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Andrew: As far as Fuentes is concerned, I feel like his viewpoints would have been mainstream not that long ago.
In 1935, yrs.
If he’s saying something like most women want to be raped, well, Fifty Shades of Grey sells like hotcakes to women, so I feel like that’s just a fact.
Jesus fucking Christ.
Having not read 50 shades of Grey, doesn’t she consent to the BDSM stuff? I recall reading that there are some issues in the novel that don’t follow the well established rules in the subculture, but still
Basically yes. There are problematic elements but it's not rape. Also it's fiction where things happen in service to a plot that, unlike real life, comes to a resolution. So even if a woman does enjoy reading about rape, that doesn't mean she wants it. In fact, it's often read for cathartic reasons to deal with trauma. It's about overcoming a situation she can identify with, not wallowing in the assault (caveat: healing is different for different people. I can't speak for everyone, but I understand my wife pretty well).
It's a wild read...
Tbh I think this is much more an indictment of misogynistic, incurious, “Christian” (specifically Christian, as they overwhelmingly identify with the sect; in quotes because their positions are just so comically and obviously antithetical to what Christianity is ostensibly about) people, who aren’t terribly intelligent or mentally critical. Less sure about how much of a role living in Tennessee plays here, but I’m also sure it doesn’t help.
The levels of cognitive dissonance are… frankly baffling. “Andrew” straight up doesn’t think women should vote, and thinks Jewish people (across the board - Jewish, not Israel or even Israeli people) are “a force for evil”… and yet picks AOC as a candidate he’d like for president…?
Also: lmfao at the dudes going “waaaaah there are too many feminist women and nobody wants to date me”
Ladies and gentlefolk: the American Education System.
In all likelihood though, they just cherry picked the worst person they could find. The Gen z folks I happen to know are all extremely well adjusted, kind, more empathetic than I am and seem to have been able to see the writing on the wall for their future lives way sooner than my peers and I did.
Admittedly, it only takes a few psychopaths to undo all of that, so like any generation it's probably a wash.
Not disagreeing, but I think the problem is letting people like this have a voice. The people producing this stuff think, “let’s shock people with this dudes behavior,” but in reality a shocking number of people think, “I’m not alone! I can say and think this!”
One minute they're saying women are too emotional, belong in the home, and one goes so far as to say they shouldn't be able to vote, the next they don't want Muslims in the country because they treat women as second class citizens.
It really smacks of people who have an end belief and later try to find a somewhat socially acceptable rationalization for it. Which is ironic with how much they praised conservative pundits who apparently do all the research or whatever.
Did he ever say Jewish people or did he say the Israeli government… Israel is currently committing genocide, and if you’re not a news junky it is not too difficult to conflate Israeli government with Jewish folks, considering Israel government and many nations are trying to conflate criticism of Israeli government as being antisemitic .
RTFA - dude specifically says Jewish people; one of the interviewers goes “wait; direct question to you: you believe all Jewish people are “a force of evil”? And the dude goes “Yes sir, that’s what I said”.
NEVER ONCE DOES HE USE THE PHRASE JEWISH PEOPLE. NEVER ONCE DOES THE MODERATOR ADDRESS THE FACTS OF HIS FIRST ANSWER. Israel is currently…. Right now… committing genocide… even if this guy were Hitler reincarnate, this fact would still be true. This zoomer’s random opinion conflating Israeli government genocide with the Jewish diaspora is much less egregious than the current genocide being committed by the Israeli government.
He is conflating the Israeli government with the Jewish diaspora. Which is easy to do when you have the Israeli government as well as other governments of the world doing the same thing.
Even in this example you are giving, he is not saying it, the moderator is. You’re also leaving out the rest of his answer and the previous question and answer.
—————-(I don’t know how to do the html code to quote articles lol)
Andrew: I would say a force for evil. I don’t see why we support Israel. I think Israel’s a very evil state. The genocide in Gaza, killing all these poor people. And the only reason we really support them is because they are the biggest donors. We have AIPAC, and these are all Jewish-run organizations.
Andrew: Yes, sir. It doesn’t bother me if it’s true. Those slurs, if you’re racist or whatever, that just rolls off my back… This is my country, my people have been here since the American Revolution, so I say what I want to.
Andrew is answering a question about the Israeli government, which he may be conflating with the the Jewish folks around the world. It seems very obvious to me.
Israeli government and corporate media, as well as many governments around the world have already conflated anti Israeli government sentiment with antisemtism.
I’ve already addressed this previously in this thread, if you’re interested https://midwest.social/comment/21884870
Edit: i am by no means always right, I just like this topic because it’s in the news so much to be honest… if I am ever wrong about something let me know and I am wrong a heck of a lot. Just ask my wife… but I think I am somewhat accurate in a lot of the things I’m saying here
He's doing what a lot of actual antisemitic nationalists do, which is intentionally conflating/ hiding behind the already established conflation between Israel and the Jewish people.
I don't think we should be surprised that neonazis are taking the opportunity to call out the genocide in Gaza - we should also not be fooled into thinking they're being earnest.
Moderator: Does anyone think women should not be allowed to vote?
Only Andrew raises his hand.
Moderator: What do you think of Adolf Hitler?
Andrew: I’m in favor of a strong executive. I think we should have a stronger executive branch... I’m very pro-strong executive, strong leader, strong man. I support national sovereignty, and Hitler was a nationalist. He was like, we have to take Germany back for Germans. And I feel like we should do that in America. We should take America back for our native population. So, I’m not an expert on Hitler by any means, but as far as nationalism is concerned, I’m all that.
Moderator: What do you think of Jewish people?
Andrew: I would say a force for evil. I don’t see why we support Israel. I think Israel’s a very evil state. The genocide in Gaza, killing all these poor people. And the only reason we really support them is because they are the biggest donors. We have AIPAC, and these are all Jewish-run organizations.
Moderator: Let me clarify that. Andrew, you think the Jewish people are a force for evil?
Andrew: Yes, sir. It doesn’t bother me if it’s true. Those slurs, if you’re racist or whatever, that just rolls off my back… This is my country, my people have been here since the American Revolution, so I say what I want to.
I’d call America back to its native population a damn good start.
I feel like his answer for “what do you think of Jewish people” was set up to get him to say that he hates Jewish people. Set up may not be the right word exactly… but he was answering a different question in my opinion.
Everything he said in that paragraph about Israel and aipac and the genocide is spot on.
He’s conflating Jewish people with the Israeli government in his line of thinking, probably due to his media influences, and also maybe just a general lack of awareness that this is even an important distinction to make.
Israel also does the same thing, shouting from the rooftops that anyone who speaks out about the Israeli government is antisemitic. If you only listened to corporate media, and weren’t particularly interested in politics, it is quite easy to make the same mistake. They use this as a blunt instrument to quell any discussion or criticism of Israel, intentionally, and they’ve been doing it for decades.
But everything he said in that paragraph you quoted is spot on. The problem is that he seemed to be answering a question about the Israeli government when the moderator was asking about Jewish people.
In the next question, he’s defending himself from an argument that what he is saying is antisemitic.
In both questions, it seems to me he is talking about the Israeli government, while conflating the government of israel with all of the Jewish diaspora.
The moderator seems to be having a separate conversation than the one this person is having.
To show what I mean… without changing the answers he gave, if I change the questions, 90 % of democrat voters would agree with his answers.
Question 1: what do you think of the Israeli government?
Question 2: Let me clarify that. Andrew, you believe the Israeli government is a force for evil?
Just saying. US Voters on Both the right and the left agree that genocide is bad, and that the Israeli government is pretty evil right now. And making the distinction between the Israeli government and the Jewish people of the world is more important than ever in my opinion.
Edit:
He never once said Jewish people, he only mentioned Israeli government. Yes, the moderator mentioned Jewish people twice.
However, in this case I believe the onus is on the moderator to address Andrew’s facts. Never once does the moderator address actual facts that Andrew has brought up. At least in these specific examples you are quoting. His follow up question appears troll like. (In the context of an actual genocide being committed, right now. Today, in Gaza and the West Bank. Whether someone professes to actually be an hater of Jews is irrelevant. One of the great things about the first amendment in the United States. This zoomer’s opinions are irrelevant compared to the actual genocide happening on the ground, currently, right now.) Israel is literally committing genocide while suggesting anyone who says this is antisemitic. AIPAC is literally contributing to campaigns of like 80% of congress in the states. It makes the antisemitic arguments looks naive and childish. And if Israel itself is going to constantly conflate criticism of its racist government policies against the Semitic peoples of the Palestinian nation with being antisemitic against all Jewish folks… it’s nonsense. Jewish folks around the world are going to have to stop this I don’t have an answer but it’s really messed up. When republicans are agreeing with leftists on these issues it gets really wild.
The lesson folks on the left need to take is please stop attacking folks who are agreeing with you. Take your wins and keep working towards policies you support. Stop attacking Marguerita green potato head for agreeing on this issue dam it.
No question on what they think about the Epstein files?
