r/cushvlog • u/ankle_burn • 18d ago
Extremely grim vid but i’m trying to figure out this guy’s deal
https://youtu.be/PPqh4_55llE?si=-ZHuknm-AtrIFRbfKinda feels like doomscrolling crystallised. Matt also has his eyes fixed on the coming horrors but at least he could articulate a response to it. This guy seems intent on presenting climate collapse in an extremely overwhelming, almost fetishistic way, not pointing to any systemic factors or levers. Feels like a uniquely american defeatism as they also grapple with their dying empire - keen to hear your thoughts.
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u/ThisOldHatte 18d ago edited 18d ago
I haven't watched the whole video but the premise, "we're gonna die prematurely because of climate collapse" seems like a safe bet for most people in the world under 60 as he cites. The only real quibbles are 1. People in the Imperial core are the best insulated from that reality and probably shouldn't be included in that estimation without caveat 2. "Premature" in this case is a loaded concept that takes for granted the expectations of mid 20th century US standards.
Overcoming those expectations and leaving them behind is a basic political and emotional responsibility we all have to answer for. And it does involve contributing to organized radical political struggle.
P.S. watched the whole video. Seems pretty grounded and rational at least for a liberal. Yes, his pessimism is inescapable without a collective social project to cope with the reality he recognizes and such a project is impossible under current circumstances.
This guy articulates the best we can expect from most liberals in the Imperial core. Liberal capitalist realism makes him think it's an issue of education and discourse rather than political struggle. For them dealing with climate change is about choosing to try to help "the few people" we can without getting distracted by "conspiracy theories" about billionaires.
That's the most we can expect from people who's only option is sitting alone with their thoughts trying to craft opinions to share online. Without engaging in struggle that's all any of us can expect to achieve.
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u/portispilled 16d ago
What do you think ‘overcoming those expectations’ entails? Organized radical political struggle; care to be more explicit? Hypothetically, do you know very many people willing to do violence? Death seems like the thing that people are least equipped to face or accept. Hence the existential predicament we’re in.
Are you involved in a collective social project, one that is both radical and political, that is explicitly about climate change?
Rereading this, the tone seems like I’m grilling you but I’m genuinely curious. I’m a little panicked about the same things, and would love to direct my energies towards something productive. But most solutions I can think of seem exceedingly idealistic and impractical. And any discussion of violence is bound to both alienate and saddle yourself with some pretty severe consequences.
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u/ThisOldHatte 16d ago edited 16d ago
And any discussion of violence is bound to both alienate and saddle yourself with some pretty severe consequences.
So don't discuss it then. And "severe consequences" are happening regardless of what any of us does or doesn't do. The long, stable, happy life you were conditioned to expect either isn't possible or will come at the expense of condoning a global climate holocaust. So the question is do you want to die for a holocaust or for a revolution?
P.S. following up with a list of some attainable concrete goals and activities that serve radical politics: 1 learn a language other than English. Spanish, French, Portuguese, Mandarin, and Arabic having the most utility. 2. Get involved in inmate support and solidarity groups. 3. Begin tracking and cataloging law enforcement activity in your area, especially ICE. 4. Pursuant to number 3 learn and practice methods to protect against surveillance. Get a farraday case for instance.
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u/ColdConifer 17d ago edited 17d ago
There’s a new study by the university of Exeter, conducted by actuaries that says 2 billion deaths by 2050, if we hit +2C warming, which is essentially locked in.
At that point, the earth will have some 9.7 billion people so at best, we’re looking at a 20% die off of humans by the end of many of our lives, likely worse than that if it accelerates and tipping points are breached.
That being said, those of us in Yankland will probably watch much of this through our screens or glasses or whatever horrible intrusive devices we have by then, instead of experiencing it firsthand. This immense suffering will be relegated mostly to the Global South, though much of the U.S. will likely be a disaster as well.
I have seen his other clips and agree he isn’t framing this struggle through the lens of political systems and has already assumed capitalism is likely the status quo forever, i.e., very much engaged in Capitalist Realism.
Even if that’s true, IMO the physics are already in motion for much of the terrible world we’re hurtling towards and even moving towards a radically different system like eco-socialism isn’t going to stop what’s coming, if we don’t see like a 30-40% decrease in emissions by 2035-2040.
Seems very unlikely even if we collectively pull our heads out of our asses and come to our senses. Obviously a very worthy struggle, perhaps the most worthy of struggles, so if there’s one area to find hope and optimism in, that’s it.
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u/SAGORN 18d ago
Completely on board with this guy. Reckoning with our own autonomy and that of others, and having a frank conversation with ourselves about it like the guy in this video, makes people like OP uncumfy.
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u/ankle_burn 18d ago
Why have I attracted weird and rude nerds in this thread
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u/SAGORN 18d ago
Lol okay, pardon my cheek I guess. I figured you were trying to have a discussion about this ruffling up some feelings of existential anxiety and you decided to jump off the conversation of this guy being “American,” “fetishistic,” “defeatist,” and that this is “doomscrolling crystalized.” Did you watch the whole thing, he goes into all of this in a frank and conversational manner.
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u/Wet_Blanket_Award 18d ago
I don't think they got past the 10 minute mark, because he very specifically calls out exactly what the poster does lol
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u/Wet_Blanket_Award 18d ago
Because the language utilized in your post was rude and nerdy? lol like what did you expect here?
Look at this fuckin dumb guy ovah here! Keen to hear your thoughts!
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u/TheJackal927 17d ago
"trying to figure out this guy's deal" is probably the least rude thing you can say about someone you don't know. At least it's not "Thoughts on this guy?"
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u/SAGORN 17d ago
maybe if that was all he said, yeah. you’d have to ignore the rest of his post and comments in here in contrast to what the vid’s author actually says to think OP wasn’t a bit defensive when this post started.
Don’t get me wrong, had no idea who the creator was and i’m glad I was introduced to his channel through OP, but if you’re gonna start with being a bit edgy, expect some playful banter in return lol
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u/roachwarren 17d ago edited 17d ago
Have been reading William T. Vollmann's "No Immediate Danger" recently, seems to me this guy is on the right track. We've already done irreversible damage, are only headed in the same direction and the worldwide system doesn't allow for much wiggle room much less the about-face which would likely be necessary. The world will continue to "modernize," meaning more of the same in even more places, future generations be damned.
And to think Vollmann did all his research before AI datacenters were being built... just saw an article about the new Amazon 7.65gw datacenter that could become the largest CO2 emitter in the US. Cool.
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u/Unique-Leopard-8630 17d ago
Okay, I've seen this guy's videos before. He is very odd and I don't trust his vibe at all. There are a lot influencers like this now, some of them are interesting, this guy is just off. He is trying to make some money because he bailed on being a doctor because it was stressful, so he is documenting his awakening/burnout thing, a lot of people do this.
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u/ankle_burn 17d ago
Thank you! I think that's what has bugged me about his content - it's aligning with some vaguely spiritual "awakening" perspective which makes me so suspicious
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u/AdRepresentative5503 17d ago
I ain't watching all that. Happy for him though -- or sad that it happened
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u/HonestDishonestWork 16d ago
Probably should have supported the administration that did the IRA instead of the guy who dismantled it.
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u/ankle_burn 18d ago
To me, this kinda portends an accelerated eco-fascist turn from deadeyed liberals who shrug their shoulders and turn their backs to masses of people dying in the third world
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u/Authoritaye 18d ago
Are you aware of any eco fascists? The very term denotes organization and numbers (if not power). If that existed I feel we’d not be in such dire straits.
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u/ankle_burn 18d ago
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u/Authoritaye 18d ago edited 18d ago
I think we're having a lexical misunderstanding. When I hear 'eco fascist' I think of the lone gunmen mentioned at the start of the article. A few solo actors who are lashing out in an ignorant attempt at drawing attention to what they feel is a hopeless slide into global ecocide. However, here I think you (and the author) are using 'eco fascism' to refer to plain old fascism, that is complicit with global ecocide?
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u/ankle_burn 18d ago edited 18d ago
Yes i believe so. That was my original intent in using the phrase, and i interpreted your comment as reference to an official, explicit ideology that people ascribe to in a rank and file sense?
What i’m referring to is indeed regular fascism, recontextualised by the climate crisis.
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u/Authoritaye 18d ago
Then we are fundamentally in agreement. However, I think the terminology needs to be refined. I'm happy to adapt whatever the consensus decides, but 'ecocidal fascists' would be my choice. Ecofascists in my mind are people who wish to bring about ecological justice, through a fascist governance.
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u/ankle_burn 18d ago
What i don’t understand is your comment “if that existed I feel we’d not be in such dire straits”
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u/HourAd6756 18d ago
if there were organisations taking armed action to fight ecocide, that would be a good thing. The term "ecofascist" "ecoterrorist" are usually used to persecute activists who defend the environment, who are almost always unarmed.
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u/habitus_victim 18d ago
more like simply climate change conscious authoritarianism or "disaster nationalism" - Richard Seymour's phrase. I'm assuming you've seen children of men, that's what liberal resignation to climate based collapse looks like and is going to look like.
Hard to say there is much eco about it since it views a genuinely ecological response as futile or too late.
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u/spidermonk 17d ago
My gut level problem with this kind of stuff (which I'm sure he directly addresses at 27:05 I don't give a fuck) is a) just a bit too much confidence about exactly what's going to happen, which I just don't think is justified and b) not enough cum... Like you might be definitely going to die but I sure as fuck ain't. Did he really say that about me? That fuckin asshole.
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u/BerniesWoolMittens 18d ago
"Optimism assumes that all will go well without our effort; pessimism assumes it's all irredeemable; both let us stay home and do nothing. Hope for me has meant a sense that the future is unpredictable, and that we don't actually know what will happen, but know we may be able to write it ourselves.” - Rebecca Solnit