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Dave Rubin is losing it on social media due to simple criticism that he should stop normalizing bigots and racists

UnpopularBlargh

UnpopularBlargh

Member
Oct 26, 2017
8,206
Dave Rubin is a wannabe intellectual who has far-right guests on his very popular (god knows why) interview show where he constantly positions them as part of the "new center" alongside himself. He also considers himself to be part of the IDW with the likes of Ben Shapiro and Sam Harris. Recently Quillette (a website that has long ideologically sided with the IDW) published an article criticising Rubin for catering and normalizing racists and bigots. Rubin then lost it on Twitter and started calling them far-left and yadda yadda yadda.

Relevant portions of the article that made Rubin label the IDW as far-left and go on multiple rants:
I consider myself a sympathetic and sometimes critical observer of the IDW, and arguably something of a fellow traveler. (I'm not overly fond of the term "Intellectual Dark Web," but "Intellectual Dissent Web" would also work.) As such, I think Uri Harris makes some excellent points. It's quite true, for instance, that while IDW-associated political commentator and YouTube show host Dave Rubin holds liberal positions on a number of issues, he is currently aligned with Republicans and with the pro-Donald Trump camp. It is also true that Jordan Peterson, the Canadian psychologist and best-selling author, is essentially a conservative figure—and one whose arguments are often not very conducive to bridge-building or dialogue across political divides. I also agree that if the IDW's mission is to challenge orthodoxies and defend intellectual—and individual—freedom at a time when such a defense is essential, it has to be nonpartisan and guard against orthodoxies of its own.
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Sam Seder of the Majority Report has covered the whole situation better than I can (also with great musical choices):



Here's a Twitter thread explaining the criticism against Rubin:


Hey Dave. Debate Sam Seder you coward!
 
Doober

Doober

Banned
Jun 10, 2018
4,295
I mean, yeah? That's what these guys do, drag the Overton Window further and further rightward.
 

Deleted member 4346

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,976
Rubin is a paid shill and token for the alt-right. He is terrible. Every time I see his name associated with something it is shit. Whether it's running interference for Bolsonaro or defending people who don't even believe in his right to marry.
 
Finale Fireworker

Finale Fireworker

Love each other or die trying.
Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,710
United States
These people are so incredibly, painfully stupid. Whether they brand themselves right or left, pseudo-intellectuals like Dave Rubin and Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro are among the dumbest people in political discourse. They have all the mental depth of a parakeet. They are capable only of repeating themselves without conclusion and are utterly enamored with their own reflection.
 
shadowsdarknes

shadowsdarknes

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
8,706
The criticism is totally warranted.

This is his routine:

- Right wing figurehead says something disgustingly racist, xenophobic, ignorant, etc.
-People say these are bad ideas and should be outright rejected. And no these aren't valid opinions we have to respect.
-Dave Rubin invites right wing figure head onto show. Calls the person a centrist. They jointly mock those who decry the terrible comments made by the right winger.
-Makes it a point to not press the right winger on the substance of the topic. Just mock the libs.
 
TrailerParkRanger

TrailerParkRanger

Banned
Dec 24, 2017
2,399
Finale Fireworker said:
These people are so incredibly, painfully stupid. Whether they brand themselves right or left, pseudo-intellectuals like Dave Rubin and Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro are among the dumbest people in political discourse. They have all the mental depth of a parakeet. They are capable only of repeating themselves without conclusion and are utterly enamored with their own reflection.
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It certainly explains why a friend of mine who recently "came out" as a libertarian listens to him so much.
 
signal

signal

Member
Oct 28, 2017
40,186
I have to say that my brain is still in recovery mode from taking in so many high level, important ideas.
 
SpitztheGreat

SpitztheGreat

Member
May 16, 2019
2,877
Who is Dave Rubin?

I mean that sincerely and not to shit on the thread. I spend a lot of time online and it feels like there is no possible way to keep up with all of the commentators/influencers/personalities/etc that I'm told are important. Maybe it's just that I'm getting old, but I don't understand why every right-wing asshole with a website and a podcast gets amplified by reporting on a twitter outburst. Until this very thread I had never heard of "IDW" and now that I've looked it up I don't want to give it any more attention than I already have.

I guess I don't really have a point to end on. I'm just constantly in a state of confusion about how there can be all of these individuals online that I'm suppose to know but I've never even heard of them. I don't regret it, my life is probably better for not knowing them, but either I'm missing the memos or there is too much amplifying of the right-wing circle jerk based upon their small audience.
 
OP
OP
UnpopularBlargh

UnpopularBlargh

Member
Oct 26, 2017
8,206
signal said:
I have to say that my brain is still in recovery mode from taking in so many high level, important ideas.
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The fact that this is an actual quote by Rubin puts me in recovery mode.

SpitztheGreat said:
Who is Dave Rubin?

I mean that sincerely and not to shit on the thread. I spend a lot of time online and it feels like there is no possible way to keep up with all of the commentators/influencers/personalities/etc that I'm told are important. Maybe it's just that I'm getting old, but I don't understand why every right-wing asshole with a website and a podcast gets amplified by reporting on a twitter outburst. Until this very thread I had never heard of "IDW" and now that I've looked it up I don't want to give it any more attention than I already have.

I guess I don't really have a point to end on. I'm just constantly in a state of confusion about how there can be all of these individuals online that I'm suppose to know but I've never even heard of them. I don't regret it, my life is probably better for not knowing them, but either I'm missing the memos or there is too much amplifying of the right-wing circle jerk based upon their small audience.
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Popular YouTube personality who likes endlessly talk about how he left the modern left and is the last true liberal or part of the new center. Also funded by a Koch Bros proxy company. Known for having far-right figures on his show with no pushback or counter to their bullshit.
 
Veliladon

Veliladon

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,557
See the thing that makers Rubin a shitty interviewer. A good interviewer tests their guest on strong views. Rubin fawns over them.
 
Omegasquash

Omegasquash

Member
Oct 31, 2017
6,163
When you're so far to the right, anything left of center looks far left.

Which could also be expressed as "when you've had your head up your own ass for so long, you start thinking regular air smells like farts."
 
shadowsdarknes

shadowsdarknes

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
8,706
SpitztheGreat said:
Who is Dave Rubin?

I mean that sincerely and not to shit on the thread. I spend a lot of time online and it feels like there is no possible way to keep up with all of the commentators/influencers/personalities/etc that I'm told are important. Maybe it's just that I'm getting old, but I don't understand why every right-wing asshole with a website and a podcast gets amplified by reporting on a twitter outburst. Until this very thread I had never heard of "IDW" and now that I've looked it up I don't want to give it any more attention than I already have.

I guess I don't really have a point to end on. I'm just constantly in a state of confusion about how there can be all of these individuals online that I'm suppose to know but I've never even heard of them. I don't regret it, my life is probably better for not knowing them, but either I'm missing the memos or there is too much amplifying of the right-wing circle jerk based upon their small audience.
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It's fine not to know about this community. But it's big. It's just the right wing that lives online.
And due to the size of the community and the manner in which they brand themselves, it's important to make sure unsuspecting people don't fall down the hole. It happens.

They recruit by finding some sort of common ground on an issue and then next thing you know you're subscribing to all of these channels and seeking out their content.
 

Deleted member 18502

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,562
I listened to Sam Seder yesterday, the takedown was brilliant! Sam was the first one to totally expose this guy for the right wing grifter he really is.
 
Josh378

Josh378

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,521
LOL, If being racist is the new "Center", then call me a FAR-Leftist.

Can't even imagine what an far alt-right would look like by that definition...
 
Clefargle

Clefargle

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,120
Limburg
Love how often Sam & Co crucify this Derplord for dodging them and other legitimate leftist personalities
 
dialogic

dialogic

Member
Oct 30, 2017
121
Doober said:
I mean, yeah? That's what these guys do, drag the Overton Window further and further rightward.
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I don't know why I never fully connected the dots with these hacks constantly claiming to be "centrists" and "classical liberals," but what you say here is absolutely true and it all makes sense now. The idea of far right ideology becoming the "new center" is actually terrifying, should it take hold. I do wonder how it can be avoided, as the ethical left has pretty much abandoned the middle (for reasons that are arguably quite valid).
 
MazeHaze

MazeHaze

Member
Nov 1, 2017
8,577
shadowsdarknes said:
The criticism is totally warranted.

This is his routine:

- Right wing figurehead says something disgustingly racist, xenophobic, ignorant, etc.
-People say these are bad ideas and should be outright rejected. And no these aren't valid opinions we have to respect.
-Dave Rubin invites right wing figure head onto show. Calls the person a centrist. They jointly mock those who decry the terrible comments made by the right winger.
-Makes it a point to not press the right winger on the substance of the topic. Just mock the libs.
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Lol yeah, didn't he have fucking Colin "white privilege doesn't exist" Moriarty on his show like a week after his shitty tweet that got him fired from his own company?
 
Naijaboy

Naijaboy

The Fallen
Mar 13, 2018
15,253
The Quillette doesn't go too hard on him. Basically it's telling them not to generalize the left as they (perceive) the left does to the right while cozying to white supremacists.

And he can't even handle that kind of soft ball criticism.
 
Pantaghana

Pantaghana

The Fallen
Oct 26, 2017
1,220
Croatia
SpitztheGreat said:
Who is Dave Rubin?

I mean that sincerely and not to shit on the thread. I spend a lot of time online and it feels like there is no possible way to keep up with all of the commentators/influencers/personalities/etc that I'm told are important. Maybe it's just that I'm getting old, but I don't understand why every right-wing asshole with a website and a podcast gets amplified by reporting on a twitter outburst. Until this very thread I had never heard of "IDW" and now that I've looked it up I don't want to give it any more attention than I already have.

I guess I don't really have a point to end on. I'm just constantly in a state of confusion about how there can be all of these individuals online that I'm suppose to know but I've never even heard of them. I don't regret it, my life is probably better for not knowing them, but either I'm missing the memos or there is too much amplifying of the right-wing circle jerk based upon their small audience.
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If you prefer to be blissfully unaware and don't care much about politics - a simpleton with an audience. Pretty much all you need to know.

If you are an american that wishes to be more informed on certain political movements in your country and the ideologies that drive them, the answer isn't more complicated but it is much longer. I don't usually recommend 3+ hours of videos, but the three videos I linked several posts above yours go into great detail on who he is and what he is doing.
 
gutter_trash

gutter_trash

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
17,124
Montreal
what's IDW?

the guy in video goes IDW, IDW, IDW

okay, man.

What does IDW even mean?

you can't expect casuals to know all the stupid acronyssimismsm
 
SpitztheGreat

SpitztheGreat

Member
May 16, 2019
2,877
Pantaghana said:
If you prefer to be blissfully unaware and don't care much about politics - a simpleton with an audience. Pretty much all you need to know.

If you are an american that wishes to be more informed on certain political movements in your country and the ideologies that drive them, the answer isn't more complicated but it is much longer. I don't usually recommend 3+ hours of videos, but the three videos I linked several posts above yours go into great detail on who he is and what he is doing.
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That's the thing though, I do consider myself to be well informed (or at the bare minimum "above average"). I devour the news from various sources and actively work to educate myself, and even still I find it very difficult to keep up with all of these emerging pundits across all of the platforms. I'm not trying to say that this guy is unimportant, maybe he's the next Alex Jones, nor do I mean to say that the movement he is a part of doesn't deserve to be explored and dissected, my point is broader. Like, I'm not going to post a reaction on this guy and his bullshit on my Facebook feed for people to laugh at because that would only amplify his voice. 99% of my Facebook friends would either find it funny or irrelevant, but if 1 person finds him intriguing then I've done a disservice by posting about it.

This is an internet message board, so by all means we should discuss anything that a member finds interesting. Personally, I get hesitant about feeding into the right-wing echo chamber. However, we have direct evidence that ignoring them doesn't work and allows them to build their audience until they can't be refuted, on the other hand I don't want to engage with every crazy right-winger who spouts racist non-sense. I guess deplatforming is the way to go.
 
Kusagari

Kusagari

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,386
Rubin is basically one of the key figures of the IDW along with Shapiro, Peterson, Sam Harris and the Weinstein brothers.

With all of them, of course, making frequent appearances on Rogan's podcast.
 
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