I’m sorry, I just feel like the weight of the ethics world is on my shoulders, so I’m going to selflessly leave the ethics commentary to you. I have to think of my well-being first, after all. There is no “U” in team. No, that’s not quite right…
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Ethics Alarms 
https://amandamarieknox.medium.com/who-owns-my-name-93561f83e502
What does everyone think of this? It’s an article by Amanda Knox of the famous Italian murder story. In it, she angrily relates for-profit projects based on her story without speaking with her or even notifying her until it’s about to happen. About ripped-from-the-headlines programs and films that are inspired by her story, but bears little resemblance to it. And her anger that the new film “Stillwater” is yet another way for someone else to capitalize on her experience without her input because they’ve changed enough to make it far from her experience.
In Wisconsin there is an unethical move towards pure unadulterated political persecution against the political right.
The Progressive assault on democracy, continued
Well, you know how we ignorant ordinary people don’t know what’s in our own best interests. Thank Goodness, we have the Progressive there to tell us.
Everything she says is spot on.
I was just the other day thinking there is no “I” in “team.” But you know what, there is an “m” and an “e.”
I’m a longtime reader who hasn’t really commented much, but I need some ethics advice from the group. I find that outside of Prime Video, I spend most of my viewing time on YouTube. I’m sick of the commercials, and I’d like it to play screen-in-screen style on my tablet. I’m considering a subscription. What’s been stopping me is that they are just so darn evil. On the pro side, if I do subscribe, based on what I’ve read I believe that my favorite channels do get paid a bit every time I watch their videos.
On the con side, many of my favorite channels (The Rubin Report, Viva Frei, Triggernometry) have had their videos demonetized and removed without warning or any obvious reason. Theoretically, I don’t want to support YouTube’s unfair policies by giving them money. However, if I take that sentiment to its obvious conclusion, I’d need to cancel my Prime membership as well, and that ain’t happening (how would I know who is killing who in Midsomer without Britbox?) I mean, I don’t think you can argue that YouTube is any more evil that Amazon when it comes to unfair viewpoint discrimination.
Do I subscribe and live with the cognitive dissonance? Subscribe with the hope that my tiny dollars will go towards my favorite channels and help right the wrongs of YouTube? Or just figure I can’t fix all the problems of the world, subscribe, and stop thinking about it?
Your thoughts are welcome and appreciated!
” I mean, I don’t think you can argue that YouTube is any more evil that Amazon when it comes to unfair viewpoint discrimination.”
This is a rationalization.
However, I do understand being stuck with a company that does things you don’t like because it provides a superior product or, in the case of YouTube, is virtually the only company that provides that product.
I, for one, don’t subscribe to any YouTube channels, so they get none of my money. I also end up with commercial after commercial when I watch videos, but I’ve accepted that limitation. Then again, I also eat Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, though I don’t support a thing to which they donate their money.
“Do I subscribe and live with the cognitive dissonance? Subscribe with the hope that my tiny dollars will go towards my favorite channels and help right the wrongs of YouTube? Or just figure I can’t fix all the problems of the world, subscribe, and stop thinking about it? ”
What do you want to do? You have the right to do with your money as you wish, just as I have the right to buy great ice cream from a couple of grandstanding obnoxious hippies. Your tiny dollars will go toward your favorite channels, but they won’t right any wrongs. It is also true that you can’t fix all the problems in the world just as my refusing to buy Chunky Monkey will not influence B&J one whit and I will be deprived of something that sparks joy in my life (This is also a rationalization, by the way, “We can’t stop it”)
My advice is to pick your battles. With regards to cognitive dissonance, though, I would recommend, as I should do, as well, deciding what the tipping point is. Someday, Ben and Jerry’s will cross the line and I will have to decide that I can no longer give them my money. YouTube will do that someday, too. For some people, it already has.
Thanks for your insight! I don’t think I’ve reached the tipping point with YouTube yet, precisely because of the diverging voices I’m still able to see there. I think it would tip if they actually removed the channels I watch, instead of merely demonetizing/removing individual videos. I’ll probably get the subscription. YouTube is still making money on me now anyway through the commercials.
I think my primary issue is that alternative sources are just not yet feasible. Dave Rubin has started Locals, but like Substack, I believe you have to pay for each channel you watch and that adds up. If Substack had a flat monthly fee where you could read everybody, I’d sign up in a heartbeat even if it was $20 a month.
BTW, the comment about Amazon being as evil as YouTube was not a rationalization, but me highlighting my own hypocrisy. If I won’t support YouTube, I shouldn’t support Amazon. But I can’t live without Amazon (at least, not yet) so I have to live with the dissonance instead.
I haven’t gotten there, either. I saw the Amazon sentence and thought of the rationalization on the list, “There are worse things”. I probably misread your intent with that statement. It happens with me sometimes. 🙂
No worries — my brother is always telling me I’m confusing, so we can chalk it up to that! 🙂
You don’t need to pay to sign up for Locals, though some content is for subscribers only.
Oooh, thanks for letting me know!
That scene from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” is just so damned funny. The command to “run away” is such a great goof on the French military term “retreat.” The constant, ridiculous but superior animosity exhibited by the French (“I fart in your general direction.” “Your mother smells of elderberry.”) and the underlying Limey contempt for the French running throughout the movie and makes it as funny and preposterous as it is true to life.
Tim Levier found this.
Read it. It’s a Twitter thread of the Decade.