Getting upset for my friend thinking I'm crazy for watching Alex Jones/David Icke?

[zenithfreedom]

So I have a very 'unique' YouTube history. I watch all sorts of random stuff. Doesn't mean I believe most of it but it's interesting nonetheless. From 9/11 conspiracies to prank calls to documentaries, and commonly conspiratorial figures like Alex Jones, David Icke, Max Keiser

I gave my friend who has been staying with me since lockdown my tablet to watch something since hers died and she couldn't find the charger. She saw David Icke and thought I was a bit insane and was worried about my mental health.

I said it's just entertainment but I also took a bit of offense to the fact that she thinks I'm mentally unstable for watching these guys. What do you think?

Watching a bit of that vile racist crap just for a laugh is rather like trying drugs just to see what it's like. Some of it may stick.

@Malin52

I'm with you OP. Unless you understand the basis of opposing views how can anyone counter them with reasoned argument? Just dismissing this stuff as 'crackpot' doesnt get to the heart of why people believe it and doesn't help change their minds! Watch. Listen. Learn. Think. Try to understand. Engage, argue and dismiss with justifiable reason

Anyone who won't listen or engage 'because they is a nutter' is living in a bloody echo chamber.

You’re failing to distinguish between ‘different opinions’ and hate-filled, dangerous rhetoric with zero basis in any form of reality. And that I’m watching their YouTube videos, you’re actually funding the source of that rhetoric.

IN watching their videos.

Falling out with people over their viewing choices seems childish and ridiculous to me.

I think it's perfectly reasonable do not want to be friends with someone who spends their time watching anti-semetic videos.

Hi OP, you are allowed to have your own beliefs and values and thoughts, it's your house, your safe space, you can watch what you want on youtube, you have freedom of speech and freedom of thought. I feel people here aren't respecting your rights as an individual and your right to personal beliefs.
Don't let people bully you into changing.
I deal with finance and trusts etc and know Hedge fund managers, shock horror, I watch Russia Today and al jazeera for a more broad spectrum of journalism.
I watch Max Keiser, Yes he did WAY to much coke in the 80's but he is one of the most informed financial people you will meet and has great alternative takes and inside knowledge and experience. I'd heed his advice.

If none of you want to be my friends, pfft, cry me a river.

A bunch of online strangers saying they wont be your friend should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Why not add Brian Harvey and Alex Belfield to your list and look like a complete bigoted nutcase?

@AdmiralCain

Hi OP, you are allowed to have your own beliefs and values and thoughts, it's your house, your safe space, you can watch what you want on youtube, you have freedom of speech and freedom of thought. I feel people here aren't respecting your rights as an individual and your right to personal beliefs. Don't let people bully you into changing. I deal with finance and trusts etc and know Hedge fund managers, shock horror, I watch Russia Today and al jazeera for a more broad spectrum of journalism. I watch Max Keiser, Yes he did WAY to much coke in the 80's but he is one of the most informed financial people you will meet and has great alternative takes and inside knowledge and experience. I'd heed his advice.

If none of you want to be my friends, pfft, cry me a river.

A bunch of online strangers saying they wont be your friend should be taken with a pinch of salt.

The OP is obviously entitled to watch whatever she wants. Her friend is equally entitled to judge her negatively for it. And if you can’t tell the difference between watching a credible news channel with a different reporting focus and ideology and David Icke, that’s pretty disturbing.

@AdmiralCain You're confusing watching a range og legitimate news channels, reading newspapers from across the political spectrum or using a variety of news websites in order to broaden one's horizons and avoid being trapped in an echo chamber with watching the rantings of unhinged, racist, bullying conspiracy theorists.

No one will ever go to their deathbed writhing they'd watched more YouTube videos, especially insane conspiracy theory shot like Icke!!

I'm with your friend. Put down your tablet and get outside. See a friend, go for a walk, engage with the real world.

I watched a BBC news report last week on how people believe in a flat earth & other conspiracy theories. It starts just like this. People watching for entertainment and to disprove their theories, then they get drawn into their way of thinking. It’s quite subtle. Be careful!

''No, you can watch what you like and you’ve said you don’t believe the crap they’re spouting, it’s entertainment.

Some people are so literal minded.''

This. As long as you aren't watching child abuse videos, animal porn etc. or anything illegal you can watch anything you want.

@Brimorion you say ' Her friend is equally entitled to judge her negatively for it'

I choose to be friends with people who are compassionate and empathetic, anyone who judges me wouldn't be my friend.

It would appear none of you know who max keiser is?? I defended the OP watching his channel, I didn't defend any other channels. Max doesn't have Racist Biggoted views, he talks about finance.

@Balgoresboy

''No, you can watch what you like and you’ve said you don’t believe the crap they’re spouting, it’s entertainment.

Some people are so literal minded.''

This. As long as you aren't watching child abuse videos, animal porn etc. or anything illegal you can watch anything you want.

@Balgoresboy The problem is that a lot of people start watching these videos or visiting websites out of curiosity or for a laugh but then get sucked in and pushed into more extreme videos by algorithms which are designed to capture our attention.

This has real life consequences eg the hounding of bereaved Sandy Hook parents; the man who went armed into an American pizza restaurant because he thought that had a Satanic paedophile cult led by Hilary Clinton had imprisoned children in the basement or the many people who have died because they have thought covid vaccines were dangerous or that the epidemic is a hoax.

@knittingaddict

This is the last in a string of random threads started by the op. He/she has a habit of not returning to them and never posts on anyone else's thread.

I suspect this is a waste of everyone's time.

A plopper? I fucking hate ploppers.

Whether or not you believe in what they are spouting you are giving views and therefore money to really shitty people who profit off the fear and insecurities of the most vulnerable. I’m with your friend.

I remember reading about Bilderberg etc and thinking it was a hoax - but it's true, yet not widely reported on. There is some truth amongst the more nonsensical stuff.

@AdmiralCain

Hi OP, you are allowed to have your own beliefs and values and thoughts, it's your house, your safe space, you can watch what you want on youtube, you have freedom of speech and freedom of thought. I feel people here aren't respecting your rights as an individual and your right to personal beliefs. Don't let people bully you into changing. I deal with finance and trusts etc and know Hedge fund managers, shock horror, I watch Russia Today and al jazeera for a more broad spectrum of journalism. I watch Max Keiser, Yes he did WAY to much coke in the 80's but he is one of the most informed financial people you will meet and has great alternative takes and inside knowledge and experience. I'd heed his advice.

If none of you want to be my friends, pfft, cry me a river.

A bunch of online strangers saying they wont be your friend should be taken with a pinch of salt.

The OP has a right to watch videos of people who promote bigoted views and encourage harassment, her friend is entitled to not want to be friends with someone who does that.

@Farevalah

It depends on what you have heard about the Bilderberg group.

Is it a summit of powerful politicians and business leaders? Yes
Are they secretive? Yes
Should they publish the minutes of their meetings in the public interest? Probably

Are they some kind of Deep State? No
Are they plotting to overthrow legitimate governments and create a new world order? No

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bilderberg-group-conspiracy-theories-secret-societies-new-world-order-alex-jones-a8377171.html

How is watching anti-semites fun?

As others have said, I’m on your friend’s side here. Not only are are Ike and Jones lunatics, they’re awful people and whatever your reason for watching their channels you’re giving them views which equal revenue and the opportunity to spread their terrible and damaging messages to more and more people.

You do you, but I’d be worried about your state of mind if I saw your list of recently viewed videos.

Just tell your friend you enjoy to watch this nonsence as you find it amusing that some people believe it.

I enjoy books and Youtube videos about conspiracy theories: JFK, 9/11 that sort of thing, but 99% of the time I dismiss them out-of-hand and I don't think I'm weird.

P.S. I remember when David Icke presented sport on TV - he was the 'Dan Walker' of his day, it is odd he has gone down the path he has and now thinks aliens walk amongst us.

I watch them too, I watch a whole host of conspiracy theorists. I love Michael Tellinger! I don't believe a word they say, but I think it's fascinating how they come up with the shite they do. Very entertaining. Your friend seems very literal. So do most of the posters here. Grow up. E.T wasn't real either, it was still one of the most watched movies of all time.

I watch some of it to point and laugh. I used to post a lot pointing out the holes in their 'reasoning', but not so much now. Of course if you believe any of then your friend is right.

I think it's good to be curious about all sorts of stuff, and it's also good to listen to/read things you don't agree with.

I agree to a point. It's important to know what these people are saying in order to be able to argue against them. So the occasional watch could be put down to researching for balance. But that doesn't seem to be what you're doing, OP

If I saw that your history was mostly and frequently this stuff, yes, my opinion of you would change.

[quote AdmiralCain]@Brimorion you say ' Her friend is equally entitled to judge her negatively for it'

I choose to be friends with people who are compassionate and empathetic, anyone who judges me wouldn't be my friend.

It would appear none of you know who max keiser is?? I defended the OP watching his channel, I didn't defend any other channels. Max doesn't have Racist Biggoted views, he talks about finance.[/quote]
Blimey, have you actually watched Alex Jones or David Icke? Alex Jones in particular is the lowest of human life forms, devoid of compassion and empathy. If you do value those things why would you support a random on mn watching AJ.

I have no idea who this Max is, but it was op who put them in the same sentence as AJ and DI and those two were enough for me to judge away.

In any case, like most of op's other threads, this was designed to arouse opinions. I hope op is enjoying him/herself.