The radical center....

[RadioRaheem84]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kaqbVSEPfRc#!

When I watch videos with these types of yuppie hipsters going from country to country outlining the whole nature of the problem these nations face as cultural or ideological, I tend to think that there is an emergence of what Tariq Ali called "the radical center". These are types that literally use humor, sardonic and sarcastic quips and faux investigative journalism to creative a narrative that puts them at the moral center battling between the "extremes" of society.

I enjoy some of their shows like Vice but hate The Young Turks, The John Stewart Show, Bill Maher, and Don't Tell My Mom with the smug Diego Bunuel. I hate it when they use words like "far left" and make socialism out to be this great idea on paper but always assert that we just have to work with what we have by promoting progressive policy.

It isn't just effecting journalism or the media, but academia and politics too, especially with the younger generation.

What I've noticed about attending a top school is that they can be less intellectually stimulating than your local flagship. If you're not an Economist reading policy wonkish academically trendy technocratic ally minded faux-liberal then you're just not going to get heard in areas like the social sciences. I remember going against the Microfinance trend during it's height, even as a liberal, but was told I was going against the grain. It's as though that radical spirit of college, that innovative social changing spirit has been quelled and people are just coming up with "market solutions" or NGOs to fix problems when they know they're band aids on gun shot wounds. No one thinks systemically/structurally anymore at these colleges and all of my classmates were just trying to come up with the next Toms Shoes like idea.

How do you combat this radical center that seems to have a lot of media flare, cultural legitimacy and seems to command respect by making their ideology hip and intimidating to people with different views?

[Die Neue Zeit]

That's not the radical center, though. Michael Lind defines it has having economically progressive or more leftist views, but also as being socially moderate or "soft" conservative (personally not in favour of abortion, but not in favour of toppling pro-choice laws, and generally eschewing "identity politics").

[Brandon's Impotent Rage]

Honestly? I point out the points that I agree with, and criticize the points I oppose.

Even though they may not share your socialist views, that doesn't mean that their arguments mean nothing. Yes, they often do defend the capitalist system, and this inconsistency should be pointed out to them. But that doesn't make their social views completely meaningless.

[RadioRaheem84]

This smug ass hat Diego Bunuel walks around North Korea and asks one of the tour guides why his country doesn't have AIDS. He tries to make it out that their control over the country is solidified in the fact that NK has few AIDS cases.

Does he not know that the US systematically ignored the AIDS epidemic through the social stigma surrounding homosexuals and neglected to promote funding, research and awareness. US politicians banned sexual safety awareness material because it was made by LGBT community organizers. It took a massive grassroots effort to get the government to acknowledge the crisis.

Not to say that the reaction from communist nations was exact and brilliant maneuvering but the lack of it spreading in the USSR, Cuba, and even NK was likely done by more sound policy or at least that they weren't neglecting the issue (also being such closed states).

But I do not know what Diego's point was? :confused:

Either way his line of questions greatly exposes his weak logic and his weak research skills. I mean the guy seems rather ignorant and prances around like a douche making fun of NK. But this is the main epitome of the liberal wanker hipster, they do not care that for nearly half a century NK has been terrorized, economically blockaded, and political isolated by the West. They don't care that they experienced a horrendous famine and an economic shock after the collapse of the Soviet Union. That they're in an extremely paranoid, bureaucratic constant state of war because of the policies inflicted upon them and that their massive state of denial of the failures of autarky has them abiding ever edict by the elite. No none of that analysis, just that this is another case of failed socialism and these people are children to them who are too stupid to realize the greatness of Western democracy.

Is there anything more smug more repulsive than a brazen yuppie hipster douche armed with nothing but a subscription to the Huffington Post, Hulu videos of the John Stewart Show and an immense arsenal of sardonic quips?

[RadioRaheem84]

Now comes VICE Magazine and one of it's creators Gavin McInnes who represents the growing trend of lolbertarian hipsters. They disguise racism, homophobia and pro-market, anti-left wing rhetoric with irony and cynical sardonic humor.

It's a pain in the ass to read that hipster rag but the show on HBO is not that bad of a watch. It's pretty good.

But man oh man it seems like if you critique Gavin and VICE than you will be labeled a overly PC sensitive liberal type that's gone haywire. Their influence surprisingly stretches from Sarah Silverman to David Cross to band Interpol to Snoop Lion.

I mean it's all pop culture BS but still they made headway because of their reactionary supposedly no holds barred journalism that is really just angsty wannabe iconoclast hipster chauvinism.

The only Marxist that I think that counter their sardonic, sarcastic dry humor is Brendan McCooney from Kapitalism101 Wordpress, who I wish would get more exposure considering his rather funny and informative videos seems to take a sideswipe to capitalism in the exact same manner that these reactionary chauvinistic jackasses assert themselves.

These hipster lolbertarian jerks remind me of the Futurist movement in pre-fascist Italy, along with the Dadaists and Salvador Dali who loved the iconoclastic allure of being anti-liberal/left wing. It's mixing porn with conservative values and reveling in Western supremacy.

[DasFapital]

Bill Maher is the executive producer of VICE's HBO show apparently. I enjoy actually enjoy their stuff but it definitely reeks of Maher's smug liberalism.

[RadioRaheem84]

Honestly? I point out the points that I agree with, and criticize the points I oppose.

Even though they may not share your socialist views, that doesn't mean that their arguments mean nothing. Yes, they often do defend the capitalist system, and this inconsistency should be pointed out to them. But that doesn't make their social views completely meaningless.

Watch the video on Venezuela and NK and come back and tell me that. The guy doesn't go past surface level observations and walked around mocking the people he was interviewing. That's not empathizing with the people around him, that's mocking them.

He walked into a state owned super market in Venezuela and said that having the Constitution showing people's rights on a bag of rice was propaganda and akin to brainwashing. So essentially having their rights on their bag of rice is akin to brainwashing?

The questions he asks are not deep questions either, he is there to look for surface level controversy brewing. There are shortages but no mention of the business strikes or how the capitalists in Venezuela stop progress all the time which requires new laws to keep nationalizing more business.

I don't even know how one can agree with him considering his points seem grossly ignorant. I mean is this what passes for "investigative journalism" these days. Just show up to a country you know is going to be different and starting asking, "why is there no MTV here ?" "I see that there is no Fudruckers, you guys must have a problem with democracy."

[Red Commissar]

I think the only solace we'll have is they'll probably burn themselves out much like we did (unfortunately) in the 60s and 70s. It seems mainly a problem of identity right now with middle-class youth trying to figure out politics that fit them when the current democrat-republican dicthomy doesn't apply to them all that well. Unfortunately some of them are going to have some batshit crazy ideas and notions, of course its easy to preach those when you haven't been on the other side of it.

[o well this is ok I guess]

Who reads Vice and gives a shit about Gavin
he contributes nothing of value

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

I don't see any reason to be surprised or get angry. Yeah liberals have ideological convictions, and moderates aren't communists. Take it for what it is worth and critique their ideological assumptions ... I don't think we should expect moderates to agree with us any more than conservatives (Also, one might say that anyone who disagrees with socialist theory is probably operating with a straw man view of socialism ;)1)

Liberals, conservatives, moderates and others have written funny, creative satires or reported on interesting phenomena even if they get their fundamental interpretations wrong. Instead of expecting these people to wave a red flag, why not just view them with the knowledge that their ideological assumptions are flawed? Some of the greatest philosophers, writers and artists in history had despicable political ideologies, and that won't change ... if we can appreciate the filmography or ontological insights of National Socialists, why is some satire which mocks the "loony left" so offensive?

Also, your "radical center" actually represents the pro-Democrat "progressive" liberal left ... that seems to be the case Jon Stewart and TYTurks who are on the left of the Democratic party (perhaps Bill Maher is a more centrist figure with his more conservative economic positions). I guess Jon Stewart occasionally makes silly calls for bipartisanship, but it seems that this is more out of naivete than some kind of anticommunist program on his part. In a way, it's asking too much for them to report away from the given line on issues like the DPRK, in part because everyone in America believes that narrative and the fact that everyone in America believes that narrative means that the narrative is constantly confirmed. I would challenge the narrative, not the brainwashed masses (of which, we must remember, journalists and media personalities are actually a part of) who all accept it unquestioningly. That is why there is NO good reporting on these issues in the American media, aside from the occasional leftwing socialist party rag. I think as leftists, if we are ever to convince the world of our agenda, must acknowledge that most people disagree with it, and not make moral judgements at everyone who interprets reality differently. Instead we must try to address the root causes of their misunderstandings.


I agree with you about Yuppie youth though. They really ARE annoying. I don't know if its worse than any other generation ... it's just this generation is armed with a seeming nonchalance and independence (i.e "hipster" culture), meaning that they seem so much more hypocritical.

[blake 3:17]

Vice is a doing a good job these days.

I thought they'd gotten rid of Gavin McInness who is a massive fucking idiot and fucking con artist and thief -- this is based on personal experience. First encounter with this loser he made fun of me for listening to Montreal bands that had French lyrics. Gets worse after that...

[bcbm]

Now comes VICE Magazine and one of it's creators Gavin McInnes who represents the growing trend of lolbertarian hipsters. They disguise racism, homophobia and pro-market, anti-left wing rhetoric with irony and cynical sardonic humor.

shane smith does vice now, gavin left awhile ago to do streetcarnage


It's a pain in the ass to read that hipster rag but the show on HBO is not that bad of a watch. It's pretty good.

the show is trash


But man oh man it seems like if you critique Gavin and VICE than you will be labeled a overly PC sensitive liberal type that's gone haywire. Their influence surprisingly stretches from Sarah Silverman to David Cross to band Interpol to Snoop Lion.

vice usually comes off pretty much on 'the left' at least in a general sense besides shane and some of their 'bigger' commentators.


These hipster lolbertarian jerks remind me of the Futurist movement in pre-fascist Italy, along with the Dadaists and Salvador Dali who loved the iconoclastic allure of being anti-liberal/left wing. It's mixing porn with conservative values and reveling in Western supremacy.

why do people keep saying the dadaists were right wing?


I agree with you about Yuppie youth though. They really ARE annoying. I don't know if its worse than any other generation ... it's just this generation is armed with a seeming nonchalance and independence (i.e "hipster" culture), meaning that they seem so much more hypocritical.

'yuppie?' most hipsters are in the service industry, call centers and the like or otherwise pursuing work that is hardly a 'career' in the traditional sense

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

'yuppie?' most hipsters are in the service industry, call centers and the like or otherwise pursuing work that is hardly a 'career' in the traditional sense

Being someone who lives around a LOT of yuppies, I can attest to the fact that they have "ironically" become hipsters.

[bcbm]

Being someone who lives around a LOT of yuppies, I can attest to the fact that they have "ironically" become hipsters.

there are yuppie hipsters but i dont think they are the core of it by any means