Exactly. Which should immediately raise questions over the value of their advice.
Given that the ideas they’re shilling are inherently scalable, logically it follows that if they knew how to make it work they wouldn’t have to snake oil people on YouTube for money, therefore, they’re advice has no value.
I like playing basketball. I will never be as good as Lebron James. It's fun to watch someone else play at the edge of what is possible. I might even learn something I can use myself.
I like software development. I'll never be as good as John Carmack. It's fun to watch someone else talk and think about what I like. I might even learn something.
Don't steal other people's joy just because you don't understand it.
Coffee commercials aren't scamming people out of millions.
The FTC didn't fine Clooney for coffee commercials but it did fine Kim, Paris Hilton, Jimmy Fallon and many other celebrities for peddling bullshit NFTs.
In the programming/IT space ive noticed that the indiehackers community is somewhat in the same vein. Lots of posturing and talking about how to get rich and build a saas (with 1m ARR and No Code), courses, email lists, “masterminds”, etc, but little substance behind it.
If I sell you a share the represents a beanie baby, that’s a security. It doesn’t matter what the underlying asset is, a security is a security and NFTs look a lot like securities.
Your AAPL shares are just entities in a database somewhere (or a series of databases, it’s complex), an NFT is essentially the same, database entries that point to ownership of an abstract thing which can be traded.
Somewhat of a Puritanical/ probably very American take on alcohol. Most European cultures have alcohol baked into lunch and dinner meals from the teenage years, and those countries seem to have better health metrics than Americans do.
Having a few drinks is not inebriation, that's all-or-nothing thinking.
Have a few drinks to reduce social anxiety except if you're prone to addictive behaviors (in which case there are a suite of things to watch out for).
Sorry, but pretending the word "fascism" has no definition that one could check the meaning of is something you can try on your social media where you preach to the choir, but on this platform such a simpleton strategy is not gonna fly. If you truly think Donald "I could shoot a guy on 5th avenue" Trump is not fascist, while Dem presidents are, you better being some examples here that meet an actual definition of the word.
I am not from the US and do not intend to travel there any time soon, so I couldn't care less about your internal quarrels, but Trump meets many of the criteria. Most famously the Italian writer Umberto Eco coined these 14 signs of fascism after having lived in fascist Italy (under Mussolini).
I quote it from Wikipedia here, follow allong and tick the boxes for each president, then count who has the most boxes. Ah and also search for critical stuff on the guy you like:
1. "The cult of tradition", characterized by cultural syncretism, even at the risk of internal contradiction. When all truth has already been revealed by tradition, no new learning can occur, only further interpretation and refinement.
2. "The rejection of modernism", which views the rationalistic development of Western culture since the Enlightenment as a descent into depravity. Eco distinguishes this from a rejection of superficial technological advancement, as many fascist regimes cite their industrial potency as proof of the vitality of their system.
3. "The cult of action for action's sake", which dictates that action is of value in itself and should be taken without intellectual reflection. This, says Eco, is connected with anti-intellectualism and irrationalism, and often manifests in attacks on modern culture and science.
4. "Disagreement is treason" – fascism devalues intellectual discourse and critical reasoning as barriers to action, as well as out of fear that such analysis will expose the contradictions embodied in a syncretistic faith.
5. "Fear of difference", which fascism seeks to exploit and exacerbate, often in the form of racism or an appeal against foreigners and immigrants.
6. "Appeal to a frustrated middle class", fearing economic pressure from the demands and aspirations of lower social groups.
7. "Obsession with a plot" and the hyping-up of an enemy threat. This often combines an appeal to xenophobia with a fear of disloyalty and sabotage from marginalized groups living within the society (such as the German elite's "fear" of the 1930s Jewish populace's businesses and well-doings; see also antisemitism). Eco also cites Pat Robertson's book The New World Order as a prominent example of a plot obsession.
8. Fascist societies rhetorically cast their enemies as "at the same time too strong and too weak". On the one hand, fascists play up the power of certain disfavored elites to encourage in their followers a sense of grievance and humiliation. On the other hand, fascist leaders point to the decadence of those elites as proof of their ultimate feebleness in the face of an overwhelming popular will.
9. "Pacifism is trafficking with the enemy" because "life is permanent warfare" – there must always be an enemy to fight. Both fascist Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini worked first to organize and clean up their respective countries and then build the war machines that they later intended to and did use, despite Germany being under restrictions of the Versailles treaty to not build a military force. This principle leads to a fundamental contradiction within fascism: the incompatibility of ultimate triumph with perpetual war.
10. "Contempt for the weak", which is uncomfortably married to a chauvinistic popular elitism, in which every member of society is superior to outsiders by virtue of belonging to the in-group. Eco sees in these attitudes the root of a deep tension in the fundamentally hierarchical structure of fa...
So good that it is — in fact — not a definition and never meant to be one.
Definitions are too short for that kind of stuff anyways. Read some guy from the stone age the definition for any modern political system and they would not be able to imagine what it means in practise. These 14 points however make it somewhat tangible.
Eco also intended them as warning signs people can look at and check whether their own society (or parts thereof) are heading into fascism.
You know, completely tl;dr-unimportant stuff that you will totally not regret to have glossed over once your sons are sent into the meatgrinder of the Volkssturm, while your daughters are ordered to breed the next generation of disposable Übermensch /s
> It's like there is an entire part of the children/teen population that have such a bland life they feel good while watching somebody else living it.
Or consider that some portion of the population would always be interested in such videos at any time in history, and it's only in the last decade that they have unlimited access.
So is there no way of actually making a good amount of money through the internet because most of the cash is in the hands of the mega wealthy? Does Vox have anything to suggest?
I watch people play Squad to pick up tips and tricks and ettiquite. I watch people play other games to try to see if that would be a game that I would like to play. I watch people play DCS because I really want to play it, but don't have THAT much time to invest into a game. DCS is my favourite to watch, you learn so much about fighter jet tactics and technology.
> It's not hard. Anyone in America with $35,000/yr is in the 1% of the world's economic strata.
That doesn't take into account the vastly different cost of living across the world. Sure, 35k USD is a lot compared to some countries, but it's barely scraping by in most US metros.
US wages have not kept pace with the increase in cost of living and goods and services for decades.
Even if folks somehow managed to save 15% of the 35k every year for 40 years (which is really hard) they're left just touching a million with a guaranteed 8% return, and that's their retirement funds. After using those funds to live for the next ~20+ years extremely modestly doesn't leave much of anything for "generational wealth".
Unless you're already in the upper 20% the best bet remaining is to help your kids get through college and hope they get a higher paying job than you. Which is increasingly difficult as the cost of education has skyrocketed compared to wages.
If those folks are only making $35k for 40 years they're losers with no impetus for self-growth or security. If they can make $35k a year they're capable enough to make $50k a year if they work hard to improve, start a business, create value.... if you don't, then enjoy your struggles. It's a dog eat dog world, right?
My browsing of internet forums has led me to understand this issue as “living vicariously” among the youth. They have outsourced even the joy of experiencing new things in life to tech. And the tech companies are also getting paid in the process. Truly 21st century stuff.
23 comments
[ 2.8 ms ] story [ 55.9 ms ] threadGiven that the ideas they’re shilling are inherently scalable, logically it follows that if they knew how to make it work they wouldn’t have to snake oil people on YouTube for money, therefore, they’re advice has no value.
Grown men watching other men play a sport that they like to play with their friends is equally weird.
I like playing basketball. I will never be as good as Lebron James. It's fun to watch someone else play at the edge of what is possible. I might even learn something I can use myself.
I like software development. I'll never be as good as John Carmack. It's fun to watch someone else talk and think about what I like. I might even learn something.
Don't steal other people's joy just because you don't understand it.
As narrow minded as claiming people who watch a certain type of YouTube video must necessarily have a "bland life"
Coffee commercials aren't scamming people out of millions.
The FTC didn't fine Clooney for coffee commercials but it did fine Kim, Paris Hilton, Jimmy Fallon and many other celebrities for peddling bullshit NFTs.
Your AAPL shares are just entities in a database somewhere (or a series of databases, it’s complex), an NFT is essentially the same, database entries that point to ownership of an abstract thing which can be traded.
Having a few drinks is not inebriation, that's all-or-nothing thinking.
Have a few drinks to reduce social anxiety except if you're prone to addictive behaviors (in which case there are a suite of things to watch out for).
I am not from the US and do not intend to travel there any time soon, so I couldn't care less about your internal quarrels, but Trump meets many of the criteria. Most famously the Italian writer Umberto Eco coined these 14 signs of fascism after having lived in fascist Italy (under Mussolini).
I quote it from Wikipedia here, follow allong and tick the boxes for each president, then count who has the most boxes. Ah and also search for critical stuff on the guy you like:
1. "The cult of tradition", characterized by cultural syncretism, even at the risk of internal contradiction. When all truth has already been revealed by tradition, no new learning can occur, only further interpretation and refinement.
2. "The rejection of modernism", which views the rationalistic development of Western culture since the Enlightenment as a descent into depravity. Eco distinguishes this from a rejection of superficial technological advancement, as many fascist regimes cite their industrial potency as proof of the vitality of their system.
3. "The cult of action for action's sake", which dictates that action is of value in itself and should be taken without intellectual reflection. This, says Eco, is connected with anti-intellectualism and irrationalism, and often manifests in attacks on modern culture and science.
4. "Disagreement is treason" – fascism devalues intellectual discourse and critical reasoning as barriers to action, as well as out of fear that such analysis will expose the contradictions embodied in a syncretistic faith.
5. "Fear of difference", which fascism seeks to exploit and exacerbate, often in the form of racism or an appeal against foreigners and immigrants.
6. "Appeal to a frustrated middle class", fearing economic pressure from the demands and aspirations of lower social groups.
7. "Obsession with a plot" and the hyping-up of an enemy threat. This often combines an appeal to xenophobia with a fear of disloyalty and sabotage from marginalized groups living within the society (such as the German elite's "fear" of the 1930s Jewish populace's businesses and well-doings; see also antisemitism). Eco also cites Pat Robertson's book The New World Order as a prominent example of a plot obsession.
8. Fascist societies rhetorically cast their enemies as "at the same time too strong and too weak". On the one hand, fascists play up the power of certain disfavored elites to encourage in their followers a sense of grievance and humiliation. On the other hand, fascist leaders point to the decadence of those elites as proof of their ultimate feebleness in the face of an overwhelming popular will.
9. "Pacifism is trafficking with the enemy" because "life is permanent warfare" – there must always be an enemy to fight. Both fascist Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini worked first to organize and clean up their respective countries and then build the war machines that they later intended to and did use, despite Germany being under restrictions of the Versailles treaty to not build a military force. This principle leads to a fundamental contradiction within fascism: the incompatibility of ultimate triumph with perpetual war.
10. "Contempt for the weak", which is uncomfortably married to a chauvinistic popular elitism, in which every member of society is superior to outsiders by virtue of belonging to the in-group. Eco sees in these attitudes the root of a deep tension in the fundamentally hierarchical structure of fa...
Definitions are too short for that kind of stuff anyways. Read some guy from the stone age the definition for any modern political system and they would not be able to imagine what it means in practise. These 14 points however make it somewhat tangible.
Eco also intended them as warning signs people can look at and check whether their own society (or parts thereof) are heading into fascism.
You know, completely tl;dr-unimportant stuff that you will totally not regret to have glossed over once your sons are sent into the meatgrinder of the Volkssturm, while your daughters are ordered to breed the next generation of disposable Übermensch /s
Or consider that some portion of the population would always be interested in such videos at any time in history, and it's only in the last decade that they have unlimited access.
That doesn't take into account the vastly different cost of living across the world. Sure, 35k USD is a lot compared to some countries, but it's barely scraping by in most US metros.
US wages have not kept pace with the increase in cost of living and goods and services for decades.
Even if folks somehow managed to save 15% of the 35k every year for 40 years (which is really hard) they're left just touching a million with a guaranteed 8% return, and that's their retirement funds. After using those funds to live for the next ~20+ years extremely modestly doesn't leave much of anything for "generational wealth".
Unless you're already in the upper 20% the best bet remaining is to help your kids get through college and hope they get a higher paying job than you. Which is increasingly difficult as the cost of education has skyrocketed compared to wages.