadtuber with a large audience has one Ben Shapiro/Jordan Peterson video.

(New F.D Signifier "Anti Ben Shapiro video" dropping 10/17 btw. It's gonna be a classic)

And this is why guys like Sneako and Tate and others were so obviously purposely inflammatory and over the top. They knew that the more ridiculous they were the more drama it would cause and the more people would talk about them. To an extent we HAVE to.

Then once people talk about them they can react to the people talking about them, which gets more people to talk and the cycle continues.

But that's ONLY when they are IN the eco system.

Outside of the ecosystem where their words don't reach as big of an audience, they legit don't get a reaction. They don't get a reaction, they don't get to react to the reaction. If they don't get to react to the reaction they can't cause drama...

I had NEVER heard of sneako until my viewers asked me about him. Then i watched some of him and then i had to respond. I actually deleted my live talking about Sneako cause i was annoyed with participating in this cycle of drama.

But if they can't cause drama...

The don't have shit else to say most of the time

They dont require a response

They don't get paid

Their audience goes elsewhere

How long do you think Sneako and Tate's audience of 12 year old boys are going to sit around and here them talk about smacking women and denying covid? Eventually they will finish puberty and move on with their lives.

Once that happens they'll be Milo Yianoplous or Richard Spenser, and at worst there will be new clowns running the same grift on the next generation of prepubescent boys.

This is actually what makes Sneako's case sad cause if he wasn't so thirsty for clout he could have built his career slowly doing what he was doing and still been successful. Everyone keeps telling me Sneako's older content was genuinely good.

We all want that Aaron Sorkin TV moment where we or our favorite commentator "dunks" on some right wing idiot with an awesome speech that fully puts them in their place. This shit isn't real.

And to be clear i am not happy to base my livelihood on a giant corporations sustained agreement that my content shouldn't be deplatformed. I've already had more than a few run ins... but im not doing covid denial or platforming Neo Nazis so i think I'll be ok for the time being

The power and ethics of big tech is definitely a topic worthy of "debate". But please get out of your own ass about it being bad that (insert clown here) doesn't get to repeat the same talking points over and over again.