Token 🍄☭🏳️‍⚧️

My issues with the coined "Graham Platner Left," and other more priviliged influencers in that sphere. I mention Hasan Piker as the example, but it's a broader problem: Hasan Piker does often temper his audience with incrementalism. He talks about the niavety of those wanting immediate reform as if their urgency is rooted in ignorance, and not real world struggle and desperation. As if he's engaging in some profound materialist view, and elevated pragmatism. The reality, it often comes off as, "shut up you stupid poors, this takes time, don't be niave." He can do this, because he's beyond comfortable. He was, I'll say, specifically targeted because of his noteriety. But there's many of us out here who have been doing the work and have been targeted for years, but aren't millionaires who can afford protection. That's one example. Another is the gaslighting he does when people raise real concerns about AOC and others shifting to the right on policy, bolstering other Reps like Hakeem Jeffries, etc. Or, capitulating to the party. When they were elected under the premise that they would be a bullwark against it. In 2018, that is literally what got AOC elected. I know, because I wrote the messaging for Brand New Congress, who launched her campaign. Or Mamdani choosing to keep Jessica Tish as police commissioner, and him too supporting Jeffries. These choices are touted as "pragmatic." Audience members who raise concerns are lambasted as purity testers, and politically ignorant. If we can't even hold progressives to account, why are influencers ilke Kyle Kullinski, Hasan Piker and so many others convinced that the Democratic Party will be swayed and, "pushed left once elected." Yet, what we see time and again is the direct opposition trajectory. Ultimately: ➡️Touting campaign victories as the pinnacle of evidence of success ➡️ Celebrating liberal wins ➡️ The cult-like glorification and sycophancy of candidates based on asethetics and rhetoric alone ➡️ Excusing shifts to the right, after they are elected, as some exercise in elevated pragmatism, has historically hurt the left movements. It's one of the many reasons we haven't seen substantive legislative change. But, these influencers choose to play the accessability game to maintain proximity to power. That proximity is one reason they are so wealthy. While journalists and organizers like myself, who maintain consistent stances and criticism, are alienated and ostracized as "wreckers" by influencers like Hasan, and others. The long short of it is, Piker's in the club. Many of these other influencers are too. It's prosporus, but their lifetime of privilige leaves a lot of blind spots.