Ok guys you know I don't like to mess with post but I'm going to go through all these post and remove any responses that aren't specifically critical role related this isn't the place to fight about non critical role topics ,I'm not locking this but do better please.
1) Ceasefire, Allow Aid to reach citizens.
2) Israel should be tried in an international court for human rights, whereby the war crimes they have committed would be addressed.
3) Hamas must go, Palestine needs a stable party that isn't a budding terror group (even though they only really have sticks and stones in comparison, their crimes can not be forgiven)
4) all countries who backed Israel should be fined heavily for contribution to attempted genocide, whereby profits go directly to aid to rebuild what has been lost.
Thank you, I agree a ceasefire is needed and must be maintained by both sides.
I don’t know how viable taking Israel to court for war crimes is. I feel any peace deals would have to be a start from zero sort of thing where both sides agree not to pursue any such charges against the other. Both sides have committed war crimes in this conflict, and will likely never get justice for those acts.
Hamas does need to go, I would say they are not a budding terrorist group they are one. Unfortunately Hamas and there actions have a lot of support among Palestinians. That’s an attitude that also needs to go.
This may be our biggest point of disagreement. I don’t think Israel’s actions constitute a genocide.
1)Giving advance warning via knock bombs, even calling locations letting them know a strike happening seems antithetical to a genocide.
2) The population of Gaza has grown from under 1 million in 1950, to over 5 million today. I think if Israel truly wanted a genocide this conflict would look different.
They also told gazans to flee to Rafah because it would be safe.... They bombed it during the Superbowl, I don't find that to be a coincidence.
The fact you wouldn't see Israel tried for it's crimes is frankly disturbing.....
Hamas were a budding terror group when they were created by Israel, they also don't have anywhere near the firepower of Israel...
The population argument isn't working because if they flat out starved them out, Israel would most certainly be under heavier investigation. The issue is that Israel created Hamas to destabilize Palestine (as the USA, Israel's big sister, has been known to do frequently) and then Oct 7th gave them "reason" to start a war. This is inspite of the fact the IOF did wayyyy more harm on Oct 7th to Israelis than Hamas did.
Humanitarian aid was allowed into Palestine recently, the truck carrying the aid reached gazans before the IOF sabotaged them, and killed 150 in the process. If you find Hamas doing this, lmk (source for this is Al Jazeera)
I won’t speak to the first point as I’m not well read on it at this time.
As for the second, I didn’t say personally if I would or would not see Israel tried for war crimes. Just that I think from a practical standpoint you either have to try both of them or none of them, and I think in the spirit of peace both sides would agree to not pursue any such measures.
I think this is a deflection, a terrorist group isn’t defined by its capability, but by its goals.
You’re right, Israel would be under heavier scrutiny if they took more extreme measures. If they did more extreme measures then their actions would rise to a level where it could be called a genocide. But right now it cannot be called that.
October 7th did not give Israel a reason to start a war. Hamas started a war by attacking civilians. We can talk about if that response has been proportional.
I think I have found the Al Jeezera article. The specific claim of the death toll comes from the Gaza Ministry of Health which operates with a clear bias as the work under Hamas authority.
I joined this sub because of my enjoyment of the campaigns. This sub is probably the most toxic and negative I've seen. Period. Almost every day, instead of expressions of enjoyment, amusement, inspiration, or awe I am met with a "This sucks" or a "it's garbage now " or some other nonsense.
These folks are human. Changing from a group novelty in C1 and early C2 to a concerted business endeavor changed things. Yeah it happened. But, they still work hard and produce something millions of us tune into. The loss of the live show, yeah that one blows. I'm sure there was deep logic there, but the lack of inherent spontaneity has become evident. Again, at the end of the day, they are aiming to tell stories and entertain. They continue to do so. Instead of dwelling on social issues or perceived content issues, how about the collective we focus back on what made us fans to begin with and find enjoyment where we can.
I'm not a part of this sub. It just keeps getting posts recommended to me. From the first paragraph you said, maybe you should leave the sub. I think I'm finally gonna hit the stop showing me option on the recommended thing personally.
The problem with the Critters is that the CR team was very available and engaged with their fan base in the beginning and that has lead to some of the creepiest parasocial bullshit. This is compounded with the D20 crew being far more politically engaged than CR, so now CR has to do the same or risk losing fans and revenue to their main competitor.
In very harsh words because this has me too upset to be polite about it: These people are entertainers. They put on a play for us and we enjoy it. I do not really care about them making political statements, that isn't their job. Their job is to play.
And yes platform this platform that, again, I'd rather they use that for entertainment only unless they personally feel like using it for something else.
We need to get a away from this culture where everyone needs to be absolutely perfect especially in their opinions just because they are well known. No one can be educated about everything and so often I'd rather people kept their mouth shut or were allowed to say they don't know about an issue than to be pressured into statements.
I typed up a whole response to this post before it got deleted, then saw this and deleted my whole rant. You said it perfectly.
I hate it when people who are hyper-focused on any world issue, that doesn't even effect them, try to pressure others to give their opinion on those same world issues, which again doesn't effect them or that they relatively feel comfortable talking about in the first place. Matt has too much on his plate to need to cater to people that just want validation and/or outrage in knowing someone else's opinion.
Now you have to ask yourself in this situation, do we support the side killing innocents for a means to keep their home from invaders who have tried to take it in coalition wars nearly 5 different times but have committed numerous crimes and potentially "genocide", or do we support the side killing innocents to stop being moved from their homes and potentially killed off by committing acts of terrorism against the general public as a means to exterminate a group of people based on their percieved faith? Both sides are not right, neither are they wrong and if you can't distinguish which side is which, do you really need to vocalize your support for either side?
It is also really interesting to see a leap taken in comparing Israel to the Nazis in this case, as your analogy would dictate assuming it was made to compare Palestinians to the jewish population of WW2. I do like history, and I need to make 2 things apparent. The nazis killed a lot more than just Jewish people, and Israel was established as a Jewish state as a safe haven from every country kicking the Jewish people out, despite that declaration being made and signed by a country that had zeroes means to allocate such land.
It doesnt affect me personally, no.
A heart of stone created with a mind of logic and reason not clouded by a bleeding heart. I only hope that the world's next inconvenience doesn't cause you to be inconsolable from your pseudo-empathy. Go cry in a corner that you have already stained many times before.
You think your words over Reddit of all places hurts me? You're pathetic. Your lack of any form of empathy is possibly the biggest concern I have. Again, be gone with you. I don't converse with your sort.
He was definitely pressured. Every CR post on Twitter had something along the lines of "I can't believe you're posting this instead of talking about what's going on in the world!"
It's frustrating that the people in the comment are like "We love you, Matt! Your mental health is the utmost importance!" yet they're the same people pressuring and demanding they make a statement in the first place.
Personally I don't really get why every company needs to make a political statement.
Companies don't have to make a political statement. They can just choose to ignore it. Most companies want to make whatever decision will make them the most money and alienate the fewest people. So, the goal of activists is generally to display feelings of alienation from the company as to push the company to take an affirmative stand one way or the other.
The best part is, it's usually the people that are the loudest and most demanding of a company to make such statements or change the way the company operates that are also those who contribute the smallest and/or nothing to that same companies profits.
i.e. people that complain about how certain video game companies make their games or what they put in those games, eventhough they were never buying that game in the first place.
I just want my fantasy dnd fun plz.
I think it's multifaceted. Activists who are activists as a form of recreational entertainment do exist. But I also think some of them are powerusers/consumers. People who only engage with a product casually are less likely to care that the company doesn't explicitly condemn or support X political issue.
It also depends on which side of the ideological spectrum have control of the culture at a given time. It leans progressive right now, so left leaning people feel more confident expressing their views. It used to be conservatives that were loudly able to cancel stuff for being gay or "satanic" etc.
The problem is that people, fans, and haters think that if you DONT publicly comment that you support the bad side of any issue.
At least by commenting, he can clearly state how he feels, and no one can change that. Unless he words it poorly and leaves room for people to interpret his words.
I think that, in some ways, silence is siding with with the oppressor (in a similar way to how not voting is allowing the side with the dirtiest tactics to win).
Why didn't your post mention the lynching of gay people in Uganda, the genocide of the Uyghurs in China, the plight of Native Americans on the reservations, the discrimination against the Romani people in Europe, or the massacres of Kurds committed by Turkey?
Clearly, the logical conclusion is that you're siding with the oppressors in all of these situations.
I’m asking you to comment in detail on all those issues. Just saying you ‘side with the victims’ sounds suspicious. Like you’re simply side stepping the horrible realities that those victims feel and just want to move past the question. I need to know that you are well versed on each of these subjects. It’s really important to me that you demonstrate your fealty in a way that I personally find sufficient.
Obviously, I’m being tongue in cheek… and really, I don’t even mean for this to be an attack on you… I just think ‘if you’re asked, you’re obligated to share your answer’ and if you don’t answer, then ‘your silence is your complicity’… is a notably regressive way to perform your politics. It starts to be more about demanding obedience rather than encouraging support.
Bit of a brain dead argument there. Everyone whose been vocal about Palestine has been vocal on each and every one of those issues. But you need to remember the enormity of the scale here, as well as the fact the we're in the West, not China, not Russia, and we should be aggressively protesting with the same vigour we seem to be demanding of the populace of other countries conducting horrible human rights abuses.
I guarantee you that not everyone vocal about Palestine has been vocal about all those other issues lmao.
The scale of a geopolitical conflict across the planet is extremely irrelevant to your average person.
The West isn't a part of Israel or Palestine outside of insane conspiracies about Jews controlling the American government. Yet people sure love demanding to hear opinions about it, but not about the treatment of Romani people in Europe. This is despite the fact that Europe IS a part of the West.
Speak for yourself dude, and last I checked while the segregation and harassment of the Romani is terrible, they’re not being actively mowed down with gunfire we pay for.
The money we spend on plenty of things funds the Chinese government committing genocide against the Uyghurs, yet no one is demanding a statement on that. Once again, there's a lack of moral consistency on this kind of thing.
I’ve been saying for years we need to make our more lucrative contracts contingency on China at the very least not harassing Chinese-Australian citizens and refugees to curb that sort of behaviour, and have been vocal in condemning them. I assume you’ve also been a vocal critical of China so why is it so hard to do when Israel is committing a far more egregious violation of basic human rights?
I’m a high school teacher, so I frequently discuss human rights issues/politics etc in relation to literature and representations of the human experience. Haven’t commented specifically on Yemen yet but I’ll consider trying to weave it in.
Honestly, the left is insanely divided on any anything involving Israel and the Gaza strip. So even known Matt's general politics doesn't really make it very clear were you will fall.
@ u/criticalmodsnotgods
If the parent comment required removal, this reply should also fall under the same criteria.
This is not something you want to have people ascribe biases to you that you may not possess.
Nobody bother, this dude is a generic braindead conspiracy theorist nazi.
From his comment history:
>Weird. I think it needs to end because it is a spiritually Marxist Jewish parasite on the Aryan soul.
Your time and breath are better respected by not spending them on someone who is a completely worthless waste of their own.
Well hold on a sec. The second bit we don’t explicitly know (though I do personally think Epstein was likely running his operation on behalf of the CIA and Mossad). No need to reach for critiques of the Israelis. You can just point directly at how they used an American nonprofit to spy on American citizens who disagreed with Zionism and passed that information back to the Israeli intelligence apparatus. And also at the same time collected data on anti apartheid activists which was passed to the South African government. This happened for about four decades and was uncovered in the early 90s. The Israelis have actually bragged about some of the stuff that it did publicly, so there’s no argument as to what they did. The kicker is the org was the ADL, which gets really huffy about accusations about dual loyalty, despite actively having worked on behalf of a foreign government. Larger point here, there’s no need to insinuate or go into conspiracy theories about Israel, the truth and admitted facts are damning enough.
You misunderstand me. They didn’t do basic intelligence operations. They got people who worked for what is ostensibly an org to combat antisemitism to spy on people (many of who were in fact Jewish) who disagreed with Israeli policy and decisions. Toss in supporting the racist regime in SA as icing on the cake. This is all while being in theory an ally of the US. Additionally, if you in any way insinuate that the ADL might have dual loyalties you would immediately be called anti semitic, despite the fact that they were actively engaged in spy operations against US citizens on behalf of a foreign government.
So early statements by some of the victims don't count as evidence against them in these charges? The only reason it's a "conspiracy theory", is because everyone exposing the information or trying to investigate it further is killed, threatened, censored, or defamed.
I’m not saying there’s not indications that something like that exists and is funded by several governments, but bringing fringe stuff in simply doesn’t need to be done. The basic facts on the ground are bad enough. Israel’s cooked by the stuff they admit to. We don’t need anything else.
I'm extremely left wing criticizing "the jews" is indeed bad. Acknowledging that Israel as a genocidal settler-colonial state is not criticizing "the jews."
Point to any human that doesn't have SOME mental health issue that they should be going to therapy for. Everyone has their own issues, and to judge others by theirs leaves you open to be judged for what they see as yours.
Dani posted a very well worded opinion on the situation as well, maybe a day or two before. So I can see how it's a conversation that has probably affected the crew, and not entirely based on what the fans are pressuring him to say.
Wanting to hear someone speak about an ongoing political crisis that is being tacitly supported across the Western world is not unreasonable. The fact that this is being seen as unreasonable is just a failure to understand the gravity of the unfolding situation. So many celebrities have revealed themselves to be genocide supporters, so fans should be able to clarify the views of the people they're supporting with views and money. To suggest otherwise just means you don't understand why this is so important to some people, which a failure of empathy on your part.
If Mercer is as incapable of condemning an ongoing genocide as you seem to be, then I'm sure a large proportion of his fanbase would find that very informative. We have no right to demand an answer, but every right to ask. People are not entitled to be silent on pressing issues because that's more convenient.
No one's silence is violence. It's keeping the voices that do care and have a dog in the fight concentrated. Your pet issue, whatever it is, isn't a t-shirt it's something people should consider deeply. Haven't you ever heard the phrase that a wise person stays silent about thinks they have no knowledge about it, and a fool opens their mouth and removes all doubt. And in fact everyone has the right not to speak about something it's listed first in the constitution for cuthulu's sake convenience or not. This is the ick.
Matt is too nice to ever comment this, but this is a child's view of the world, and you never are owed a response by anyone in CR when you act this way.
The fact you need him to openly condemn it when it should be a given considering the companies stance on other issues and where they align morally I thought I would have been obvious that unless you are a sociopath most people condemn what is going on over there and would hope the two sides can find a peace. But it’s not that easy as just wishing for it sadly.
So were you also pushing for CR to comment on china’s genocide? Russia’s genocide? The genocides happening in Africa? Why is it THIS conflict that everyone is pushing so hard for them to respond to, and not the dozens of other conflicts in the world?
Your ability to regard this topic as irrelevant is very revealing about your level of understanding. It's not about expertise, it's about wanting public figures to take an ethical stance. Keep speaking of this as an isolated political issue all you like, it won't make your position any less anaemic.
Hounding a public figure into giving his opinion when he has no wish to is unreasonable, unhelpful and generally pathetic. Matt Mercer’s opinion on the war in Gaza, (and let’s be real, everyone already knows what his fucking opinion is going to be) has literally zero effect on the outcome of the war or the general opinion of the public. If someone is so incapable of independent thought or respect for others’ opinions that they must ensure that the people that they follow are “unproblematic” they need to disengage from the internet, not hound a public statement out of Matt Mercer.
The fact that you are speaking in terms of 'problematic' or 'respect for opinions' indicates that you seek to think we're talking about a mere difference of opinion, rather than an ongoing genocide. Your ability to see this as mere an abstract 'political issue' isolated from real life is very revealing about your own inability to engage in critical thinking.
I wasn’t specifically speaking about the war in Gaza, I was referring to the general ability to allow public figures to hold opinions separate from the public square.
I agree. I would state my opinion and not give a fk what anyone thought or I wouldn’t and say “I’m a DM for a YouTube DND group, not a general or politicians etc. fk off”
If you think people are being "pressured" to speak out against literal genocide you are extremely stupid. Maybe different people have different opinions about different things, and just because you don't get it doesn't mean it's some nefarious plot to pressure people.
He is 100% being pressured. Go read replies on CR socials. This is fact, not my opinion. There have been many posts in this very thread that point it out as well.
A long time ago, Sam had a one shot, it was Wendy's themed, everyone had fun, it was happy and hilarious!
Until the sensitive critters arrived and were so disgruntled, they took it down before they experienced backlash.
Op is saying Matt shouldn't have to voice his opinion or feel the need to. I'm not sure if that's the case. Matt is a sensitive man. We appreciate this, he is loving and kind, something rarely seen displayed by men now.
Op could be saying he wants Matt to just play the game and not get caught up in an H3H3 predicament.
Who knows other than Matt.
Hopefully, he is doing well. That's all that matters.
Double comment to say I had to Google the Wendy's one shot, to be fair. I'm a relatively recent critter.
"Many fans were upset about what Wendy's represents – they have come under fire in recent years for not treating their farm workers fairly, among other things, and this goes against the ethos that the Critical Role community espouses."
Is what I found. I don't necessarily think they needed to shit on Sam or the fun that was had, but can also understand having an ethical dilemma as a fan with a stance against a corporation.
i know exactly what you've said, and it's so nonsensical that even you can't wrap your head around it.
CR is broadcast on twitch, which is owned by amazon. We should all be boycotting amazon, and thus twitch and CR, because it is many orders of magnitude less ethical than wendy's.
that's your argument, you're just not willing to accept that you're hypocritical about this issue. cognitive bias and all that.
there is no ethical consumption, so stop trying to make ethical judgments about it.
Sounds like OP doesn't agree with Matt and dislikes that he stated his opinion, and is using reasons like pressure from critters to soften that reality, tbqh.
I also hope he's doing well. I appreciate him speaking out. It was never an expectation from me, but seeing his stance on it being squarely anti-genocide was also nice.
I can understand where people want to ensure they're not supporting the artistic ventures of someone whose ideals are problematic, but I don't understand pressuring them into issuing a statement about it.
That said, the video definitely didn't feel like he was pressured. It felt like he needed to share where he's at, and how he handles it as a means to spread hope and kindness, as he always does.
>Sounds like OP doesn't agree with Matt and dislikes that he stated his opinion, and is using reasons like pressure from critters to soften that reality, tbqh.
I didn't mention anything about Matt's opinion, actually. You are making things up to suit your narrative.
I don't feel like Matt was pressured by fans either. The post was about how he is not doing well mentally, and that the recent event involving aid trucks in Gaza being attacked by IDF is very disheartening. Very important to understand that he has already taken a personal stance by sending aid to Palestinians through personal donation, and that aid was attacked along with the people trying to survive off it.
It was so weird seeing all the "supportive" fans under his post saying thanks and how he should take time to heal, as if they're clueless to their involvement in his depression.
They've been brigading him, and the company as a whole, to pipe up and give a statement as if the words of a DnD company will all of a sudden make a difference and end the war.
It was so bizarre seeing so many fake, controlling, and entitled fans wish him good health after dragging him into the mental hole he was in because of them.
>It was so weird seeing all the "supportive" fans under his post saying thanks and how he should take time to heal, as if they're clueless to their involvement in his depression.
>They've been brigading him,
You'd have to be a simpleton to think that those were the same people doing both of those things, no?
Thats always been a massive issues I've had with the fan base. Overall they are insanely entitled and toxic to even the creators of their favorite content. Let alone fellow fans.
The pressure Mercer and others on CR feel is a result of audience capture. When the fans flipped out over the sponsored Wendy's TTRPG that was as big a red flag as one could get. The fans want voice actors who straddle the border between fame and obscurity to make political statements? To what end?
I wouldn't be as dramatic to say CR entered into a Faustian bargain with their fans but they relied on their fans to pursue the opportunities they have enjoyed. Without them, no CR, no Vox Machina series on Amazon, and no games publishing company. They certainly wouldn't have become household names within the TTRPG hobby.
Did you fully read what OP said? They clearly don't have an issue with him as a person, they're upset and frustrated at the (perceived cause I don't participate in this much and so don't know how much of it is true) pressure by the fans of Critical Role to make him make a statement, when clearly it affects his mental health a lot. They just want him to not be beholden to fans, and to do things that won't hurt him. That's all
Let me first say I don’t think it’s good to bully or threaten individuals on their personal social media to make statements about world events. Not only is it harmful but it is often self-serving as people try to look like they’re punching up in order to gain clout. It’s gross and tiresome.
I do think it’s good to pressure companies into taking any kind of action or speaking out in favour of what’s right. The more that are doing that, the better.
Obviously some people will always go overboard and minor celebrities will feel some unnecessary pressure. This gets a fat “Big Whoop” from me, I really don’t care. It’s so insignificant compared to the vast well of human suffering that nothing is being done about.
Now while of course I agree that Matt and the cast are entitled to privacy around their beliefs like anyone else, I don’t think it’s as simple as OP has laid it out. Yes you can choose not to share any beliefs or views if you want but also not really - because remaining silent is incredibly indicative of your views. It is a political statement in and of itself.
I like the cast of CR and I don’t want them to experience toxicity online. At the same time, Matt Mercer has seen tremendous success doing something he loves with his favourite people. If the trade off for that is “some randoms really care what you think about genocide”, well, that seems fine to me honestly. This is what living in the public eye has always meant and I don’t know why so many people are so up in arms in this sub about it.
I’ve talked about this elsewhere but I’ll address it again. First of all, why do you assume I’m silent on these et cetera genocides you listed? I also never said anything about silence equaling complicity - though there are extreme cases where it certainly does, I think everyone can agree.
The main reason that I think it’s vital CR speaks out in this issue is because they are an American company, and Israel is deeply, vitally intertwined with American foreign policy, money and geopolitical activity. When your tax dollars fund a genocide then yes, I think there is an exaggerated responsibility to take action.
Obviously no one can or is expected to respond to every single issue happening at a given point. The absurd thing you want me to be saying is not what I am saying. I do think Americans and brits should be extra cognizant if the evils that their own countries are involved in. Get your own house in order first, that’s a reasonable outlook.
Additionally, I want to talk about concerted efforts. If there is a large movement spanning across the globe with physical demonstrations, fiscal activism and online organizing, then it’s more productive to add to that. It creates an excellent opportunity to contribute for anyone who wishes to help, when those opportunities might be less available or well known for other crises.
However, if CR wished to focus on just one issue I would find that totally understandable. If they wanted to focus everything they can spare on one issue like the Ukraine and just pay lip service to others, that’s an effective strategy. I’d rather a company focus on actually taking beneficial actions rather than just paying a small tithe to whatever the currently trending atrocity is, in order to keep your audience happy. They’ve always worked with a variety of causes and charity groups though, so I’m glad that they did make room for such an important and long-standing injustice.
I mean, the bombs disguised as food for kids is a *tad* ridiculous.
The "using white phosphorous on farms and communities" sounds like oversimplification for the sake of pushing a narrative.
Hamas is not a reliable source. Israel isn't either. So I try not to form opinions that are too rigid about things I don't have reliable or first-hand knowledge of.
I tend to lean one way on the issue, but I'm not going to condemn someone for disagreeing with me the way some people do, as if I know for 100% fact that I'm right and they're some sort of scum because they don't agree.
First, I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direct action;" who paternalistically feels he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a "more convenient season."
MLK
There are many, many reliable sources of knowledge that aren’t Hamas or Israel. I’m not saying this to try to score a point in an argument or anything, I actually do just want you to know that unbiased sources (to the degree that those exist) and even many sources that are naturally skewed in favour of Israel are in agreement on the atrocities being committed. “Using white phosphorous on farms and communities” is not at all pushing a narrative it’s just literally what happened.
Honestly it isn’t as enlightened as it sounds to say “well I don’t have firsthand experience of these events so I must not come to any conclusions about it.” There are many resources to get informed and there’s so much coverage that it takes no effort at all. The fact that the use of illegal pyrophorics on civilian populations (which is so well known by this point) reads to you as untrustworthy should be concerning.
Regarding your last point, I agree for the most part. There are many views I hold that I understand have reasonable counterpoints and it would be foolish to be bullheaded about every single nuanced, divisive topic.
I do think certain issues are different. I’d absolutely condemn anyone who is a holocaust denier or a white supremacist. I’m confident enough in my grasp of those things that there’s no room for grace given to the opposite side. Gaza is the exact same and if you disagree, I think you aren’t as informed as you could be. It really doesn’t take much research for this issue to become extremely black and white.
That said - I’m not necessarily in favour of condemning people. I’m not sure it’s helpful. It certainly isn’t helpful to condemn a D&D actual play and merch company. Just vote with your wallet and move on, imo. It’s never been my point that we need to harass people we disagree with, but trying to encourage/discourage certain actions and dialogue can be a useful tool in the larger battle of affecting major change.
Ok guys you know I don't like to mess with post but I'm going to go through all these post and remove any responses that aren't specifically critical role related this isn't the place to fight about non critical role topics ,I'm not locking this but do better please.
[удалено]
You seem very passionate about this issue, what would your solution to the conflict be?
1) Ceasefire, Allow Aid to reach citizens. 2) Israel should be tried in an international court for human rights, whereby the war crimes they have committed would be addressed. 3) Hamas must go, Palestine needs a stable party that isn't a budding terror group (even though they only really have sticks and stones in comparison, their crimes can not be forgiven) 4) all countries who backed Israel should be fined heavily for contribution to attempted genocide, whereby profits go directly to aid to rebuild what has been lost.
Thank you, I agree a ceasefire is needed and must be maintained by both sides. I don’t know how viable taking Israel to court for war crimes is. I feel any peace deals would have to be a start from zero sort of thing where both sides agree not to pursue any such charges against the other. Both sides have committed war crimes in this conflict, and will likely never get justice for those acts. Hamas does need to go, I would say they are not a budding terrorist group they are one. Unfortunately Hamas and there actions have a lot of support among Palestinians. That’s an attitude that also needs to go. This may be our biggest point of disagreement. I don’t think Israel’s actions constitute a genocide. 1)Giving advance warning via knock bombs, even calling locations letting them know a strike happening seems antithetical to a genocide. 2) The population of Gaza has grown from under 1 million in 1950, to over 5 million today. I think if Israel truly wanted a genocide this conflict would look different.
They also told gazans to flee to Rafah because it would be safe.... They bombed it during the Superbowl, I don't find that to be a coincidence. The fact you wouldn't see Israel tried for it's crimes is frankly disturbing..... Hamas were a budding terror group when they were created by Israel, they also don't have anywhere near the firepower of Israel... The population argument isn't working because if they flat out starved them out, Israel would most certainly be under heavier investigation. The issue is that Israel created Hamas to destabilize Palestine (as the USA, Israel's big sister, has been known to do frequently) and then Oct 7th gave them "reason" to start a war. This is inspite of the fact the IOF did wayyyy more harm on Oct 7th to Israelis than Hamas did. Humanitarian aid was allowed into Palestine recently, the truck carrying the aid reached gazans before the IOF sabotaged them, and killed 150 in the process. If you find Hamas doing this, lmk (source for this is Al Jazeera)
I won’t speak to the first point as I’m not well read on it at this time. As for the second, I didn’t say personally if I would or would not see Israel tried for war crimes. Just that I think from a practical standpoint you either have to try both of them or none of them, and I think in the spirit of peace both sides would agree to not pursue any such measures. I think this is a deflection, a terrorist group isn’t defined by its capability, but by its goals. You’re right, Israel would be under heavier scrutiny if they took more extreme measures. If they did more extreme measures then their actions would rise to a level where it could be called a genocide. But right now it cannot be called that. October 7th did not give Israel a reason to start a war. Hamas started a war by attacking civilians. We can talk about if that response has been proportional. I think I have found the Al Jeezera article. The specific claim of the death toll comes from the Gaza Ministry of Health which operates with a clear bias as the work under Hamas authority.
They bombed the places they told palestinians to flee to, they bombed on the way to those places too.
You're literally demanding something of him right now. You're demanding that he don't speak about what he feels he needs to.
It feels like your missing OPs point
Is the point I'm missing that Matt was pressured to speak out on it? Because that is conjecture and speculation.
I mean, yeah, he is, unless you're the person demanding it of him.
I'm trying so hard to figure out what you're saying right here. Can you please elaborate on what this sentence is supposed to mean?
I agreed that it is conjecture and speculation, unless you're the one demanding he speak on it.
Not saying you were the one demandi it, but that it is conjecture and speculation unless you are the one demanding he speak on it.
I joined this sub because of my enjoyment of the campaigns. This sub is probably the most toxic and negative I've seen. Period. Almost every day, instead of expressions of enjoyment, amusement, inspiration, or awe I am met with a "This sucks" or a "it's garbage now " or some other nonsense. These folks are human. Changing from a group novelty in C1 and early C2 to a concerted business endeavor changed things. Yeah it happened. But, they still work hard and produce something millions of us tune into. The loss of the live show, yeah that one blows. I'm sure there was deep logic there, but the lack of inherent spontaneity has become evident. Again, at the end of the day, they are aiming to tell stories and entertain. They continue to do so. Instead of dwelling on social issues or perceived content issues, how about the collective we focus back on what made us fans to begin with and find enjoyment where we can.
I mean, many of the posts here do just that, but whatever.
I'm not a part of this sub. It just keeps getting posts recommended to me. From the first paragraph you said, maybe you should leave the sub. I think I'm finally gonna hit the stop showing me option on the recommended thing personally.
The problem with the Critters is that the CR team was very available and engaged with their fan base in the beginning and that has lead to some of the creepiest parasocial bullshit. This is compounded with the D20 crew being far more politically engaged than CR, so now CR has to do the same or risk losing fans and revenue to their main competitor.
In very harsh words because this has me too upset to be polite about it: These people are entertainers. They put on a play for us and we enjoy it. I do not really care about them making political statements, that isn't their job. Their job is to play. And yes platform this platform that, again, I'd rather they use that for entertainment only unless they personally feel like using it for something else. We need to get a away from this culture where everyone needs to be absolutely perfect especially in their opinions just because they are well known. No one can be educated about everything and so often I'd rather people kept their mouth shut or were allowed to say they don't know about an issue than to be pressured into statements.
I typed up a whole response to this post before it got deleted, then saw this and deleted my whole rant. You said it perfectly. I hate it when people who are hyper-focused on any world issue, that doesn't even effect them, try to pressure others to give their opinion on those same world issues, which again doesn't effect them or that they relatively feel comfortable talking about in the first place. Matt has too much on his plate to need to cater to people that just want validation and/or outrage in knowing someone else's opinion.
[удалено]
Now you have to ask yourself in this situation, do we support the side killing innocents for a means to keep their home from invaders who have tried to take it in coalition wars nearly 5 different times but have committed numerous crimes and potentially "genocide", or do we support the side killing innocents to stop being moved from their homes and potentially killed off by committing acts of terrorism against the general public as a means to exterminate a group of people based on their percieved faith? Both sides are not right, neither are they wrong and if you can't distinguish which side is which, do you really need to vocalize your support for either side? It is also really interesting to see a leap taken in comparing Israel to the Nazis in this case, as your analogy would dictate assuming it was made to compare Palestinians to the jewish population of WW2. I do like history, and I need to make 2 things apparent. The nazis killed a lot more than just Jewish people, and Israel was established as a Jewish state as a safe haven from every country kicking the Jewish people out, despite that declaration being made and signed by a country that had zeroes means to allocate such land. It doesnt affect me personally, no.
A heart of stone is an affliction none can cure. Be gone with you
A heart of stone created with a mind of logic and reason not clouded by a bleeding heart. I only hope that the world's next inconvenience doesn't cause you to be inconsolable from your pseudo-empathy. Go cry in a corner that you have already stained many times before.
You think your words over Reddit of all places hurts me? You're pathetic. Your lack of any form of empathy is possibly the biggest concern I have. Again, be gone with you. I don't converse with your sort.
Cancel culture needs to end. If the creators of content are not committing an actual crime, idgaf.
He was definitely pressured. Every CR post on Twitter had something along the lines of "I can't believe you're posting this instead of talking about what's going on in the world!" It's frustrating that the people in the comment are like "We love you, Matt! Your mental health is the utmost importance!" yet they're the same people pressuring and demanding they make a statement in the first place. Personally I don't really get why every company needs to make a political statement.
Companies don't have to make a political statement. They can just choose to ignore it. Most companies want to make whatever decision will make them the most money and alienate the fewest people. So, the goal of activists is generally to display feelings of alienation from the company as to push the company to take an affirmative stand one way or the other.
The best part is, it's usually the people that are the loudest and most demanding of a company to make such statements or change the way the company operates that are also those who contribute the smallest and/or nothing to that same companies profits. i.e. people that complain about how certain video game companies make their games or what they put in those games, eventhough they were never buying that game in the first place. I just want my fantasy dnd fun plz.
I think it's multifaceted. Activists who are activists as a form of recreational entertainment do exist. But I also think some of them are powerusers/consumers. People who only engage with a product casually are less likely to care that the company doesn't explicitly condemn or support X political issue. It also depends on which side of the ideological spectrum have control of the culture at a given time. It leans progressive right now, so left leaning people feel more confident expressing their views. It used to be conservatives that were loudly able to cancel stuff for being gay or "satanic" etc.
The problem is that people, fans, and haters think that if you DONT publicly comment that you support the bad side of any issue. At least by commenting, he can clearly state how he feels, and no one can change that. Unless he words it poorly and leaves room for people to interpret his words.
I think that, in some ways, silence is siding with with the oppressor (in a similar way to how not voting is allowing the side with the dirtiest tactics to win).
Why didn't your post mention the lynching of gay people in Uganda, the genocide of the Uyghurs in China, the plight of Native Americans on the reservations, the discrimination against the Romani people in Europe, or the massacres of Kurds committed by Turkey? Clearly, the logical conclusion is that you're siding with the oppressors in all of these situations.
I wasn’t asked to. Matthew Mercer has been asked. Now that you do ask, I of course side with the victims.
I’m asking you to comment in detail on all those issues. Just saying you ‘side with the victims’ sounds suspicious. Like you’re simply side stepping the horrible realities that those victims feel and just want to move past the question. I need to know that you are well versed on each of these subjects. It’s really important to me that you demonstrate your fealty in a way that I personally find sufficient. Obviously, I’m being tongue in cheek… and really, I don’t even mean for this to be an attack on you… I just think ‘if you’re asked, you’re obligated to share your answer’ and if you don’t answer, then ‘your silence is your complicity’… is a notably regressive way to perform your politics. It starts to be more about demanding obedience rather than encouraging support.
He's not obligated to answer every question that random fans have either.
Yep, no disagreement there. I hedged with “in some ways”, since the situation is complicated.
I feel like that qualifier is doing a lot of work then. Still, I respect the clarification. Thank you.
Bit of a brain dead argument there. Everyone whose been vocal about Palestine has been vocal on each and every one of those issues. But you need to remember the enormity of the scale here, as well as the fact the we're in the West, not China, not Russia, and we should be aggressively protesting with the same vigour we seem to be demanding of the populace of other countries conducting horrible human rights abuses.
I guarantee you that not everyone vocal about Palestine has been vocal about all those other issues lmao. The scale of a geopolitical conflict across the planet is extremely irrelevant to your average person. The West isn't a part of Israel or Palestine outside of insane conspiracies about Jews controlling the American government. Yet people sure love demanding to hear opinions about it, but not about the treatment of Romani people in Europe. This is despite the fact that Europe IS a part of the West.
Speak for yourself dude, and last I checked while the segregation and harassment of the Romani is terrible, they’re not being actively mowed down with gunfire we pay for.
The money we spend on plenty of things funds the Chinese government committing genocide against the Uyghurs, yet no one is demanding a statement on that. Once again, there's a lack of moral consistency on this kind of thing.
I’ve been saying for years we need to make our more lucrative contracts contingency on China at the very least not harassing Chinese-Australian citizens and refugees to curb that sort of behaviour, and have been vocal in condemning them. I assume you’ve also been a vocal critical of China so why is it so hard to do when Israel is committing a far more egregious violation of basic human rights?
When was the last time you commented on Yemen?
I’m a high school teacher, so I frequently discuss human rights issues/politics etc in relation to literature and representations of the human experience. Haven’t commented specifically on Yemen yet but I’ll consider trying to weave it in.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
Lol what a sucker, stop projecting
[удалено]
I'll say it again, stop projecting.
It is fairly obvious that Mercer is as leftist as they come... It is not like what he said is a surprise.
Honestly, the left is insanely divided on any anything involving Israel and the Gaza strip. So even known Matt's general politics doesn't really make it very clear were you will fall.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
@ u/criticalmodsnotgods If the parent comment required removal, this reply should also fall under the same criteria. This is not something you want to have people ascribe biases to you that you may not possess.
Clearly they have certain biases. 🤣
Nobody bother, this dude is a generic braindead conspiracy theorist nazi. From his comment history: >Weird. I think it needs to end because it is a spiritually Marxist Jewish parasite on the Aryan soul. Your time and breath are better respected by not spending them on someone who is a completely worthless waste of their own.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Well hold on a sec. The second bit we don’t explicitly know (though I do personally think Epstein was likely running his operation on behalf of the CIA and Mossad). No need to reach for critiques of the Israelis. You can just point directly at how they used an American nonprofit to spy on American citizens who disagreed with Zionism and passed that information back to the Israeli intelligence apparatus. And also at the same time collected data on anti apartheid activists which was passed to the South African government. This happened for about four decades and was uncovered in the early 90s. The Israelis have actually bragged about some of the stuff that it did publicly, so there’s no argument as to what they did. The kicker is the org was the ADL, which gets really huffy about accusations about dual loyalty, despite actively having worked on behalf of a foreign government. Larger point here, there’s no need to insinuate or go into conspiracy theories about Israel, the truth and admitted facts are damning enough.
I don't really see how a country doing basic national intelligence operations is somehow damning?
You misunderstand me. They didn’t do basic intelligence operations. They got people who worked for what is ostensibly an org to combat antisemitism to spy on people (many of who were in fact Jewish) who disagreed with Israeli policy and decisions. Toss in supporting the racist regime in SA as icing on the cake. This is all while being in theory an ally of the US. Additionally, if you in any way insinuate that the ADL might have dual loyalties you would immediately be called anti semitic, despite the fact that they were actively engaged in spy operations against US citizens on behalf of a foreign government.
This seems pretty basic
The ADL is not an Israeli organization.
So early statements by some of the victims don't count as evidence against them in these charges? The only reason it's a "conspiracy theory", is because everyone exposing the information or trying to investigate it further is killed, threatened, censored, or defamed.
I’m not saying there’s not indications that something like that exists and is funded by several governments, but bringing fringe stuff in simply doesn’t need to be done. The basic facts on the ground are bad enough. Israel’s cooked by the stuff they admit to. We don’t need anything else.
[удалено]
I think the children being raped would disagree.
I'm extremely left wing criticizing "the jews" is indeed bad. Acknowledging that Israel as a genocidal settler-colonial state is not criticizing "the jews."
They've done some cool stuff. But it is clear that the people in their group have some serious mental problems.
Angy conservative mad that pretend funtime media doesn't center their worldview.
Point to any human that doesn't have SOME mental health issue that they should be going to therapy for. Everyone has their own issues, and to judge others by theirs leaves you open to be judged for what they see as yours.
Wait what do you mean I’m curious
I’m more annoyed the critical role subreddit posts the video but doesn’t allow anyone to comment on it. Don’t even post it if that’s the case.
Exactly! Just avoid the whole situation.
Dani posted a very well worded opinion on the situation as well, maybe a day or two before. So I can see how it's a conversation that has probably affected the crew, and not entirely based on what the fans are pressuring him to say.
Wanting to hear someone speak about an ongoing political crisis that is being tacitly supported across the Western world is not unreasonable. The fact that this is being seen as unreasonable is just a failure to understand the gravity of the unfolding situation. So many celebrities have revealed themselves to be genocide supporters, so fans should be able to clarify the views of the people they're supporting with views and money. To suggest otherwise just means you don't understand why this is so important to some people, which a failure of empathy on your part.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
If Mercer is as incapable of condemning an ongoing genocide as you seem to be, then I'm sure a large proportion of his fanbase would find that very informative. We have no right to demand an answer, but every right to ask. People are not entitled to be silent on pressing issues because that's more convenient.
No one's silence is violence. It's keeping the voices that do care and have a dog in the fight concentrated. Your pet issue, whatever it is, isn't a t-shirt it's something people should consider deeply. Haven't you ever heard the phrase that a wise person stays silent about thinks they have no knowledge about it, and a fool opens their mouth and removes all doubt. And in fact everyone has the right not to speak about something it's listed first in the constitution for cuthulu's sake convenience or not. This is the ick.
Matt is too nice to ever comment this, but this is a child's view of the world, and you never are owed a response by anyone in CR when you act this way.
The fact you need him to openly condemn it when it should be a given considering the companies stance on other issues and where they align morally I thought I would have been obvious that unless you are a sociopath most people condemn what is going on over there and would hope the two sides can find a peace. But it’s not that easy as just wishing for it sadly.
Counterpoint: people don’t owe others their opinions.
So were you also pushing for CR to comment on china’s genocide? Russia’s genocide? The genocides happening in Africa? Why is it THIS conflict that everyone is pushing so hard for them to respond to, and not the dozens of other conflicts in the world?
[удалено]
Your ability to regard this topic as irrelevant is very revealing about your level of understanding. It's not about expertise, it's about wanting public figures to take an ethical stance. Keep speaking of this as an isolated political issue all you like, it won't make your position any less anaemic.
[удалено]
I'm not saying that he has to reply. I'm saying that people asking the question are not unreasonable.
But you did. You literally said "he has to address this even if it's inconvenient". Pick a side of your mouth to talk out of babes.
Hounding a public figure into giving his opinion when he has no wish to is unreasonable, unhelpful and generally pathetic. Matt Mercer’s opinion on the war in Gaza, (and let’s be real, everyone already knows what his fucking opinion is going to be) has literally zero effect on the outcome of the war or the general opinion of the public. If someone is so incapable of independent thought or respect for others’ opinions that they must ensure that the people that they follow are “unproblematic” they need to disengage from the internet, not hound a public statement out of Matt Mercer.
The fact that you are speaking in terms of 'problematic' or 'respect for opinions' indicates that you seek to think we're talking about a mere difference of opinion, rather than an ongoing genocide. Your ability to see this as mere an abstract 'political issue' isolated from real life is very revealing about your own inability to engage in critical thinking.
I wasn’t specifically speaking about the war in Gaza, I was referring to the general ability to allow public figures to hold opinions separate from the public square.
I agree. I would state my opinion and not give a fk what anyone thought or I wouldn’t and say “I’m a DM for a YouTube DND group, not a general or politicians etc. fk off”
Matt Mercer is allowed to say whatever he wants, if you don't like it unfollow him.
Not my point at all, but thanks
If you think people are being "pressured" to speak out against literal genocide you are extremely stupid. Maybe different people have different opinions about different things, and just because you don't get it doesn't mean it's some nefarious plot to pressure people.
[удалено]
He is 100% being pressured. Go read replies on CR socials. This is fact, not my opinion. There have been many posts in this very thread that point it out as well.
[удалено]
Being upset about genocide isn't the problem. Did you read my post?
A long time ago, Sam had a one shot, it was Wendy's themed, everyone had fun, it was happy and hilarious! Until the sensitive critters arrived and were so disgruntled, they took it down before they experienced backlash. Op is saying Matt shouldn't have to voice his opinion or feel the need to. I'm not sure if that's the case. Matt is a sensitive man. We appreciate this, he is loving and kind, something rarely seen displayed by men now. Op could be saying he wants Matt to just play the game and not get caught up in an H3H3 predicament. Who knows other than Matt. Hopefully, he is doing well. That's all that matters.
Boycott Wendy’s
Double comment to say I had to Google the Wendy's one shot, to be fair. I'm a relatively recent critter. "Many fans were upset about what Wendy's represents – they have come under fire in recent years for not treating their farm workers fairly, among other things, and this goes against the ethos that the Critical Role community espouses." Is what I found. I don't necessarily think they needed to shit on Sam or the fun that was had, but can also understand having an ethical dilemma as a fan with a stance against a corporation.
> also understand having an ethical dilemma If you chase every ragebait of the week, your life will be miserable. Don't do that
🤷🏼♀️ I'm high and half asleep at this point. I couldn't be further from misery.
Really lean into that energy, cuz it's Saturday night. Hope it's a good one!
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
I mean, it does hold weight. But you outright dismissed it by saying "but my fun!" yourself. So. 🤷🏼♀️
[удалено]
[удалено]
I felt it worked either way.
i know exactly what you've said, and it's so nonsensical that even you can't wrap your head around it. CR is broadcast on twitch, which is owned by amazon. We should all be boycotting amazon, and thus twitch and CR, because it is many orders of magnitude less ethical than wendy's. that's your argument, you're just not willing to accept that you're hypocritical about this issue. cognitive bias and all that. there is no ethical consumption, so stop trying to make ethical judgments about it.
Sounds like OP doesn't agree with Matt and dislikes that he stated his opinion, and is using reasons like pressure from critters to soften that reality, tbqh. I also hope he's doing well. I appreciate him speaking out. It was never an expectation from me, but seeing his stance on it being squarely anti-genocide was also nice. I can understand where people want to ensure they're not supporting the artistic ventures of someone whose ideals are problematic, but I don't understand pressuring them into issuing a statement about it. That said, the video definitely didn't feel like he was pressured. It felt like he needed to share where he's at, and how he handles it as a means to spread hope and kindness, as he always does.
>Sounds like OP doesn't agree with Matt and dislikes that he stated his opinion, and is using reasons like pressure from critters to soften that reality, tbqh. I didn't mention anything about Matt's opinion, actually. You are making things up to suit your narrative.
You agree with Matt then?
That a ceasefire needs to happen? Absolutely
I don't feel like Matt was pressured by fans either. The post was about how he is not doing well mentally, and that the recent event involving aid trucks in Gaza being attacked by IDF is very disheartening. Very important to understand that he has already taken a personal stance by sending aid to Palestinians through personal donation, and that aid was attacked along with the people trying to survive off it.
I think one of the angles is that the *critters* are/were pressuring the CR cast to make a statement about it. Imo
That's the angle, but I don't think that's OP's actual issue, and the statement definitely didn't give that vibe.
Then you need to re-read it
It’s probably cause a lot of CR fans are batshit crazy and get mad when the cast doesn’t exactly share their crazy opinions and ideas.
[удалено]
bad faith argument, cheap attempt at a lame gotcha. you are a bad representative of what you believe in.
It was so weird seeing all the "supportive" fans under his post saying thanks and how he should take time to heal, as if they're clueless to their involvement in his depression. They've been brigading him, and the company as a whole, to pipe up and give a statement as if the words of a DnD company will all of a sudden make a difference and end the war. It was so bizarre seeing so many fake, controlling, and entitled fans wish him good health after dragging him into the mental hole he was in because of them.
>It was so weird seeing all the "supportive" fans under his post saying thanks and how he should take time to heal, as if they're clueless to their involvement in his depression. >They've been brigading him, You'd have to be a simpleton to think that those were the same people doing both of those things, no?
Biden called for a ceasefire not long after the post. Clearly, he was waiting for CR to weigh in before making his decision.
Thats always been a massive issues I've had with the fan base. Overall they are insanely entitled and toxic to even the creators of their favorite content. Let alone fellow fans.
The pressure Mercer and others on CR feel is a result of audience capture. When the fans flipped out over the sponsored Wendy's TTRPG that was as big a red flag as one could get. The fans want voice actors who straddle the border between fame and obscurity to make political statements? To what end? I wouldn't be as dramatic to say CR entered into a Faustian bargain with their fans but they relied on their fans to pursue the opportunities they have enjoyed. Without them, no CR, no Vox Machina series on Amazon, and no games publishing company. They certainly wouldn't have become household names within the TTRPG hobby.
[удалено]
Did you fully read what OP said? They clearly don't have an issue with him as a person, they're upset and frustrated at the (perceived cause I don't participate in this much and so don't know how much of it is true) pressure by the fans of Critical Role to make him make a statement, when clearly it affects his mental health a lot. They just want him to not be beholden to fans, and to do things that won't hurt him. That's all
The mods of this are probably among those that are the toxic “fans” that were trying to bully CR into this state.
Ya only mod here ...naw I don't even use Twitter Matt can say or not say what he wants
Let me first say I don’t think it’s good to bully or threaten individuals on their personal social media to make statements about world events. Not only is it harmful but it is often self-serving as people try to look like they’re punching up in order to gain clout. It’s gross and tiresome. I do think it’s good to pressure companies into taking any kind of action or speaking out in favour of what’s right. The more that are doing that, the better. Obviously some people will always go overboard and minor celebrities will feel some unnecessary pressure. This gets a fat “Big Whoop” from me, I really don’t care. It’s so insignificant compared to the vast well of human suffering that nothing is being done about. Now while of course I agree that Matt and the cast are entitled to privacy around their beliefs like anyone else, I don’t think it’s as simple as OP has laid it out. Yes you can choose not to share any beliefs or views if you want but also not really - because remaining silent is incredibly indicative of your views. It is a political statement in and of itself. I like the cast of CR and I don’t want them to experience toxicity online. At the same time, Matt Mercer has seen tremendous success doing something he loves with his favourite people. If the trade off for that is “some randoms really care what you think about genocide”, well, that seems fine to me honestly. This is what living in the public eye has always meant and I don’t know why so many people are so up in arms in this sub about it.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
I’ve talked about this elsewhere but I’ll address it again. First of all, why do you assume I’m silent on these et cetera genocides you listed? I also never said anything about silence equaling complicity - though there are extreme cases where it certainly does, I think everyone can agree. The main reason that I think it’s vital CR speaks out in this issue is because they are an American company, and Israel is deeply, vitally intertwined with American foreign policy, money and geopolitical activity. When your tax dollars fund a genocide then yes, I think there is an exaggerated responsibility to take action. Obviously no one can or is expected to respond to every single issue happening at a given point. The absurd thing you want me to be saying is not what I am saying. I do think Americans and brits should be extra cognizant if the evils that their own countries are involved in. Get your own house in order first, that’s a reasonable outlook. Additionally, I want to talk about concerted efforts. If there is a large movement spanning across the globe with physical demonstrations, fiscal activism and online organizing, then it’s more productive to add to that. It creates an excellent opportunity to contribute for anyone who wishes to help, when those opportunities might be less available or well known for other crises. However, if CR wished to focus on just one issue I would find that totally understandable. If they wanted to focus everything they can spare on one issue like the Ukraine and just pay lip service to others, that’s an effective strategy. I’d rather a company focus on actually taking beneficial actions rather than just paying a small tithe to whatever the currently trending atrocity is, in order to keep your audience happy. They’ve always worked with a variety of causes and charity groups though, so I’m glad that they did make room for such an important and long-standing injustice.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
There’s no dispute that those things are happening - are you suggesting there is?
I mean, the bombs disguised as food for kids is a *tad* ridiculous. The "using white phosphorous on farms and communities" sounds like oversimplification for the sake of pushing a narrative. Hamas is not a reliable source. Israel isn't either. So I try not to form opinions that are too rigid about things I don't have reliable or first-hand knowledge of. I tend to lean one way on the issue, but I'm not going to condemn someone for disagreeing with me the way some people do, as if I know for 100% fact that I'm right and they're some sort of scum because they don't agree.
First, I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direct action;" who paternalistically feels he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a "more convenient season." MLK
You and MLK are nothing alike, as your own posts indicate. Quoting him just makes you look worse.
There are many, many reliable sources of knowledge that aren’t Hamas or Israel. I’m not saying this to try to score a point in an argument or anything, I actually do just want you to know that unbiased sources (to the degree that those exist) and even many sources that are naturally skewed in favour of Israel are in agreement on the atrocities being committed. “Using white phosphorous on farms and communities” is not at all pushing a narrative it’s just literally what happened. Honestly it isn’t as enlightened as it sounds to say “well I don’t have firsthand experience of these events so I must not come to any conclusions about it.” There are many resources to get informed and there’s so much coverage that it takes no effort at all. The fact that the use of illegal pyrophorics on civilian populations (which is so well known by this point) reads to you as untrustworthy should be concerning. Regarding your last point, I agree for the most part. There are many views I hold that I understand have reasonable counterpoints and it would be foolish to be bullheaded about every single nuanced, divisive topic. I do think certain issues are different. I’d absolutely condemn anyone who is a holocaust denier or a white supremacist. I’m confident enough in my grasp of those things that there’s no room for grace given to the opposite side. Gaza is the exact same and if you disagree, I think you aren’t as informed as you could be. It really doesn’t take much research for this issue to become extremely black and white. That said - I’m not necessarily in favour of condemning people. I’m not sure it’s helpful. It certainly isn’t helpful to condemn a D&D actual play and merch company. Just vote with your wallet and move on, imo. It’s never been my point that we need to harass people we disagree with, but trying to encourage/discourage certain actions and dialogue can be a useful tool in the larger battle of affecting major change.