Solidarity is supposed to be hard.

[@aasuhansener]

You know the video took a while to finish when the commentator has 3 different hair lengths throughout the video.

[@msmknz]

This comment makes me feel the need to say RIP hbomberguy's hairline 😔 gone too soon but never forgotten 🥹

[@brandonmyers3319]

@@msmknzI fucking wheezed 😭

[@FishareFriendsNotFood972]

Thank you, Elliot, for saying NO to BetterHelp. Seriously.

[@msmknz]

Best comment including the word "betterhelp" I've ever seen. I get so disappointed when people accept sponsorships from them given everything we know about them these days. It shouldn't be hard to know better than take betterhelp money and I'm glad Elliot does 🫶

[@brandonmyers3319]

Waiiiiit what’s wrong with better help? ( I haven’t finished the video)

[@michaelaudley7562]

​@@brandonmyers3319 many things, generally they don't use properly trained psychologists and psychiatrists, way over charge for their service, and have several scandals and examples of abuse committed by their therapists towards their clients. The video goes into more details as well as pointing out a few other KZbin advertisement scams kzbin.info/www/bejne/bX_Me4Gjib-Waacsi=30UEypnJdaCOGGzn

[@wooogie672]

@@brandonmyers3319 they partnered w the state of israel, but the main thing that most ppl have a problem w is that they’ve sold customers’ private info/data even though they originally said they wouldn’t. i think the FTC sued them for that? i can’t remember exactly. just shitty company all around

[@lesseregyptianjabowa2048]

@@brandonmyers3319

[@fatimamasood5801]

what was it that james baldwin said? "The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality." i reject the notion that individualism and apathy is the way forward. the only way to make meaningful change IS solidarity with ALL marginalized communities.

[@loadishstone]

@@charlieistryinghisbest Absolutely. But you aren't not supporting Palestinians because they may not be or may not want to be vegan right? The majority of the working class in the US isn't vegan either. So how do you deal with that and encourage solidarity at the same time?

[@charlieistryinghisbest]

@@loadishstone Of course not,Palestinians that are actively being killed and bombed should not be held responsible to be vegan :/ I just wish we talked about veganism more in these spaces,220 million land animals are being slaughtered every day and nobody bats an eye,it really scares me

[@lilyosah2562]

​@@loadishstone Both. Both is good

[@methoyu]

​@@charlieistryinghisbest least obvious rage bait

[@charlieistryinghisbest]

@@methoyu I'm not ragebaiting,i'm genuinely worried that so many progressive people don't consider veganism to be a moral necessity :/ The fact that talking about the rights of animals is considered ragebait is really,really worrisome to me.

[@JaceReboot]

If solidarity costs ya nothing, hate to be the one to ruin your day... But ya ain't in solidarity with anything/one, just paying lip service so long as it does not create waves. But the folks ya wanna be in solidarity with can't avoid the waves, and true support demands ya get in the rough waters with us. Standing dry on shore does nothing to help the drowning.

[@marocat4749]

I dont even think, it has to cost you more than looks probably in many cxases, but it should be a nobrainer that you at least put thatr over your own comforbility. Also yeah it can cost you to stick wit hprinciples naturally there and it can cost you, but thats included in that. Dunno solidarity at least is uncomfortable often which is a cost i guess?

[@charlieistryinghisbest]

@@marocat4749 Would you give that solidarity to animals,even if it's inconvenient?

[@mr.le-capibar]

I agree. What we get from solidarity between dominated classes and the results of cooperation are just too good to say 'no'. Just to use a Proudhon quote: "A man could never do what 200 men did to erect the obelisk of Paris in one day while trying alone in 200 days". The usufruct of collaboration is just too valuable to not favor solidarity and organized labor.

[@objectreborn.artsewing]

@@JaceReboot we can't avoid the waves 🫰🫰

[@JaceReboot]

@@marocat4749 exactly. At the low end of expense it will cost ya comfort and even your reputation in the eyes of some (every hero is a villain in their opponent’s eyes). At the high end it can cost ya materially in cash or resources. But if you can’t even risk the low end of expense ya don’t get to claim the highest of moral value. Periodt. Walk the talk or get off the toes of those who are trying to march forward ✊🏼👏🏼

[@RyderBHales]

An influencer sharing their venmo for rent support if they struggle after turning down a sponsor is a great example of mutual aid. This touched on two really important parts of solidarity - sacrifice and discomfort in action and confrontation with others, and conflict within movements. I learned right off the bat as part of my uni's encampment that there will always be disagreement and a bit of chaos within these movements - because they are organic entities and they are built on passion. I have thought about "infighting" within leftist spaces a lot recently, and this video goes a long way in showing how that's essential to democratic processes that take visibile action .

[@ninety1nethagawd]

🎯

[@zainmudassir2964]

Remember to Boycott Captain America 4. No to Israeli superheroes trying to whitewash reality of Palestine

[@Kevici]

wait this is a thing coming out??

[@P0rk_Sinigang]

​@@KeviciYeah, Brave New World, I guess? Didn't know there was an Israeli superhero in it, though.

[@dAWwr906]

​@P0rk_Sinigang Sabra. She was a Mossad agent superhero. Mossad is Israel's intelligence agency. Think Israel or KGB. They were responsible for the recent pager bombings. She's been changed to a "high ranking government official". I'm guessing the decision was made at least two years ago, before October 7th.

[@annabellahicks4576]

is the only issue that the superhero is Israeli?

[@ericktellez7632]

@@P0rk_Sinigang The actual superhero in the comics is just as bad, she is a mossad agent that gains superpowers and the moral of the story is the same liberal two sideing the genocide in Palestine, nothing about colonialism at all they paint it as a religious conflict. I don’t know if the creation of the character is linked to actual Israeli officials telling marvel comics to do so, but it seems more like a classic liberal take of the “conflict” so there is no need for influencing, when liberals do it themselves.

[@Jason_not_dead_Todd]

I pointed to my mom's Starbucks and said "ah anti-union coffee" she got mad at me. This was yesterday.

[@kylezo]

So, she's ashamed of herself and projecting because she knows it's wrong but she cbf to care or inconvenience herself to not be a part of the problem.

[@Funnylittleman]

@@kylezoor, she’s an adult and nobody responds to sarcasm and browbeating favorably. This is not going to get anyone to stop going to Starbucks, it’s going to create “us” vs “them” and everybody is just going to dig their heels in. It’s unproductive.

[@luisapaza317]

​@@Funnylittlemansometimes humor can help, but it depends on the level of inconvenience that someone is capable of aproving. Like... The point of the video. Yeah

[@something-from-elsewhere]

@@Funnylittleman This _has_ to be satire

[@something-from-elsewhere]

@@luisapaza317 In the vast majority of these cases it's less about "capable" and more about "willing"

[@kantakouzini]

I have to admit it's been a real real real struggle, I'm black and trans and it's very unfriendly out there off the internet - where ppl are nicer and upstanding compassionate etc.. So while I believe in yall. I have to support from a distance, from a safe space. Bc ppl are wild , ppl are rude, ppl are violent. Ppl say they're for solidarity but their solidarity is only for the groups of ppl they favor and it's palpable in real life.

[@ilikeanarchy]

I'm here. I see you. Even if it's just digitally. I'm sorry people are the way they are. Just take care of yourself and be safe out there. One day we'll build a world where we'll all walk together united.

[@charlieistryinghisbest]

@@kantakouzini "Their solidarity is only for the people they favour" so true❤️ Just think of how everyone in these progressive spaces talk about being vegan and animal rights,their solidarity is only for certain people,but they don't care at all about the cows,pigs and chickens that are exploited for the profit of billionaires and the meat and dairy industry You seem compassionate,do you care about animals?

[@Thtgrlsyd]

Support in your private life by boycotting and speaking about this with people that will listen in your own community. It’s simple, paying lip service online is nothing compared to actions irl.

[@bye1551]

I genuinely can't venture outside of explicitly gatekept spaces sometimes. Like I hang around other black people for so long that I'm almost surprised by the vitriol and hatred I get when I put a toe out anywhere else. Like "damn... Y'all *hate* us hate us. Like ten toes down, on your mama papa and granny hate us". Don't even get me started as a non-binary person. It's gotten to the point where yeah I do just stay in an echo chamber to protect my peace and mental health.

[@b666rchd5]

* shaky wave from a queer person living in r*ssia 🥲 *

[@TheCaturriChannel]

Every time you mention Chile and Salvador Allende's dream I feel devastated, he wanted so much good for us :(

[@zainmudassir2964]

He's a matyr

[@tsuki3752]

i did a project on allende vs. pinochet in high school and while at the time i made it so that i criticized both of them for whatever reasons, i honestly felt pretty bad for it because he was such an amazing and prolific figure for south america, and the earth as a whole. i am also devastated and i don’t even live anywhere near chile

[@raphaelmauny3945]

EL PUEBLO UNIDO JAMAS SERA VENCIDO At least we got that :)

[@tamaravsthevoid]

People went and took ‘no ethical consumption under capitalism’ to mean ‘I don’t need to examine my actions no more’

[@charlieistryinghisbest]

@@tamaravsthevoid For example when it comes to the exploitation of animals in the production of meat,dairy and eggs.

[@anomieminalminds]

Literally hate what this has devolved into (especially true for fast fashion haul apologists lol)

[@charlieistryinghisbest]

@@anomieminalminds Or for meat eaters!

[@marslara]

it's like a self fulfilling prophecy, people say I can't help individually so I'll just do nothing at all

[@OmegaFire11]

I only get pasture raised eggs and milk, it costs over double but I just drink less milk and eat less eggs, more veggies for me

[@cyberblueangel]

do every rich person eats only in starbucks? they be so disconnected from society lol

[@actuallyjustbored]

the anti union coffee effect yes i stole @jason_not_dead_todd's joke it was funny

[@bloomnights]

What a great video, Elliot. As someone who grew up surrounded by family and friends who gave everything for Allende's goverment and the dream, who had to pay the highest price and who are still living with the consequences, material or not, of those actions, it's always great to see it ackowledged. I've been thinking about solidarity a lot lately, as I've been doing a lot of disability right advocacy in college lately, and we have had a lot of trouble garnering support from our university and able-bodied peers, who are often not willing to risk their job security or to get blacklisted by being openly critical and calling out the institution on the lies they tell about how inclusive the university is. And christ is it tiring. To try and be out here screaming about how we do, in fact, have the right to study and not experience abuse and discrimination. Also, I'm interested to hear more about solidarity in neoliberalism. Specially everything that has happened in the last 5 years here in Chile, with the utter and crushing defeat of the new constitution to replace the one made under Pinochet, and how now still complaining about the same problems, after individualism made so they voted against the solution. This has given me a lot of food for thought, so thank you

[@turtle4llama]

The thing about actually being poor is that they can sue you all you want, but they can't make you have money you don't. By all means, sue me. You will pay a lawyer, sink a lot of time and effort into getting a judgment that cannot be enforced. Its civil, they can't send you to jail. They can only waste their valuable time and my valueless time.

[@jmvr]

Not entirely. Sometimes they can use wage garnishing to require that the debtee pays a portion of their wages to the debtor, or they can take your property. It's like any other debt.

[@cpro6508]

@@jmvrcould you hypothetically declare bankruptcy and not pay the debt back?

[@jmvr]

@@cpro6508 well, bankruptcy always affects your credit score. However, there are two versions of Bankruptcy: sell all your assets (so any property you have), or pay all debts within some time period (so no change). Either way all your property is gone, so no house (if you have one), no phone, no car, no money whatsoever, etc.

[@apple-cv2xj]

​@@cpro6508 typically judgements are immune to bankruptcy

[@junyaiwase]

It’s funny because your prolonged hunger by not being able to go to the nearest starbucks is nothing compared to the hunger the people you’re “trying” to fight for are going through

[@junyaiwase]

You dont have to resort to grass, or anything humans arent even supposed to consume, you just deal with hunger pangs until you can get home or to another restaurant. Now im not saying starve yourself to death if you are genuinely on the brink of starvation but 99% of the people holding this sentiment are not that

[@charlieistryinghisbest]

Does that apply to animals too? For example:" not being able to eat meat is nothing compared to the suffering and death the animals you eat are going through" What do you think?

[@junyaiwase]

@@charlieistryinghisbesthmm, I dont know, maybe? My conflict is that for animals this is a way of life, the smaller get eaten by the bigger, however humans possess a higher degree of intellect and we don’t need to do such things. An animal isnt trying to commit g word it’s just feeding itself, and even if we bring it back to the animal being the person who cant eat starbucks to boycott. You have plenty of options that an animal may not have, especially when that animal may not see another meal. As we know in the wild no meal is ever promised. I just think animals and humans play on different rules

[@charlieistryinghisbest]

@@junyaiwase That's what i mean,humans should be more moral,so we shouldn't eat animal products,right?

[@amarazo8499]

@@charlieistryinghisbestthis comparison is apples to oranges. a food chain exists and always has, it’s all part of a cycle. human beings are not meant to be bombed, held captive, molested, and watch their loved ones be slaughtered in front of them. nevermind this becoming their daily lives.

[@celine_marie]

Although I very much agree with your main thesis, I think the natural continuation would be to ask how much solidarity can be expected of others and ourselves? In a day and age where we are uniquely aware of most issues around the world (and if you're not, you're free to educate yourself through a quick Google search.) How permissible is it to not participate? It seems natural to stand up for every cause you believe in, while also kind of an impossible standard to set.

[@ariannalybaek27]

This is especially true in a mental health crisis. Not everyone can engage with war and activism while surviving. I don’t think it is psychologically “normal” to be aware of every global catastrophe on a daily basis. It’s really difficult to pick choose where you spend your attention and energy

[@Apes_are_monkeys]

This dichotomy has been lurking in abstract in the back of my brain for a while now, and you put it really eloquently, thank you.

[@MiX0195]

You don't "need " to do anything just don't say you are an activist if you dont

[@jaybonny1954]

I think step 1 is maybe accepting that right now, it is an impossible standard. Religion has the “born sinner” confession thing, Mark Fisher’s book, infamous leftwing purges, etc; those all cleared that up for me. To a maybe harmful degree, I don’t expect much from others life is hard people are stressed. But it doesn’t take much to stand out and make an impact, on an individual level progress and rebellion itself is probably more important than hard results

[@adamdavis1648]

Are we really "uniquely aware of most issues around the world"? To me, it seems more like we're uniquely misinformed about the world.

[@lynnxe]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but if your politics are subtractive rather than additive then you are not creating solidarity, and you are not helping the cause you are fighting for. Solidarity REQUIRES compromise, discussion, and finding points of agreement. If you “cancel” someone, discussion ends, opinions harden, and people begin resisting change. Look to what France just did to prevent the right wing from taking over: with less than a week to the election, they created a coalition between the left and the moderates, they determined the strongest candidate in every race in the country, and the weaker candidate between the two dropped. Do they agree on everything or even like one another? No. But in an emergency, they pulled together and changed the course. It IS uncomfortable and hard. But consider that the oligarchy of this country seeks to keep us fighting and divided, and we are constantly being manipulated to that end. We ONLY win together.

[@jadziaschillzone]

i know you didnt watch the video bc it was posted 49 min ago and it's an hour long

[@lynnxe]

@@jadziaschillzone LOL, I am 3/4 through the video and got too excited because I loved what he was saying - so you’re right. Sue me, I have ADHD and am impulsive. 😂

[@jadziaschillzone]

@@lynnxe hahahahahahahah I’m 3 min in anyway, I’m working on it

[@lynnxe]

@@jadziaschillzonelol, at least I wasn’t the first comment! 😂

[@twistedbrother]

And what did french leftist get as a reward for their coordination? Right-wing conservative government, a president who's bound to collaborate with Le Pen's party and no representation in the minister cabinet. Historically the truth is if a party unites its forces in solidarity with everyone (who's remotely aligned) you just end up defending the ruling class' interest.

[@faultyexposition]

Some people use 'solidarity' the same way others use 'thoughts and prayers'

[@PokhrajRoy.]

WE ARE SO BACK! BASED COMMUNITY POST KING HAS RETURNED. Also, I can understand why some videos take longer than others.

[@karlsaintlucy]

49:00 I saw this exact thing at a Palestine solidarity demonstration outside of Washington Square Park last winter. An ambulance was directed through where we were marching, and we all made way, but they stopped and wouldn't move because of the police.

[@blairdawn]

reading about criticism/self criticism gave me so much optimism. to criticize in good faith and hold someone to a higher standard is a gift. of course online, large platforms, its unreasonable to consider ALL criticisms made of you. which is why community with people irl is so vital. a trusted friends telling you to rethink your stance or position on a topic will be a lot easier to struggle with and discuss than 120 characters on a tiktok. love this video, been thinking about this topic for a while

[@pandemicpagan]

I am not exaggerating - this video actually tangibly explained neoliberalism and socialist praxis in a way I have never been able to comprehend until this video. I will be moving differently with my life, and I will forever be grateful to this video in helping me become more congruent in my lifestyle with my morals and therefore increasing my solidarity practice. Thank you.

[@analias1983]

seconded. I've echoed a lot of the sentiments in this video without actually applying them and this video really helped connect the gap between that

[@azertyQ]

Lmao at the Chappell Roan society comment when she's been going through this whole thing with coconut tree Twitter

[@junyaiwase]

What is coconut tree twitter? I dont use twitter often

[@HandyDandy6]

​@junyaiwase coconut tree probably refers to liberals, as in Kamalas comment about fallung out of a coconut tree

[@mhmlesbian]

@@junyaiwaseit refers to Kamala harris and Chappell didn’t endorse her and ppl voting for her are upset

[@nacligang]

Operation Coconut Tree attempting to make her out as some type of enemy and giving Zionists a platform because of it.

[@This_Is_Just_To_Say]

My 'hot' take is solidarity isn't supposed to be hard, nor easy. Solidarity is standing together, in recognizing every single one of us as human. As such, it needs to be worthwhile and accessible, for people of any circumstances. It shouldn't be misery based or driven by shaming, degrading, coercion. The requirement for being part of solidarity shouldn't be self-harming, shouldn't be unreasonable self-sacrifice, shouldn't be demanding that of other people by coercion, harassment. On the flip side, solidarity is not a mechanism of convenience, not a means of individual profit, self-aggrandizement, or personal entitlement. Should the individual come before the collective? No, but should the collective come before the individual? Also no. That's the lie of supremacy-hierarchy and exploitation. The lie that there must be suffering, that suffering is necessary and correct. Remember, if it's worth dying for, it's worth living for. Fatalism is not fighting for better. A culture of sacrifice can quickly become a culture of disposability. And there can be no true solidarity in a culture of disposability. Because solidarity only works by valuing every individual, and disposability only works by denying anyone individual value. Both might be collective mindsets, but still, an antithesis. Sacrifice can be necessary, yes, but it shouldn't be treated as always necessary. There is a path to devaluing sacrifice, an inflation of sacrifice, until it becomes expected, normalized suffering. Sacrifice is significant, and should be understood to be significant. It is also not the only significant aspect of solidarity, nor the most important. That's reductionism. Solidarity, at its best, is valuing each other, mutually, strongly. It's taking the care to understand each other, struggle and strength, and to appreciate each other. By building each other up, creating infrastructure, society, a world in which no one is disposable, or at least dreaming of such a thing, having that as the truth in your own heart and soul. It isn't easy to practice solidarity, it does take an effort of thought to value everyone, but it is worthwhile, individually and collectively. Nothing worth having is effortless, but that doesn't mean it has to be achieved by misery either.

[@rammym23]

that's a lot of words to say "solidarity is supposed to be hard" dude

[@stinkysquash]

coming from decades in fundamentalist Christianity, (now escaped at last), I've been seeing things the same way lately. religions also push the idea of the sacrificial lamb and I'm tired of sacrifice, tired of community group think. Individualism is very important and collectivism is just as important.

[@mikkelens]

@@rammym23 love these commenters who aren't ready to accept the premise of the video for themselves and really want us to listen to them rationalize it away. Like just say you're not ready to sacrifice much, it's alright girl noone is here to shame you

[@stinkysquash]

​@@mikkelens except this comment is doing just that lol re: shaming

[@Anilyan13]

Your comment makes such good points and people replying to you are so dumb they think you wrote this much to say you wouldn't be willing to sacrifice at all for nothing worth it. That is not at all what you said. You put your point very well, and for all these people know, you could have very well sacrificed a lot already - just because we as individuals might be willing to sacrifice, that doesn't give us the right to demand that from everyone or shame them for it. I'm sorry that you have to deal with reductionists

[@ElijahG99]

I agree with many of the points made in this video but I am left bothered by its framing through the actions of influencers. It seems to me that the sacrifices that come with solidarity that are described as necessary (or important, or morally right?) for influencers to take in this video are all related to personal decisions that work unquestioningly within the frameworks of the dominant systems through which we live our lives. That is, the decision to take a stand on an issue through social media as an influencer sacrifices potential financial gains and internet criticism, but does so through platforms that operate on wringing profit out of celebrity worship and unproductive conflict by making these the source of engagement and therefore, advertisements (thus, profit). In this case, an insistence on the actions of an influencer only perpetuates the contradictory idea that change must occur through channels that discourage or are outright opposed to change (social media companies that run on the profit motive in this case). Similarly, the decision to refuse a job opportunity or to purchase only certain products (green capitalism as the best example), while it is likely morally commendable, does not connect to a larger disruptive framework. The economy of social media influencers and their interactions with their fans or critics is not special, it is neoliberal in its foundation (in that it is the act of deciding through a market or through market logics that I describe in the paragraph below). This does not mean that actions within a neoliberal system cannot have any impact at all (ex: turning down a sponsorship for a sketchy mental health company prevents its reach to more people, buying and using "green" products helps the environment to a certain extent by "voting with your dollar" ), but if part of the argument of the video is that we ought to escape this framework (and I agree, we should), framing the video with the topic of the solidarity of influencers that exists precisely within a neoliberal framework seems to distort the solutions for productive solidarity. All the actions described above can be seen as morally commendable actions that ought to be done by well-meaning political actors, but their connection to movements for counter-hegemonic change seems loose at best and are ultimately trapped within a neoliberal logic of change. Just like I do not buy from companies that support genocidal military campaigns, I may not buy (view) content from influencers who are opposed (or tepid, hesitant, ignorant, etc.) to my political positions and organizational memberships or affiliations. However, how is asking a social media influencer to go say something about a given issue I support any different than asking a clothing brand I like, or the computer brand I use, etc. to go say something? It would be nice if they did, and it might make a material difference but to view their sacrifices or lack thereof as a framing for how solidarity is hard is misguided. Sure, there can be sacrifices that show solidarity here in an impactful way but how is this not just a different version of the neoliberal logic that insists that one shows their support for a cause through individual decisions? If we are truly interested in "building sociality in a world that insists on atomization and individuality", why the insistence on the individuality of influencers? I make an individual decision to support or critique an influencer who then makes their own individual decision to position themselves politically so as to seem morally upright as towards their audience. Under this logic, my individual decisions that are made within markets are what determine both change and my morality in connection to that change. Thus, although it is stated towards the end of the video that this is not about these influencers as moral people, how can it be anything else? Escaping the neoliberal framing of solidarity does not mean distinguishing between it being easy or hard - it may be the case that solidarity is always hard - but involves its direction toward counter-hegemonic collective action. It is there where the struggle (solidarity becoming hard) takes place in the most meaningful ways. There are examples of this in this video that are not exemplified by influencers, and it is no coincidence. Sacrifices taken by labour union organizers, climate justice protestors, civil rights activists, etc. are sacrifices taken collectively and with organized and usually democratic direction. The conflict within these movements is productive because the movements are situated within a site of change. That Hope Woodard is compared in the video to a white woman in 1964 who is uncomfortable with civil rights protests is evidence of the fact that she stands outside the bounds of a counter-hegemonic expression of solidarity, the conflict she is dealing with is unlike the inter-movement conflict Ella Baker dealt with because she is not in any way collectively oriented towards counter-hegemony. The sort of conflict she encounters may be productive and her denial of it may be in a sense authoritarian, but it is not counter-hegemonic. There is conflict within movements that is generative towards collective struggle and then there is conflict with actors outside of movements who are located outside of the bounds of that struggle. Protestors conflicting with each other while determining group objectives is different from protestors critiquing someone who has not joined them. It is not because the outside actor has not sacrificed that they are not a part of the struggle, the outside actor has yet to have taken up a position through which their sacrifices would be counter-hegemonic. I have no interest in defending influencers, I just largely do not understand them as any significant source of change. A discussion on the difficulty of solidarity in various social movements without the influencer framing seems to me to be a more productive way to think through the topic of the difficulty of solidarity. If neoliberal solidarity is something to be avoided or contextualized for having its limits for progress, shouldn't we focus efforts of solidarity away from influencers (and thus neoliberal logic) almost entirely? Sorry for the essay lol, the video was thought-provoking.

[@KittieBob]

In 2013-2017 used to work for a very red chicken restaurant(not naming for obvious reasons), got as far as marketing and got official with a certificate and everything. As someone who didn’t go to high school and made decent money, learning the deeper more integral issues with the company in all facets, plus being discriminated firsthand, I made the difficult decision to leave. That place was all I knew, family-like, and my only source of income. I lost everything, including my church family. It took many years but I made it out and am doing okay without it, a much clearer conscience. Even more wild that almost 10 years ago I was the complete opposite to now, breathing is easier even if it risked it all. Went from hardcore Z-ist evangelical christian to whatever socialist lasagna I am now haha.

[@charlieistryinghisbest]

@@KittieBob I respect that so much. Good job❤️

[@Vanity0666]

There is something to be said about not becoming monsters in the pursuit of fighting monsters. I share the opinion of conflict of ideals being necessary, however I also believe that there is a massive issue with people effectively worshipping individual humans (namely celebrities and social media influencers) as nigh-deified beings whose words and actions - or lack of - are sacrosanct, and as a result the conflict is no longer about the ideals but rather one side arguing on behalf of ideals while the other side is running defense for their chosen deity in hopes that they one day miraculously heal the world with their abundance.

[@katherinemurphy7911]

okay i agree with many of these points, and to be fair im only a highschooler-but I disagree with the fact that individuals should have to suffer the burden of protest and boycott, such as the woman did in 53:44. i mention this because you talk about how individualism is playing an increasingly negative role in society (namely the US’s), but if that’s something we want to change, then why should it be on the individual to shoulder the cost of a boycott? (also an aside-to me, that video comes off as bitter she had to suffer while this woman didn’t. just my personal read.)

[@TheBackupUp]

Of course it goes without saying, individuals do not owe their shoulders to global responsibilities. However it’s on people to make change if they want to see it imo. And in this modern earth? It’s impossible to hold those with ‘power’ on paper responsible. So being individuals is the best one can do. Even though Individuals have more power than corporations and governments as a whole they just can’t see past that societal wall of fear that’s within the corporate/governed world. If enough people do see past that tho or even use that system on itself to move society then change could actually happen but that’s wishful thinking. If anything i think it’s on everyone to leave the world the best they could have left it and lived life to its fullest in whatever manner it meant to them & their scenarios. If there was a better way to dismantle the negative systems humans created, it doesn’t exist at the moment or else there wouldn’t be dictatorships and all the other fked up systems. And lastly just wanted to clarify, Individuality is not inherently bad, but one of its roads which leads into the concept of centered individualism is. whole different can of worms, they’re separate entities which cross roads occasionally and stem off each other but very distinctly separate from each other. One is a blank canvas that solely holds individuals as individuals and the other is vain, holding individuals as individuals in a manner which denounces any other party because they are “not” the independent. what the videos trying to describe is how selfish Individuality is ruining the US not individuality itself(but kinda is, a little convoluted)

[@EddieDA]

Did you finish the video?

[@isabelleharris6480]

So much of this discourse around activist movements is cyclical which is why i am so glad you included Ella Baker’s legacy to this video. I’m going to get her biography from the library to learn more of her story, and I am incredibly frustrated that she has been largely overlooked in the civil rights movement and US history!! Excellent work as always Elliot :))

[@babygrill01]

If Solidarity isn't hard, people possibly don't understand solidarity

[@junyaiwase]

If solidarity isnt hard you arent giving up enough

[@TheGingerMale]

Topics like should be what the phrase "owning the libs" ACTUALLY means. Rather than trying to justify homophobia.

[@skinscribe]

“If Starbucks in the only thing open do you want me to starve” the way people have forgotten to do even the slightest amount of planning due to the commodification of our lives… dawg idk how to tell yall this but grandma and grandpa just packed food with them if they knew they were traveling somewhere

[@anomieminalminds]

Right. Like, in which world aren't there extremely cheaper alternatives to f*ing Starbucks? Lol Giving "what if I'm extremely hungry in the desert and the only thing available to me is filet mignon? 😢😔"

[@marslara]

honestly it just comes off as a purposeful way to start shit. Like they're the arguing for the sake of arguing because what could you be doing that by the time you're hungry the ONLY place you can get food is Starbucks. You have no food in your home but feel like you can afford Starbucks? If there's a Starbucks there's almost certainly a lot of places open 🙄 Why even make this argument unless you just want to front reasons why you are exempt from doing the "right" thing.

[@failed-x1m]

Remenber to 🏴‍☠🏴‍☠The last of us 👍👍

[@vanpunk]

If Starbucks is the only option then frikkin dumpster dive

[@mikkelens]

dumpster diving is not engaging in liberal lifestyle consumerism, so why bother

[@stephengarforth2753]

​@@mikkelens abandon society become mad max

[@Frommerman]

Or just don't drink coffee.

[@mbreeze2203]

​@@Frommerman I'm from the middle east and there are many alternatives here. People love coffee and there are many shops owned by the people and should be supported by the people. If I got long hours I just get my own stashes of instant coffee. I saved so much from this too.

[@kajamatousek247]

@@mikkelens "Liberal lifestyle consumerism" I didn't know liberals were the ones buying "anti woke freedom water" for 30 bucks a bottle

[@ufsdbogfouvvfgsgoroiugnuod6462]

Really enjoyed your video. Its interesting to apply the whole thing of solidarity to social issues here in Hawaii. In efforts to mend a lot of problems here like raising rent/living expenses, foreign developers and tourism, indigenous oppression, etc., there is a lot of different avenues and takes that a lot of us Hawaiians and local people have. Honestly, a lot of your points on solidarity struck me in many ways regarding my sense of cultural identity and solidarity. There is a lot of different kinds of perspective on Hawaiians on many of these issues especially on who should stay and live here and what being local means. As well as a lot of avenues to help Hawaii as a whole. Like an example is works like Dr. Keanu Sai who focus on the international legalities of Hawaii's illegal occupation and sovereignty. Another is people who focus on more material things like Daniel Anthony who focus on sustainable farming with Hawaiian crops. I also feel like there's a lot of conflict as well with intersectionality and discrimination. Like it is a little disheartening to some people who support the liberation of Hawaii from illegal US presence spit hate against the lgbtq community and uphold very western views of patriarchy. Hell, there is even a lot of discourse and conflict on the perpetuation and preservation of the Hawaiian language. Even as a multi racial/ethnic person, I have many deep seeded doubts about my own identity that I need to de tangle in my journey/process of solidarity. It really shows that solidarity is not a thing that you turn on or off but, an ongoing struggle with conflicts within yourself, others and even time and work/school. I think that having an identity as a Hawaiian and a mixed person too has showed me that Hawaiian is not a perfect consensus that you strive for or stand in solidarity with no effort. It too is an ongoing process in which you have to contend with a violent history, your own generational trauma, and conflicts with your own thinking and solutions. Sorry for the rant but, your video does hit on a lot of the conflicts that are front and center with Hawaiian issues. Really enjoy your work!

[@novemberthewriter]

I normally dont comment b4 the video is over but I'm screaming @ the thumbnail tweet .. that Starbucks shit is giving that classic tumblr ask 'so if a dying kid's last wish was to say the n word would you get mad?' 😭💀

[@bibitta]

If you’re late to work because people are blocking the road and that gets your fired then it’s not the protestor but your boss who’s a dick

[@komugemon8010]

Under neoliberalism, sacrificing food, sleep, wellbeing etc for the sake of your individualistic dream, your business/entrepreneurship, your athletic/artistic career is celebrated and cherished. You're supposed to go through tough times before you make it. (In particular, I remember Jennifer Lopez claiming she ate one slice of pizza a day as an up and coming dancer before her big break) But let any left ideology (socialism/anarchism/anti-capitalism) even remotely suggest a smidge of discomfort should be experienced for the struggle and everyone has to chime in with a "Well, actually..."

[@funde19]

27:00 TIRRRB!!!!!!!!!! 🙏🏻🫶🏻

[@frostydei5012]

it's crazy to think about how many union organizers and activists across the world have been murdered for solidarity. I've barely dipped my toes into labor history... Still, my toes are baffled by her definition of costless solidarity. If you're standing between the powerless and their oppressors, resisting the status quo, and demanding redistribution of wealth... Does she think that position is a safe place? She's aware of the police violence BLM activists were subjected to. She knows solidarity requires courage. Anybody who poses a risk to the status quo is literally placing their existence on the line for solidarity. Does she think "solidarity" is a synonym for "tweets"?

[@Funnylittleman]

Full disclosure: I haven’t finished the entire video and I will delete if I feel I’m being unfair. You are never going to browbeat people into seeing your POV. Education and encouragement will get people to act in solidarity a thousand times faster than scolding them, harassment, or making someone the enemy.

[@_hypef1sh_]

you’re so right, man. i’ve seen each of those things work and fail respectively in real time, so personally, i really really wish more people thought like this because i just feel like we would make progress so much faster in not only this scenario, but almost all of them!! i’m with you on this all the way. 🙌🙌🙌

[@ElderStatesman]

@Funnylittleman Far too many in this space fall into that trap of not giving their fellow workers the benefit of the doubt. Solidarity requires that we give space to those who don't understand yet and making them out to be the enemy only serves to help our real enemies. Education is a vital part of solidarity!

[@EddieDA]

You should finish the video

[@TheForeignersNetwork]

It's funny that you bring up the Starbucks boycott, because it was arguably one of the more ineffectual forms of boycott put forth by internet activists who wanted to pretend like they're doing something. Starbucks certainly engages in labor practices that are not beneficial to workers, but the corporation itself doesn't directly fund the Israeli government in any way. The whole controversy came from a post by Starbucks' labor union in support of Palestine which contained the Starbucks logo. The company then sued the labor union over trademark copyrights, precisely *because* it did not want to take sides in the conflict in the Middle East. Now, obviously, Starbucks wanting to appear neutral towards Israel is the company's participation in a different form of ignorance. It would be perfectly valid to boycott Starbucks due to their union busting practices and their use of global slave labor. But to say that you're boycotting Starbucks because of their financial support to Israel is just make-believe activism, because they don't financially support Israel in the first place. We all need to do our part in making sure that solidarity isn't performative while simultaneously ensuring that solidarity is as effective as possible. In other words, if your solidarity is primarily based on virtue signaling or following a crowd without research, you should probably shore up your own solidarity. With that being said though, I do like a lot of the points that you make in this video, and solidarity IS supposed to be hard, as you said. We do need to ask, however, what kind of solidarity is realistic in a world where everyone is alienated from their labor (and from one another). I don't think that the culture of the US is in a place ideologically where activists can just expect solidarity from everyone, or where they can judge people for not engaging in some type of solidarity. We have to give people a reason to want to support leftist movements first, and then show them how solidarity strengthens leftist movements as a whole.

[@buttermoth5861]

Was going to basically comment this but you explained the situation so succinctly and clearly that I don’t need to lmao. The Starbucks situation as a whole has been so frustrating with the woke scoldy purity testing stuff a lot of “activists” engaged in when they only wanted a target to direct their ineffective anger at.

[@cherrybomber69]

People need to realise they won't get the comfortable quick fix they want, in order to change systems and improve life for everyone, there will need to be sacrifice and alot of risk taking from the collective first. Alot of people are too comfortable and too scared, they want someone else to break the systems for them but in a way that won't affect their comfort. But if we want real change, we need real sacrifice. We wont get it through voting and asking nicely

[@elliotsangestevez]

starbucks themselves announced that boycotts were a significant factor in them closing multiple stores and laying off workers in the middle east. stop rushing to diminish everything!

[@TheForeignersNetwork]

@@elliotsangestevez I'm not trying to diminish the fact that some gains were made by boycott movements in the last quarter of last year. I'm saying that it wasn't effective at doing anything about the genocide in Gaza, because the company didn't support either side in the genocide. Further, a single economic quarter of partial losses due to protests is not a sustained enough protest to impact politics more broadly. The messaging about that boycott in particular is rather muddled and many leftists are purposefully vague about why they want people to boycott that company. We have to be clearer about our intentions if we want to have a specific impact on a specific foreign policy situation. If we want to boycott Starbucks for their bad labor practices, we should just say that instead of exaggerating their role in the Gaza genocide.

[@hamstrbaxtr]

​@@TheForeignersNetwork Would you not consider silencing union workers who speak up about the genocide to be implicitly taking a side on the matter? Because the way I see it, they imply their stance by suing workers for their solidarity.

[@DenisRicardo]

Great video solid work. But this always drives me nuts. Ko-fi is pronounced “coffee.” As is “buy me a coffee.” The logo is a mug. Not really serious, just teasing.

[@pjihae]

Genuinely, good for you for declining that sponsorship. It would have cost you a lot of trust with your audience.

[@apparentlyasun]

I agree. I think long term it might even help him with audience retention/money because I think that kind of integrity is something a lot of his audience really values and respects. I still would watch Elliot if he took it and not think much differently of him, because I would assume he needed the cash instead of it being from any personal investment in the company. But I would have been disappointed he had to make that decision

[@EddieDA]

Thank you for putting this into words, it's hard to explain. I'm sick to death of people complaining about parasocial relationships when they're held to the standard they themselves set. They gained these followers because they displayed themselves as someone who cares and are shocked when their fans leave after finding out that they don't actually care. Some of these people talk about fans feeling entitled to their personal lives but some of these people feel entitled to their fanbase. (Not Chappell Roan, she's completely reasonable.)

[@marslara]

Yeah I don't think all celebrities should be on top of politics but if you're someone who told your own fans about how you should be on top of politics and then don't do it... seems fair to get backlash to me cause why you lyin 🤚🏾

[@Spamhard]

I'm torn with this one. Solidarity can mean making sacrifices, but I also don't think internet browbeating really stands for much either. I also think demanding celebrities/influencers take stances on everything IS ridiculous. Yes, if you've cultivated your platform to be one of solidarity then there's more expectation, but I don't really see the wrong in saying "I'm not educated enough on this topic to have input". I think Chapell Roan's recent hit back at people's expectation on 'celebrity' is a perfect encapsulation, like yes she makes music and is now famous, we don't know her, she's not our best friend, and you wouldn't demand the same off a total stranger on the street (at least in most cases I won't be screaming at the guy scanning my shopping to give me his stance on x issue). People with a large online platform can use that for support, but I think expecting them to come out with opinions and stances on every single thing isn't aiding anything, and sometimes we just sub to people to see them do silly little dances, not to hear their most recent political take. However I do think there's an inherent laziness to some levels of solidarity. Such as people claiming to be trans allies but then like "but I have to play new Hogwarts game tho :(" and actively giving money towards a woman who's literally said outright she uses her money from HP to actively continue her ongoing anti-trans campaign. You do not NEED to buy or play that game/consume that media, that is a thing you can live without, if you can't even forgo an entertainment source for the sake of solidarity, there's no way in hell you can be relied on for further support. I also don't think it's inherently individualistic to just admit solidarity is exhausting and sometimes you are going to do 'bad' things. I think the importance is your overall output should outweigh that, so go to protests, participate in unions, get out there and help your community, then at the end of it all buying a single starbucks because it's the closest thing around and you're exhausted and just want a second of chill time WILL lessen the impact.

[@blossom9565]

I agree with what you say about so-called identity politics, but if you want to bring all people who work for a living to the table , you need to not scare those people, with their learned prejudices away from the table. Focus on class and THEN de-program them. The woke rich people approach is destined to fail, because it doesn't see the big picture. For those who have nothing to lose, solidarity is nothing more than an a fashion statement.

[@Vanity0666]

You've hit the nail on the head. Western indoctrination instills a value of aesthetic over function. People are taught that what they look like matters more than what or who they are at their core identity. Identity is bought and sold as a commodity. This is also why fascism has such a hold on western states, because fascism is exclusively focused around aesthetic.

[@justthecoolestdudeyo9446]

It being hard doesn't make it good (that rhetoric reeks of Puritanism, suffering is just and all that), but doing things to help people that are being marginalized in a real, tangible way will likely put you in opposition with systems designed to make it easy to act without solidarity. There are relatively painless things you can do to help in certain issues, but complete solidarity will require you to remove yourself from complicit systems, systems that became entrenched because they were more convenient, or easier, to go along with.

[@orangelunacy]

Firstly, I really liked the video. It's well researched and thought out, and it's an asset to the community. That said, I want to push back rhetorically on the framing here. Solidarity *can* be hard. Solidarity is even *likely* to be hard. But even if it's easy, you should still do it. And I am going to send love out to everyone who will stand in solidarity, no matter how hard.

[@teapotsticker2809]

Thank you for not taking the sponsorship

[@GC-bo2ug]

I think it would be more impactful when ( if it hasn't happened yet) or if (it already happened), you make a video where you show your own receipts at rejecting your own version of "starbucks"...Im starting to think with the apparent awareness of "influential" culture, a reevaluation of the power of anecdotal evidence is necessary

[@tutu3909]

I’m so proud of younger people standing up for Palestine

[@mechanesthesia]

New rule: You get 3 out of 5 causes. If your favorite internet celebrity who makes funny memes or make up tutorials or whatever, or maybe an actual IRL human, supports more than 50% of the causes you advocate for, that's good enough. You can inform, suggest, or nag them but eventually you got to get the hint and leave them TF alone. People are allowed to not speak about a particular topic they don't know enough about or may be a risk they are not able to take at that point in time or in particular contexts or, GASP 😱 disagree with you on some things. I’m sorry to break it to y’all but we can’t have it all. We need to stop it with this toxic manipulative behavior and learn when to let shit go, especially when you're talking about people who we are already in solidarity with as far as a majority of other topics. Why are we even acting like this; with our clipboards keeping track and tallying everyone's opinions. And is it really doing anything? You can't control people's thoughts and opinions, you can try to persuade them and that's it. Stop alienating perfectly good allies because of the narcissism of petty differences and they don't agree with 100% of your views, or they actually do agree but they are not in the position of taking the risk of publicizing it on a public platform which can affect them in ways that won't affect you. The older you get you realize people have jobs, responsibilities, kids, or people they take care of... there's certain lines we can't cross without losing a lot. Also this sense of instant gratification of having everyone be in lockstep right now completely disregarding the fact that some people are using other tactics, playing the long game, meeting people where they're at, having these discussions in private with people they know that they feel they can get to move a little more towards our side; people we probably wouldn’t have access to otherwise if they didn’t gain our trust or pushed them away by using other tactics. Don't be too quick to disregard our fellow allies who may have something different up their sleeves. It takes different types and different paths to get there. People need to stop living in this matrix and stop with this entitled, dehumanizing culture of categorizing and commodifying each other instead of just allowing them to be human. Not only is there an issue of idolization, making people into a symbol for something instead of letting them be human... we are ignoring the fact we are being incentivized to behave in this way exactly because of how these platforms are structured... the medium is the message. The message of social media is we are all fragmented bits and pieces of content to be consumed or disposed of at will. Is it activism or are we just acting in accordance to the algorithm? We're not supposed to know everyone's thoughts and opinions on every single subject on demand broadcasted for the world to see. There was a time before the internet, or at least the current iteration of it. People got along better when they didn't know every last detail of each other. And we need to stop with this binary static thinking as if other people don't deserve the same time and space we had to learn, grow, and evolve in our understandings of things. At the end of the day we need to be practical and understand it's a numbers game and having people agree with 51% of causes is way more than 0%, because you can pressure and alienate them to the point they just decide to disengage altogether and you lose a perfectly good ally and voice for many other important topics. We have to stop treating each other like mass market commodities. We have to stop with this culture of treating people as easily disposable. We can't be all things to all people.

[@Cashew228]

Oh my god, thank you for this comment. Exactly what I've been thinking about for a while

[@azertyQ]

Could have a comment on Nebula, and their expulsion of Second Thought because they wouldn't change their stance on Israel.

[@onetwo-lc2tb]

Wait... Really? Nebula? I wasn't expecting that one...

[@valenfr01]

to my knowledge (to be fair i didn't investigate thoroughly) Second Thought had been toying with antisemitic dogwhistles, and a lot of his comments are quite violent and could be understood as antisemitic. I know Jessie Gender and StepBack, to name some names, have done very pro palestine content and still have a platform on Nebula. I really like a lot of his work (so it's clear i don't have an agenda here) and i could be wrong, but to my understanding that's why they dropped him. - edit: corrected the youtubers that made pro Palestinian content and are on Nebula -

[@onetwo-lc2tb]

@@valenfr01 has Big Joel made very pro Palestine content? He went quiet for a while after Oct.7th and besides a 'part 1' of a never finished series on SOMETHING to do with Israel and Palestine, to my knowledge he hasn't said much else. I stopped watching him soon after.

[@valenfr01]

@@onetwo-lc2tb hi!! you're totally right! i was thinking of StepBack and his last two videos (i think he has a newer one that's unrelated but the latest two on the subject i mean) I don't know why i got them mixed up with Big Joel? i should've checked before commenting. StepBack is on Nebula too, so my argument stands but thank you, I'll edit the comment, Joel doesn't deserve credit for silence lol

[@lolaa.8161]

@@valenfr01As far as I am aware, nothing JT said was anti-semitic. He was removed from Nebula because he wouldn't retract his comment about Israelis not being civilians because of their settlers/occupiers after 10/7. You can disagree with that statement or find it abhorrent, but it's not anti-semitic.

[@Maliadolly]

Overall I agree with you but I think rather than individualism being the main reason people are afraid of conflict I'd say its the way dog pilling, algorithms, and the ease in which one can go viral that cause people, at least in online spaces, to be afraid of conflict/criticism and being called out. I guess this would probably also count as capitalism being the main cause, which you said, but I think we need to specifically point out how the nature of the internet prevents good and productive conversation. If someone does or says something horrible online, most of the time I think it goes unnoticed, but on the off chance it's noticed and goes viral, it can get so much attention that no matter how terrible the original grievance was the response won't be proportional. Maybe not NEVER, but when someone UNINTENTIONALLY does or says something ignorant because of a lack of information or subconscious bias rather than intended maliciousness and damn near a whole city worth of people flood their page, it'll feel like a disproportionate response even if the call out is valid. They might feel as through they are being unfairly cyber bullied and become defensive and I think they may start to tune-out genuine clear critiques. I am no saint so when I see some truly horrible people have bad things happen to them or get made fun of I don't feel bad. Even so, those truly horrible people shouldn't get doxed, threatened or harassed because it sets a dangerous precedent for critiquing. And, when someone has done something bad because of genuine ignorance rather than malicious intent and they are being treated like an irredeemable villain, it sets a bad precedent for critiquing. Not that I think that theoretical person shouldn't be critiqued, I just think we are going about critiquing online in the wrong way. I genuinely believe most people's gut reaction to someone being called out is NOT to dox them or send death threats or harass them, or god forbid look through their entire internet history, but when someone's fall from grace reaches every corner of the internet because of how algorithms base boost "trendy topics", there will inevitably be those responses. Hence the response to viral call-outs almost always being disproportionate to the original harmful or ignorant actions. Most of us aren't this extreme in our reactions but I think in order to have better conversations and productive conflicts we need to talk about those of us that feel justified in doxing and harassing people online. A lot of new activists and leftists need some sort of guide on how to give constructive criticism on the internet so that they don't give these people being called out moral shields. If someone is getting threatened they can deflect all criticism back to their critiques by asserting that those calling them out are "Actually the bad people" because they were being harassed. They now have a shield from criticism because now we are all being painted as morally bad because of those few who have crossed the line into harassment/endangerment. It drives me nuts when a conversation gets derailed because the focus is now on protecting the privacy of some racist because they got doxed. I don't quite know how we could deal with those people who have extreme reactions but I think if we started telling people to block and report accounts rather than lingering in comment sections, dms, or making a million hot take videos, we could have more conversations that don't get derailed. AND, it might give the person who is getting called out the time and space to reflect and possibly change if we just give our initial criticism/opinions then refocus on more important collective issues rather than one person. Yes it is not our jobs to make the people getting called out feel comfortable and cozy, when you get called out on your shit you will feel uncomfortable and probably a bit ashamed (some say shame is totally useless but I think it can be helpful depending on the situation and how it's dealt out) but we can't make them feel UNSAFE. And we gotta make it clear that receiving criticism/backlash doesn't mean we think they're irredeemable evil people. Although, it is also important that people know they aren't entitled to forgiveness. Some people may never forgive you and you just have to deal with that. But, if said lack of forgiveness could mean disengagement rather than doxing and harassment, I think more people would be inclined to take accountability and change. Overall, I think we gotta really stop expecting moral perfection from other left leaning people cause I think we're making people feel scared to mess up or speak up at all. Ignorance isn't an excuse but it can be an EXPLANATION for questionable/insensitive behavior and actions. And if we ask people to speak up about every issue in the world even if they don't personal know much about it, I think people will be put off of activism. In my opinion it'd be better if people would block/ignore those that they think aren't doing enough, rather than demanding someone to speak up. (I know you didn't really talk about doxing but I feel like it is such a pressing issue online that its sorta impossible not to talk about its prevalence when discussing calling out/critiquing people on the internet even if in specific cases of people getting called out didn't result in it. I hope this doesn't come across as aggressive I've just been sitting on this opinion for a while and your video provided an opportunity to get it out, sorry if this is a little all over the place.)

[@cherrysoda3427]

Just got hit by a cat 4 hurricane. Mcdonalds was the closest place open for miles. I still didn't go there. It wasn't that hard actually.

[@meow-sr2bl]

After her Palestine response i stopped watching her despite the fact she was the only youtuber who consistently made me laugh and i loved her content so much. Im still so so disappointed in her man.

[@sofi-ci5lq]

My grandma was a kidnapping and torture victim after the coup d’état. I’m grateful this story is being told and is still relevant in discussions today, it left a giant traumatic wound in Chile that’s most of us are still trying to heal.

[@ladygrey4113]

14:35 please school of the Americas is mentioned

[@scold-y4f]

Based video.

[@jackieAZ]

Can you elaborate on how you’re ’not working class’? Was curious what that meant

[@f1mbultyr]

Self employment/owning a small business makes you Petty Bourgeoisie.

[@chrono4998]

​@@f1mbultyrdid you get autocorrected from petit bourgeois or is petty actually how people call it

[@jackieAZ]

@@f1mbultyrwhat business does he own? If it’s just because he’s a KZbinr, imo that’s more of a contractor gig than petit bourgeois

[@conceptualizing]

activism is Not transactional & i fear many people do not fully comprehend and Believe that. support & Outspokenness for the plight of Palestinians in particular being conditional on what Palestinians have to say about [insert group] says to me that there is Little understanding of the Subjacent systemic issues in play concerning the liberation of Palestinian peoples. a Bit incredulous at the comments of people who appear to believe this. solidarity amongst people of Colour is absolutely not a myth do not be swayed. inshallah We will see a liberated Palestine if not now In generations to come

[@fatimamasood5801]

you've articulated everything that's been going thru my head re:transactional activism 👏👏👏

[@hellomello258]

People doing a "gotcha" to progressives who support Palestinians with "You're supporting them; how about you go live there as a blue haired gay trans woman and see how that works out for you". A people don't have to be perfect to "earn" the right to not be genocided

[@Charrbonic]

I think that we are only human. It seems that the majority of people who are willing to claim that others should sacrifice like they apparently have are very isolated from actual sacrifice and actual marginalization, just as the people they attack are. It's a bunch of people who think they know the world and how it works but truly do not telling people just like them that they should be ashamed of themselves. I personally have chosen not to sacrifice some of the few, tainted privileges (like a stable financial situation based on the stock market) provided to me because many of the gifts (like unimpeded movement, fertility, and the mental wellness to work when I want to) that most take for granted have never and will never be available to me without significant medical innovations that currently seem infeasible. There are many people who I might otherwise agree with politically who have told me that, because I can pay for my medical bills when Apple succeeds, I should totally upend my chances at happiness simply to be ethical, and I just cannot stand by that conclusion. I am a socialist (technically an anarcho-communist, but that seems a lot further off from possibility without a worldwide disaster, maybe climate change though), and I hope to one day live in a world where the oligarchs of today were the last of a forgone system removed by everyone in unity or in rebellion, but that goal is not further achieved by shame culture and the expectation of perfection, regardless of the intentions of the shamer or the shamee. I'm really glad that videos and channels like Elliot's exist, because they can help people recognize some of the themes and actions necessary to achieve things that many reared within individualist capitalism might never have imagined as remotely possible or even as a theoretical exercise. But despite that value, "nuance," as so many people attribute to these art forms, is never unbiased. It feels like most leftist or revolutionary essays start with the goal to argue specific points before the evidence to support them is actually considered, and that's because that is often the case in any media and for any writer. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it usually means that "nuance" within these vessels is more truthfully the willingness to acknowledge that more than one thing could _theoretically_ be valid at the same time, while simultaneously refusing to acknowledge that an opposing view is _actually_ valid and that those who hold it should be free to think differently, especially when their view is something like, "Maybe there isn't that much constructive value in constant criticism, and we would be a lot better off if anger wasn't redirected at random creators and public figures rather than the systems and leaders who have a genuine impact on how corporations are managed and how the world functions." All in all, things can and will be better eventually. Those who know that can either work towards that goal, or they can get sidetracked by influencers benefiting from systems in the exact way that they are supposed to. The people of Israel and pretty much every nation besides an empire known best for its prioritization of power over peace (the US) have made it clear that they are opposed to Netayahu's leadership and his destruction; this particular situation is obviously not going to be swayed by public opinion campaigns or by something like Brittany Broski's acknowledgment. Sometimes shit is just bad and the people who will respond to you can't do anything about it, but in the meantime those who don't have power can watch _The Good Place_ or something idk

[@Vanity0666]

There is very much a "I asked and no one knew who you were" problem going on where people will openly lie if they believe it will make them more popular within the aesthetic community they desire to be a part of.

[@Lantha57]

I get wanting to go beyond matters of individual morality and towards a more socially grounded understanding of politics. However I see a lot of criticisms directed along a very individualized lens. Maybe this is part of the reason people can't set aside ego and personal grievance.

[@lilies.mp3]

yes! Yes! YES! this is everything i've been trying to say! you worded this video so eloquently. the research, readings of relvent books, and interviewing experts was done so thoroughly. 💕

[@ericktellez7632]

This type of cases always surprise me because they are the easiest thing to clear, first that hypothetical is never going to happen in real life, is so easy to just say yes and keep it moving, you are not going to starve and there will always be coffee places besides Starbucks, the fact the still fail such an easy test and publish their own failure thinking they nailed it baffles me completely.

[@meigo4097]

thank you elliot for this video, it really was very insightful

[@etchedinink]

You look like a One Piece character and I mean that as a compliment

[@blossom9565]

Anyway, your channel is the best thing on KZbin. Thank you.

[@karlsaintlucy]

57:24 BetterHelp is evil!

[@natebookout1353]

Conflict and solidarity do go together a lot, especially if you consider the Black Panthers' contribution to Civil Rights, despite their differences with MLK. And other movements from the time too, like the Gay Liberation Movement that came after Stonewall, which was the result of disparate organizations like the GLF and GAA filled with people who had many conflicting views.

[@unknownone962]

Cant wait to watch this- Thank you for speaking on this!

[@videocrowsnest5251]

Real change does generally always require sticking ones neck out for. Beyond that, if one examines the time, resources, energy and effort spent by the people resisting change or trying to create political time machines, to resist that momentum will take even more effort and sticking ones neck out for. It's described as a struggle, fight, battle, etc for a reason. I think it's interesting how many people forget that change actually means things really concretely changing so it's felt even on a day to day basis. And that means the conditions around them will alter. Ergo, hardship is a part of the puzzle. Gotta put in the effort and walk the walk instead of just talking the talk for some good person browny points. Actions (choices thus) are more important than words, even if just talking can at times be an action. And it requires teamwork to make the dream work, which is where solidarity comes in.

[@ashleyaviola]

Incredible video as usual, Elliot!

[@anomieminalminds]

Literally. US policies are exported into other countries (and visceversa) all the time. Drag has just been banned in Nuevo León, México "to protect the children". Guess where that came from.

[@anomieminalminds]

And Israeli intelligence was used in the disappearance of 43 students in Mexico, some years ago, as well.

[@anomieminalminds]

In general, thank you for the video. I'm going to overshare lol, but I kind of needed to remind myself that there are people who believe in community (in contrast to being pushed/'crushed' into hyper-individuality, which I don't necessarily blame them for, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't feel extra-isolating anyway). I kind of got to a point this year in which I forgot that, if I exist, other people like me do too; even if we haven't found each other yet (in case that phrase could help anyone else, as well) 🤓🌞. So parasocially-consciously thanks again. 🎉

[@blorblin]

Hey, great video Elliot. Next time, could you not use the static/scratch transition sound? It was too loud and jarring. Thanks!

[@pbs216]

As a black vegan leftist I’ve known what they say here for a very long time now about “solidarity” being largely immaterial 😩 6:45

[@Rachdaydreaming]

Why do influencers always draw the line at standing up for palestine :/

[@DoctorQcumber]

Even before you explicitly mentioned it, I could tell this was a topic you've been sitting on for a while. I've noticed those kinds of videos from creators tend to hit different, and it definitely felt that way here. A lot of good stuff to think about in this one

[@soapssie]

If you can afford a Starbucks cup, you are NOT starving. Literally just wait or eat at home.

[@HiHi-iu8gf]

nice video! not sure i agree with everything but can't quite pin down why lol. interesting discussions in the comments as well. i'll have to sit on it!

[@fadedtyrant1604]

Whew, this video was way more cathartic than I was prepared for. Thanks for making it.

[@xg2513]

Please hear me out here, because I am just as much a leftist as all of you here....I think I will always disagree with the idea that every person, with any amount of following, must immediately then list every opinion they have ever had, in order to "validate" themselves as "one of the good ones". Now, I dont like her hypocritical take, and her original take I disagree with. Brittany should not have to immediately list and proclaim all of her opinions, nor any other influencers. It is so so so wrong to force all people to immediately share voices about VERY controversial opinions. Hear me out at least a little bit.... i have some reasons why I am a creator and this is a dump account. I have a following. I physically do not have the emotional nor mental capacity to immediately plaster all my takes in the spotlight and then take on all of the horrific hate and harassment and death threats that come with that. Maybe this makes me sheltered and priveleged and selfish. To me, as a entirely stealth trans person, this feels almost like if we expected trans people to all immediately leave stealth and publicly out themselves to huge audiences, because "if you dont youre not truly pro trans rights or care about trans kids and youre basking in your privilege of being stealth...you need to air your trans alignment so we know youre one of the good ones". It has the same vibes. I physically cannot handle the death threats and constant bullying that comes with airing these views. I am sorry. I cant. Im just an artist. I cant handle the doxxing, i cant handle the harassment. I cant. I am pro palestine. but pro palestine people get insane harrassment online. swatting, worse. i am not equipped to handle that now. Maybe im a bad person for this. I understand this is selfish and I should be willing to nuke my passion and my platform and my safety for the greater good but I just cant. I cant handle the threats to my safety and potentially people digging up my past and blackmailing me threatening to out me as a weapon because they dont like my political opinion i post online. it threatens my career, my wellbeing, my life, my safety, and my mental health. People are so reactionary now that they are dangerous. I silently am solidarity, but you will never catch me posting my political views online on any of my platforms. i see an ignorance issue as well. not all content creators are..... well.... chronically online. I dont mean that in a mean way, but people accept sponsorships from corporations and theyre just not chronically online enough to know the dirt on these companies. You really have to be on the internet 24/7 to be aware of all of these things and some of the people getting these sponsors are just not online enough to know. They record, send it to an editor, and then do irl stuff offline. That could potentially be their fault for not vetting their sponsors enough, but that leads me to another point; now as anti-capitalist, i would go as far to say as if you wanna not accept sponsorships because "this company is problematic" then you just cannot ever make money on youtube because you need to turn down basically every well-paying sponsor. Why? because there is no such thing as an ethical for-profit corporation under capitalism. i think a lot of people need to watch The Good Place. Everyone ends up in hell because every action on earth is so tainted by evil that all actions are evil. Every corporation is killing children, killing wildlife, polluting the environment, exploiting others, and tricking and manipulating consumers. It is the nature of capitalism. I hate doing the "if hate monies why buy iphone" boomer argument or the "to save the planet recycle" as if the actions of regular people will ever do anything about anything going on in the world at all. why does the burden always fall on us? the elite have done all of this, the governments. Edit: *silent solidarity is important, but forcing people or expecting people to potentially put themselves in emotional or physical danger that they are not mentally equipped for is wrong. I silently boycott starbucks. but i am not good enough to be able to handle the reactionary hate and vile threats that you get if you broadcast your takes online.*

[@Vanity0666]

The core of the issue is idol worship

[@MiX0195]

HE IS NOT SAYING YOU "HAVE". To do anything he just says don't say you're an activist if you won't stand in solidarity it's that fucking simple

[@mechanesthesia]

💯 great comment

[@MiX0195]

@@mechanesthesia just read mine

[@xg2513]

@@MiX0195there was no aggression in my comment so I don’t know why you are so aggressive but I was just putting my comment out there to add nuance to the conversation because I’ve frequently been called a right wing apologist because I won’t use my art platform for my political stances.. we live in a time where we force everyone to be an activist when maybe they’re not cut out for it. I understand why the pressure is so immense, but it can be very cruel at times to people. That is all, I just wanted to contribute to the convo. I meant no malice

[@strawberrycelia]

gotta love going into a youtube video and then realizing that I’m studying all of this in class atm

[@MrEdwinsantiago]

I personally have an issue with equating boycotting with political action. As people that want to see a better world and want to fight towards a planet with little to no oppression, it is really difficult to live inside an economic system where virtually every consumption has underneath it some unimaginable pain. The problem I see with boycotting as a way of political activism is that this logic would be almost impossible to apply consistently in every purchase all of the time; especially if you are someone that doesn't have a lot of disposable income and, in a lot of cases, it is more expensive to go for the "most ethical brand". On the other hand, we all have lines we consider we shouldn't cross. Almost everyone here would consider it unethical to buy the new iPhone or car every year or two, even if the old cell phone or car works, and I believe the reason is that this goes beyond being obliged to participate in an oppressive economic system and buying what it is necessary to participate in society. Where is the line? It is hard to say and here I liked the conclusion that focusing on these lines is focusing on individual moral actions and not on the movements as a whole. But that is actually the reason I wouldn’t judge someone for buying Starbucks or taking a sponsorship, especially in leftists circles with media literacy where we can and should understand the difference between the person and the minute or two of time that was bought by an (almost certain) unethical brand. It is a difficult conversation nonetheless, and I would like to see what other people think of this comment.

[@devifoxe]

you cannot defeat capitalism be participating in capitalism... boycott is an other way to say vote with your wallet. For this you need to except. first voting as a way of change, Second the hierarchy that money created. both of those assumption are problematic.

[@gman13531]

As the old saying goes, "There is no ethical consumption under capitalism."

[@mrpieceofwork]

IDK if y'all have notice, but trying to do the right thing in the Imperial Core is EXTREMELY difficult, almost impossible.

[@the_p03t92]

11:07 "she says 'I'm not your enemy' , I say 'that sounds like something that my enemy would say, instead of playing off the chemistry" -Aesop Rock

[@Dsonsee]

We're alienating at least a third of our day for a measly wage and we're made to feel bad by moralists if we consume inadequately from the few option available to us. Your consumption habits will not make any significant difference, so don't punish yourself, and if engaging solidarity means that you won't be able to reproduce your labour power in the long run, that is, if you're going to decrease your quality of living below what you consider the sustainable minimum, don't do it. Sounds selfish, but I think revolution needs selfish people working together as a class instead of morality-afflicted martyrs.

[@nataliekhanyola5669]

In order to effectively work together in solidarity you need to be selfless... not selfish. And I'm sorry but Starbucks is an expensive high end brand, no one is starving because they can't buy a Starbucks coffee.

[@NB-lx6gz]

I agree with you very much. I'm working to get by. I don't have all the mental energy to care about what's going on the other side of the world. I need to keep myself alive first.

[@ohdreamaker]

212 views 🙌

[@laindarko3591]

The way neoliberal individualism sneaks into even those who ARE acting in solidarity is so poisonous. Maybe this is just a me thing, but I put so much pressure on myself to do absolutely EVERYTHING, and if I don't, I see myself as a moral failure - if I don't go to every protest then I feel like I'm somehow singlehandedly bringing the entire movement down. (And I typically am not able to go to every single one bc of disability reasons, so you can see the cycle I get into...) This mindset is because I was trained by life in the US to see things in matters of individual heroes, good and bad individuals, and it's hard for me to trust that I'm still contributing to a community if I'm not this perfect, self-sacrificing hero.... And if I'm not perfect, I must be bad. (It doesn't make logical sense but, well, neither does neoliberalism!) This is something I'm trying to unlearn because it produces so much anxiety in me sometimes that it leads to detachment and disengagement, rather than involvement. This is exactly what the neoliberal regime wants, this is how they divide us. Basically - everyone having solidarity imperfectly is more effective than a small group having solidarity perfectly! Let's do our best ❤

[@Anilyan13]

It's not that I don't understand or agree with this take... but then I can't stop thinking about how one of the reasons why (I think) the left is often losing people and right parties are gaining supporters and spreading like hell, is the fact that people on the left are so quick to judge everytime someone does a mistake. Wanting people to apologize is one thing - but more often than not, people want to force someone to apologize even before the other person (who is overall genuinely on their side) understands what their mistake was, or in situations that are nuanced. On social media at least, black and white thinking is heavily promoted, and that leads to exclusionary and judgemental behaviors that will push anyone that supports solidarity overall and would support it in even more ways if people were patient with them and extended a hand/solutions instead of raining criticism. And so, the left ends up pushing people away, and the right catches them and tells them: "see how your own community betrayed you? We are the actual good guys, we are the ones who will be on your side no matter what you do or think, because we support true freedom." Idk, I agree that solidarity is hard and that pretending otherwise can backfire, but I don't agree with demanding people to practice solidarity at all times... precisely because it's hard. I also think doing so is a way of faulting the individual over recognizing the problems with society. People would practice solidarity more if our society didn't often put us in hard spots, like easier financial situations that didn't pressure people to choose between ethics or money they can use all the time (yes I know you said that, my point is just that my conclusion differs from yours). I might dislike it if an individual chooses the less ethical option, but I certainly won't judge or make demands, especially if it's just the occasional failure. Last but not least, I think more people would be willing to join a movement, and sacrifice comfort or other needs for it, if they messed up sometimes and were forgiven, instead of criticized. It can make people feel like the movement is genuine, understanding, and worth fighting for. While criticism will push them away. Like you said, no, the people criticizing are not doing anything wrong and sure that democracy requires conflict to grow, but there is a fine balance between healthy criticism and wtv is the kind of harassment that social media considers criticism.

[@chrono4998]

that's a feeling I also had, right wing spaces feel so welcoming and are often less judgemental. It's like the difference between trying to be right and trying to not be wrong, people on the left need others to believe in the same exact thing because its the right one, while on the right so long as you are not a leftist you're welcomed

[@jaybonny1954]

I might’ve damaged some fulfilling friendships, but all involved became better more humble people. More knowledgeable, more experienced, more humility; medicine tastes bad we don’t wake up to grab ass

[@rai1578]

Plus, activists are particularly prone to burnout. And I can't find the statistics on it, so I'm not able to say with 100% certainty that it's true, but my mom did at lot of work as an activist when she was younger, and she told me that once an activist burns out and quits, they're unlikely to return to activism. I agree that solidarity isn't easy, and I understand a lot of people's frustration, but I think we need to be more focused on doing good than punishing people who we perceive as doing bad. Nobody can be a perfect activist 100% of the time, and I think the expectation to be aware and engaged in every important movement at all times is going to push a lot of people away from activism. We're better off having more activists who specialize in one or two topics than expecting every activist to speak on every issue at the risk of burnout. Despite that, I can't say I don't understand the frustration or reaction. I just don't think it's the most practical way to go about this.

[@Vanity0666]

​​​@@rai1578it's a trauma response, shutting off the emotional vulnerabilities to injustices in order to allow yourself a chance at life. It is a fundamental human trait. It's like MLK said, we can not allow perfect to be the enemy of good.

[@julianuribe9734]

I understand that feeling, and it's something that the video basically says, but the video also explains why that rhetoric lead us nowhere in actual fighting against injustices. Like, if someone falls for the right-wing just because they weren't being as welcomed as they wanted in left-winged spaces, then they probably never actually belonged to the left movement, they just want their feeling to be validated. And that's something happens with a lot of these people who kinda fall for the “red pill”, like, they have some weird/problematic take, people tell them that, then they just feel attacked and jump the ship. Like saying “All lives matter”, get told that that doesn't make sense in the context of the Black Lives Matter movement, and then say that the issue is that black people hate them, and they're as bad and violent as people say. I'm someone that would rather fight with the left on how to think about something or approach an issue, than just change wagons because they didn't agree with me. But these people don't, and would probably never be able to self-reflect in that matter. They just want to feel like they're fighting for justice, that they're doing something, but they're not. If their ideals are so brittle that criticism makes them quit entirely, then they were never good allies. Ideals need conviction, and not a lot of people have it. Having to make social justice movements approachable is what starts to kill them, that we have to "polish it for the camera" is what aleds times when nothing happens, and then regression comes. Movements fill with people that don't have conviction in those ideals and fled the movement because things feel "too hard". Just see how much people fought against censorship just to end up with not being able to type "Gay" in TikTok or show a gun in KZbin, and people get shadow ban for posting political stuff that may be too "frisky". That's why I feel that things like public nudity, sexual behavior, kinks and other freaky things that happen during Pride Marches should happen, and should be promoted and expected. The "But can you think of the children" argument doesn't make sense here, because, yes, children shouldn't be exposed to that, but there's a time and place for everything, find a place in which they can live Pride Month in a safe way. Kinks are a part of the community, and shouldn't be looked down because it doesn't fit what you think a gay should be. What I'm trying to say is that the point of the video still stands: solidarity is supposed to be hard. Fighting for change leads to sacrifices. It should be expected, it should be promoted, and we shouldn't bend down to people not seeing why there needs to be a fight. Bending down is what leads to the criminalization of trans care, gender talk, abortion, drag queens, BOOKS...

[@YuukiuuYik]

Same with veganism which is solidarity against human-imposed animal exploitation. It's supposed to be hard. You should try your best though- for the victims.

[@scold-y4f]

Westerners saying solidarity like it means " thoughts and prayers" is bizarre.

[@LMdz-f1c]

I'm 3 minutes in and just wanna say that Brittani was so quick to say on the h3 pod how her dad is military retired but works as a liaison between air pilots and computer coding because "he can speak both languages" so it's like uhhhh do you know what US air force does? A year now, does she know? RIP Aaron Bushnell 😢

[@btarczy5067]

Maybe it wasn’t the intention of the Tweeter in the thumbnail but I think that a somewhat valid critique of purity activism is in there. Starbucks is not the only company worth boycotting so I understand it as a stand-in in this context. I may well be too charitable when I see „Do you want me to starve for the boycott“ as the question being posed. And even that apparently can start a discussion about what solidarity is, how far it should go. I don’t know if provocative Tweets that seem silly when taken literally should be the driver of a deeper discourse but it keeps happening, for better and for worse.

[@Strawlighte]

I hadnt hear of Ella Baker before but I just downloaded that book on Libby! Thanks for another banger, Ethan!

[@pjihae]

…Elliot?

[@marocat4749]

ok about israel palestine i dont blame her standing with any sid e other than calling the , yeah israel clearly oversoes it and its, yeah the people. Because its a shitstorm and , she could have said that? That its just messy and ther ate people hurt but also messy sides. Which she should have said . I dont think solidarity is nessesary hard, but a readyness that it can be hard to stand by principles is supposed to be true. I mean if you can without performative self sacrifice, thats fine, but it can be hard to stick with it for sure. Thats part of it, that when it gets to the shove, yeah, it can be hard and thats part of it.

[@traorerene4554]

Very informative! Excellent work, keep going!

[@akhilvejendla520]

Booster juice

[@johnbellevanti7945]

Join a 'Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle' organization!!

[@kakadu2004]

The long hair+facial hair combination suits you extremely well.