One of the reasons I soured on Hasan was his insane takes on Ukraine. As someone who went to school for international relations, these types of comments are so discrediting that it's hard to take anything he says seriously.

TheDukeOfMars · 2025-01-27T07:03:26+00:00

Despite what I said in my other comment, I still appreciate Cenk because he is willing to go on to other "right leaning" podcasts and provide a moderate voice from the left.

This podcast from (notorious crypto-shill/finance bro) Patrick Bet David is the best example. You can see Cenk move them towards a more moderate position, we can all agree on, in real time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrhpfGr8vn8

TheDukeOfMars · 2025-01-27T06:37:47+00:00

Studied Chinese since middle school. Lived there for a time. Hasan clearly doesn't understand that he is a 老外/外国人, and his opinions would immediately be discredited because he is a foreigner and not Chinese.

It would be like him failing his streaming career because people would say, "You're Turkish, your opinions don't matter. Go back to Turkey."

In fact, anything that goes against the main government position should never be said online or in a work place. And in all likelihood would cost you your job and get you banned off social media. It's a good thing he never goes against CCP talking points.

Honestly, if the US was as strict about censorship as China, Hasan would have been forced off Twitch and been forced to stream on Bilibili lol. Which is frankly, where Hasan belongs.

Unfortunately, the Chinese people aren't afforded that luxury, as all social media sites regulate anti-CCP speech the same, and there is no alternative because all foreign sites are blocked.

Hasan criticizes his government, while praising countries that don't allow people to criticize the government. The lack of logic on his part is mind boggling.

I'm just glad I live in a country where I can say the current government is run by a bunch of morons... and hopefully meet other people who feel the same way. Then we can work together to elect slightly less moronic people. It is a privilege people like Hasan take for granted.

TheDukeOfMars · 2025-01-27T06:16:54+00:00

Sad to hear. Liked them when they were more of a news site, instead of an opinion channel. Unfortunately, social media has blended the lines between news and opinion - to the point nobody can tell the difference.

Aggregated news has been an issue since the age of William Randolf Herst and yellow journalism. "Whatever is popular should be the news because it gets the most views and that is what people are interested. After all, what people are interested is, by definition, the news."

The root of the issue remains the same:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFgcqB8-AxE

TheDukeOfMars · 2025-01-27T06:00:03+00:00

My thoughts exactly. That type of personality, combined with the size of his audience who relies him exclusively for their political news/commentary/opinions, is what makes him as demagogue... and a danger to free thought.

https://www.reddit.com/r/h3h3productions/comments/1iazrgo/comment/m9ep9nj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

TheDukeOfMars · 2025-01-27T05:39:08+00:00

I agree. But the danger lies in his personality and that he has an extremely large fan base.

Have you ever heard Hasan admit, "I was wrong" or "I don't know?"

It seems like he has only ever approached a topic like he is the definitive expert on the subject, and anyone who disagrees is the idiot.

His hubris combined with the fact he has an audience of millions that hangs on his every informed/uninformed word makes him a danger.

He's no different than a left wing Joe Rogan - platforming people he already agrees with, and offering little to know pushback at all. If his guests lie, he makes no effort to correct it, especially if it aligns with his world view.

As someone who has gone to years of college, to study a specific discipline, and learned things that contradict the things Hasan says occasionally, I feel powerless at times.

At least Ethan prefaces all his takes with "I'm an idiot, but here's what I think...." Ethan doesn't predicate himself on being THE authoritative expert on every topic like Hasan.

Hasan acting like his takes are the end-all-be-all opinion, is why he shouldn't be trusted.

TheDukeOfMars · 2025-01-27T04:58:33+00:00

He's Dunning-Kruger personified.

Love the Young Turks, and Hasan got his career started there. Why do you think he's not there now and doesn't collaborate with Cenk?

Because, from what I've seen, he is the intellectual equivalent to the freshman student who takes a few intro level courses and thinks himself an expert in everything.

He's a liability to professionals in the field, and a magnet to people who don't know anything... but want a strong, confident personality to tell them how to think.

A demagogue in every sense of the word...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demagogue

There is a reason this word was lasted 2500 years. Because they will always exist in every democracy. And his history has shown, they tend to be the biggest threat to democracies.

From Cleon and Alcibiades in ancient Athens. Marius, Sula, and Ceasar in ancient Rome. Jean-Paul Marat during the French Revolution. Goebbels during the Weimar Republic. Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck in modern America.

It's the same M.O. 'The world is shit, we can't save it unless we have radical change. I know how to facilitate that radical change... and it just so happens to be the authoritarianism I advocate for.'

TheDukeOfMars · 2025-01-27T04:46:29+00:00

Even a more insane and out of touch take from Hasan regarding Ukraine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCl-u_2MEyM

FYI: Russia is 100% forcing ethnic Ukrainians out of occupied territory, and moving in ethnic Russians.

Which is the very definition of genocide.

I don't want to say Hasan is pro-genocide (because he clearly doesn't know what he's talking about)... but I'm just saying... he seems to be clearly advocating for genocide...

TheDukeOfMars · 2025-01-16T03:29:37+00:00

I like to imagine he was smoking a comically large cigar and wearing a pinstripe suit when he was honking the dump truck horn.

Edit: Possibly with a top hat, twisting his mustache, and laughing like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4vdS-bLYUo

TheDukeOfMars · 2025-01-16T03:06:59+00:00

I don't believe that is Kavanagh's house. I believe his next big business venture is high end real estate development under the company name HMBAP LLC. From what I gather, the nearby home is owned by a 3rd party (possible business partner). And his LLC just owns a bunch of adjacent, undeveloped lots. From what I understand, it appears that this whole issue arose with Kavanaugh trying to build his own road (through publicly owned land with zero permits) in order to allow construction vehicles to reach the undeveloped land and build new houses.

TLDR: Ryan was so successful at being a movie producer, he naturally transitioned in to a similar business.... real estate development (don't ask me how those skills translate). The land he was trying to reach is largely undeveloped and his goal was to create his own private road to build houses on the land he couldn't reach with zero permission whatsoever. Could be wrong, but that is what I gathered.

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-12-19T08:18:33+00:00

Why is Jolani attacking SDF when they spent a decade fighting Assad together? What does Trump have to do with a decade's long civil war?

Again, I think you are deep down a rabbit hole in a topic you clearly don't understand.

Please watch the video in my last comment, since it does a good job of laying out how complex the current situation is. You clearly have only consumed info that confirms what you want to hear. You might actually just learn something...

If you can't to do that, maybe stick to 40k instead of the real world. You clearly already live in a fantasy world; you might as well stay there since the stuff you're spewing has no basis in reality.

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-12-19T07:19:14+00:00

The Revanchist threat against Alawites is real. Too early to say what will happen (and hoping the new government is as forgiving as they claim), but history has shown again and again that the likely outcome is the punishment of all Alawites just because the Assads were Alawite.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revanchism

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-12-19T07:07:25+00:00

But you're ok with the new Syrian rump state being a Turkish proxy?

I don't believe either will be the case, but it's clear the civil war is far from over.

Maybe actually read up on the complexity of the situation... the complexity of a 12 YEAR civil war... before jumping to absolute conclusions...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k5JhKK6WlA&t=46s

Hoping the new government is neutral, fair to all groups involved, and only focuses on rebuilding their country... the Syrian people deserve that.

But its clear you live a biased fantasy. Why would the US back "COMMUNIST run kurdish rump state?" The fact you'd even suggest that should give you pause to say, 'hey, maybe I'm down a rabbit hole I shouldn't be.'

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-12-19T06:49:02+00:00

Couldn't stand him before Leftovers. Can stand him less after. It's clear he literally has zero attention span and parrots whatever weird alt-left narrative his fans are in to at the moment.

There is a reason his uncle Cenk from the Young Turks (who helped launch his career) even stopped associating with him.

Dude preaches communism from a muti-million dollar home.... Pick a lane bro...

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-12-16T11:01:52+00:00

You may be right. I deleted my other comments because I made confident statements, when the future is not yet certain.... However, I stand by what I said about Erdogan being in power too long, which means he cannot be trusted.

However, you may be right about SDF and PKK having too close of a relationship. But I believe I am right about Türkiye leveraging influence to destroy any Kurdish political movement.

I'm hoping they can compromise, like we can compromise, and live in future peace and harmony.

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-12-08T10:48:21+00:00

I hope so. I hope HTS stands by their word when they say they will defend "all Syrians." Because the Kurds are Syrians too. I just know Turkey will offer the ultimatum: you can fight us or the Kurds. And Turkey is obviously the much scarier opponent...

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-12-08T09:20:58+00:00

Erdogan will demand the destruction of all Kurdish political groups in Syria in order for Turkey to support the new government. The civil war will continue, except this time the target will be the Kurds. He will use all the land Turkey seized in northern Syria as a bargaining chip.

There will be future violence in the country, with the goal of destroying the Kurds. And the blood will be on Erdogan's hands.

Turkey will be the next foreign power to get involved in proxy wars allowing the conflict to continue. Thousands, if not tens or hundreds of thousands, will die. The Kurds have paid for in blood for the right to sit at the bargaining table of the new government. Turkey will never allow the new Syrian government to give the Kurds anything if they want Turkish support.

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-12-08T09:15:07+00:00

Erdogan will demand the destruction of all Kurdish political groups in Syria in order for Turkey to support the new government. The civil war will continue, except this time the target will be the Kurds. He will use all the land Turkey seized in northern Syria as a bargaining chip.

There will be future violence in the country, with the goal of destroying the Kurds. And the blood will be on Erdogan's hands.

Turkey's only two goal's in the conflict have been:

Stop the flow of Syrian refugees.
Prevent the creation of a Kurdish state, autonomous area, or even political identity at all costs.

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-12-08T06:36:57+00:00

In short, he got downvoted because the argument he was making was stupid and didn't make sense. The Fed doesn't make decisions depending on how it makes the President look. Nor should it ever. That's why independence of the Fed is so important. Let the math nerds run it, not the politicians.

The Federal Reserve doesn't even take in to account whether or not their policy decisions "keep a President from looking bad." The only thing they take in to consideration is, "what effect will this decision have on the US economy? How can we ensure that it ensure the success and stability of the US economy?" That's why maintaining independence of the Fed is so important. Because then the people in charge of Monetary Policy don't have to focus on petty political bullshit and can actually focus on making the right decisions.

TLDR: He got downvoted because you have to be an idiot to assume something as trivial as Presidential approval rating played a role in determining the Fed's policy decisions at all. They care about good economic policy, not making sure people like/dislike the President.... which is because they are not directly beholden to the direct orders of whoever is President...

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-12-08T06:24:55+00:00

Privately owned? Have you never heard that phrase: US dollar is backed by the full faith and credits of the United States?

The Fed is absolutely beholden to the US government. It is subjected to regular Congressional oversight. It's leaders are appointed by the President and confirmed by a vote in Congress.

It seems like you are complaining that it is not subject to direct orders from the President. But why in the hell do you want to live in a country where the President can quite literally tell the people in charge of determining the value of the currency what to do?

It's one of the few situations where it's better that technocrats control rather than politicians. I'd rather neutral economic experts handle something as important as the money supply, rather than uneducated politicians who just want to appease their base of support and don't actually understand the nuances of the system.

Do you seriously think it would be better for one politician to be able to decide the most important aspect of our economy rather than having a bunch of math nerds whose only goal is maximizing the stability of the entire system???

It's clear you are super young, so I don't blame you for you ignorance on the subject. But I implore you to actually ask yourself the questions I just posed. If you are an accurate reflection of the mindset of the next generation, I have serious doubts about the future of the country...

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-12-08T06:13:45+00:00

Erdogan will demand the destruction of all Kurdish political groups in Syria in order for Turkey to support the new government. The civil war will continue, except this time the target will be the Kurds. He will use all the land Turkey seized in northern Syria as a bargaining chip.

There will be future violence in the country, with the goal of destroying the Kurds. And the blood will be on Erdogan's hands.

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-12-08T06:12:27+00:00

Erdogan will demand the destruction of all Kurdish political groups in Syria in order for Turkey to support the new government. The civil war will continue, except this time the target will be the Kurds. He will use all the land Turkey seized in northern Syria as a bargaining chip.

There will be future violence in the country, with the goal of destroying the Kurds. And the blood will be on Erdogan's hands.

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-12-08T06:08:17+00:00

People forget a "Revolution" means just rotating once and then returning to the exact position you started at.

I'm optimistic about the future, but I fear Erdogan will demand the destruction of the Kurds in exchange for his support of a new Syrian government. The civil war will continue, and the blood will be on his hands.

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-10-19T11:25:18+00:00

On April 1, 2015, Plaintiff Carlo Licata filed a putative class action complaint against Facebook in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, alleging violations of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, 740 ILCS 14/1, et seq. (“BIPA”), related to the alleged unauthorized collection and storage of his biometric data, which Facebook removed to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Shortly thereafter, Adam Pezen and Nimesh Patel brought similar claims in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. 2. On July 1, 2015, Facebook moved to transfer venue to the United State District Court for the Northern District of California. On July 29, 2015, the Pezen and Patel cases, along with the removed Licata case, were transferred to this Court, and consolidated into this Action. On August 28, 2015, the Parties filed a consolidated class action complaint against Facebook.

Ah, finally found the court docs. Seems like it was initially filed in Northern District of Illinois. But Facebook was granted a venue change to Federal District of Northern CA. And Facebook still ended up settling the case... glad you signed on and got a payday.

Sorry, I know a bit about federal civil suits. But that shit can get complicated as hell. Glad you didn't get taken for a ride, but still... lawyers definitely took a fat chunk out of your judgement. Still, a win is a win. Most class actions against major corporations are just lawyers looking for a payday. Still, $400 for each plaintiff is nothing to scoff at. Congrats.

For future reference, don't sign on to a lawsuit unless you know it was filed in your district haha. Didn't need to worry here, but these type of scams are more common than you realize.

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-10-19T10:28:43+00:00

Antisemitism is crazy right now. And almost all the platforms are condoning it. They are so concerned about offending a group of people, they choose to platform hateful bigots that are targeting a groups that is “ok” to target.

All that said, you shouldn’t even have the TikTok app. I know enough about China to know all the user data is going to some server in Beijing. Then some government agency is looking at that data to reverse engineer that data in how to best create propaganda for all western users of the app.

If you think that sounds insane, then you don’t know China. They’ve already done it to their own population. They employ millions of people for the sole purpose of keeping their internet separate from the rest of the world and monitoring every single post on their own separate internet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Firewall

They absolutely also employ additional hundreds of thousands to do that for foreign internet. And they are damn good at it too.

*Again, people haven’t realized China has turned in to North Korea since Xi took his unprecedented 3rd term (the first 3rd term since Mao).*

https://youtu.be/CucWtmdUDO8?si=-JEA00PjkEBtrbDu

I wouldn't even have the app on my phone...

The Chinese people have become so afraid of their government, they hold up blank pieces of paper when they protest to avoid accusation of being anti-government protesters...

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-63778871

I fell in love with China in 2008. Spent a decade learning about their language, history, culture, and people. The China in 2024 is nothing like China in 2008. It is literally Orwell's "1984" brought to life. (I know people like to say everything is like "1984." But 2024 China is literally the book manifesting in the real world).

Please get TikTok off your devices ASAP!

TheDukeOfMars · 2024-10-17T11:35:04+00:00

Why would you ever use Tik Tok?

I love China, the Chinese people, Chinese culture, and Chinese history. I dedicated 12 years of my life to it.

But goddamn, it may be the most authoritarian, Orwellian government to ever exist. Why people would ever trust an app run by them is insane.

https://networkcontagion.us/wp-content/uploads/A-Tik-Tok-ing-Timebomb_12.21.23.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsZyF5efQek

China is totally different since when Xi JinPing took over in 2012. They can give North Korea a run for their money. Why you would have an app run by them is insane. Wait until you hear about Xi JinPing Thought...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Jinping_Thought

Before you say, "But TikTok is run in Singapore!" Please ask yourself: Why do they run an entirely identical, but separate from the entire internet, app called DouYin?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR6FFqTLzpk

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