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What happens when you put Mehdi Hasan in a room full of 20 conservative? He owns them all. @mehdirhasan.bsky.social: “It’s a pretty big story. Maybe if you read the fake news, you might know.” Watch Mehdi’s episode on ‘Surrounded’: zeteo.com/p/is-this-th...

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Serious question. Mehdi owns them with facts and debating skills, but does this help? Does it change people’s minds? Does it give a platform for these deplorables? I actually don’t know the answer. Makes me feel good? But does it help or hurt. Views please.

I’m doing my second watch now but, the guy says he is a fascist and the room claps. But as it becomes more and more clear that he is actually a fascist and not “that is what leftist call people they disagree with” meme, they stop clapping. The only silver lining. Everything else is despair.

Yes - a bottom even with these folks. But the level of white supremacy and total ignorance our country’s values and Rule of Law is breathtaking. They are shameless in expressing views that used to bring shame. So is that good as it brings it out in the open? Or bad as it is a platform? IDK

Please watch the full thing, I’m only the second kid in and my jaw is on the floor, watching the ppl in the background getting so happy over the racist stuff, and the girls? The girls get most excited about the racist stuff, I had way too much optimism for America… I feel very uneasy right now…

Update: only watch if you’re already fully decimated about the direction of the country, they thought they would pwn Medhi? The man who makes world leaders stumble with facts? They show up against a human encyclopedia? Exceptionalism is a disease… their children will see this lol

Calling these people, and their cult, “conservative” lends a veneer of legitimacy and tradition they have not earned. It cloaks authoritarianism in the language of stability. They are radical right-wing extremists. Fascists and authoritarians. Let’s not allow them to co-opt more language.

Racists and fascists thank you for the hard work of platforming and normalizing their views. Somewhere someone filled with hate toward everyone not exactly like them just realized there are at least 20 more people just like them, so maybe they shouldn't be ashamed of their hateful feelings.

I understood why going on the platform and schooling them was necessary but my question is why give them the time of day and possibly furthering their own platform. Asking for clarity sake.

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'” ― Isaac Asimov

The saddest thing about all this is the lapdog wearing the suit and fancy hat who has bought into this rightwing bullshit and is completely unaware they would sooner stick a knife in his back or chest rather than have him stand with them. Sad.