So Kyle Kulinski had a video about MSNBC coverage of the gaza situation. And the segment he covered was actually critical of the media response and Biden's response to protests. And it seemed to boil down to "we look at these past protesters who did all of these insane things, we know that they're right, so why are we focusing so much on the actions of certain protesters?"
First of all, I'm going to say this. When you do what some of these protesters are doing, they're asking for attention. They're making a public spectacle of themselves. They're doing what they're doing to attract attention as they feel like if they protested more civilly they would be ignored, so they're being loud and bombastic and annoying and obstructive. And here's the thing. If you act like THAT, people are going to care more about the WHAT YOU'RE DOING than the cause itself. If anything, you're actually HURTING your own cause more by doing this than if you did nothing. No, really. Everyone knows that what Netanyahu is doing in gaza is wrong. Leftists know it, most liberals know it, even conservatives, when forced to witness the IDF doing crazy things themselves, will say, yeah this is wrong. I know that because I've seen people like Alex Jones and Stephen Crowder do that.
BUT...when you protest like this, the controversy stops being about gaza, it starts being about you and your actions. And that's what is causing the backlash. You can be right on the substance but if your behavior is obnoxious, people are going to care more about said behavior than your cause.
The same can be said of the extremists. How you present yourself matters. You can be critical of israel's actions in gaza, without being anti israel. I am an example of this. And I think a lot of liberals are there. But if you show up with face coverings where you look like a jihadist, and you start chanting "from the river to the sea" and start being pro hamas and calling israel a settler colonial state and wanting to destroy the state of israel (or "decolonize" is the proper sanitized term they use), you're actually creating a backlash. You're making people focus more on the fact that you're a deranged psycho extremist and making people dig in and defend israel more, because if the opposition to israel is THIS extreme, and most normies are turned off, then most people are just going to be like "yeah israel sucks, but have you seen these whackjobs?" and thinking it's some sort of duality between the two with no nuance, people will trend toward the status quo.
That's why I am so opposed to protests. Leftists might not wanna hear it, but I'm trying to protect you guys. I'm trying to make it where you dont come off like raging extremist psychopaths. And yes yes some will point out i dont believe in the cause as strongly as they do. I admit, I don't, but neither do most americans. Most americans are like "yeah it would be nice if we can do things, until it inconveniences me". Like, they show superficial caring but they don't really care. I'm just being real. And I admit, I'm...honest about my motivations. But yeah. being in that camp, the hyper fixation, the screaming, the methods of protest, the extremism, it's offputting. When you got people who are only passively like...supporting what you're doing, well, you kinda gotta keep them on your side if you wanna get anywhere. if you get too loud and obnoxious and self righteous, it's just gonna create a backlash the other way. Leftists really do have the worst ways of making a point sometimes. And i try to talk to them, but they dont wanna hear it. They have this mentality that nothing changes through normal peaceful means, they HAVE to cause a ruckus, they HAVE to make trouble, and if you dont care as much as they do, you're a chud. And that's why a lot of people on the far left think I AM a chud. And maybe, given their radical perspectives, they can see me that way, but if they ever wanna be more than a tiny minority, they need to come off in a way that's more sympathetic and doesn't overdo it. Leftists tend to way overdo it.
You need to stay in the good graces of the majority if you wanna be heard. At the very least, you want 40% support, if your cause doesnt even have that, reconsider that cause. I mean maybe over time you can shift the overton window that way, but don't expect instant results. A lot of economic positions I hold are popular. Perhaps not the extreme versions i support, but even, then we're talking 40-45%. That can STILL win elections IMO. But if what you want is down to like 20-30% like some of these leftist causes are, or even worse, um....yeah you can't oversell crap. And trying to bully and shame and attack people to move your way is gonna backfire.
I beleive that yes, history will show, much like with vietnam, much like with apartheid in south africa, much like with the iraq war, that current government actions are indeed wrong. BUT, at the same time, gross self righteous overreaction is alienating and you're not gonna endear people. As I discussed last night, you might end up making a situation where most americans turn on you, and you're ignored and in the dog house for 40 years. I don't care if people think, in 2080, that gaza protesters today are right. Because most of us will be dead, or very old, the people who are suffering now will mostly be dead, or very old, and it will be a moot point. If we care about now and we care about today, we gotta work at least somewhat within the framework that exists. And while i certainly have no issues with protesting in abstract, I definitely have issues with how certain current protests are going. You can think a cause is right but also think your own side is going about it the worst possible way. Things are nuanced, people don't seem to understand that.
EDIT: I feel like this meme perfectly encapsulates the difference between the normies and the extremists.
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