Sargon of Akkad - Carl Benjamin - Perfect is the Enemy of Good

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Jan. 20, 2016 - Sargon of Akkad - Carl Benjamin

20:52

Perfect is the Enemy of Good

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	Hello, I thought I would make a quick video to try and explain my position regarding the preface to the video, The Aftermath of the Cologne Attacks.
	There have been a small group of people who have taken significant offense to this, and I really want to explain why this preface was there.
	For anyone who's not aware, I basically said, please don't post anything that could be construed as hate speech, as this is a particularly sensitive subject, and I will have to ban you.
	And I stand by that, and I'm going to explain why.
	Now, I'm going to begin this with a quote from Voltaire, which is, the perfect is the enemy of the good.
	And it's really important that you guys, not everyone, obviously, just the people who are protesting this very vocally and screaming, unsubbed, unsubbed, as if that's supposed to change my mind.
	It's not going to.
	And I'll again explain.
	You are never going to get the perfect embodiment of your principles displayed for you.
	The best you're going to get is good.
	And that's what I'm doing.
	Or at least what I think I'm doing, is good.
	If you had watched the video before spanking out, you would have got to the point where I pointed out that Google and YouTube and Facebook and Twitter are censoring discussion of what happened in Cologne under the guise of hate speech.
	They are actively doing this.
	As you can see, you're watching this on YouTube, a property of Google.
	Therefore, I have to be at least vaguely aware of the fact that this is happening and I have to try and cover myself.
	It's not just political either.
	I mean, I would rather not have people post full poll rants in my comments saying, well, you know, the mud slimes are evil or whatever.
	It's not conducive to any kind of debate.
	It doesn't add anything.
	All it is is you venting your frustrations because you don't like these people.
	You can go to 4 channel for that.
	You can go to 8 channel for that.
	My YouTube channel isn't the place for that at all in general.
	Normally, I wouldn't make a big deal out of it.
	But, like I said, there has been active censorship of this kind of thing.
	And it's not just this kind of thing either.
	YouTube is generally, they're under a lot of pressure from SJWs.
	They have been for quite a while.
	They are honestly going quite strict with this kind of thing.
	I mean, the recent kerfuffle with I Hate Everything's YouTube channel is a wake-up call.
	Okay, it's something we have to be careful of.
	Now, again, is it good?
	Is it perfect?
	No, I don't want to have to do that.
	I really don't.
	But I've got to do it for a few reasons.
	First being, I don't want to get my channel shut down.
	It is my job.
	And without it, that video couldn't have been made.
	Without that being my job, that video couldn't have been made.
	It took 16 hours to make that video.
	To read through the hundred or so articles, however many it was, I didn't even count.
	But read through all of those articles, find all of the sources, make sure they're pertinent, fact check them as best I can, then arrange them into the video and then record the video.
	It's literally three days or two days worth of work.
	It's a lot of, I couldn't do that if I also had to have another job.
	This is a full-time job.
	I spend a ridiculous amount of time working on these things.
	So you guys can at least have this information presented to you by someone who isn't interested in lying to you.
	Okay?
	By someone who is actually not interested in censoring these things.
	But I am not in control of the system.
	I am not the supreme lord of fucking Google.
	I do not get to decide what gets censored and what doesn't.
	So I have to be careful.
	To be good, I cannot be perfect.
	And I really hope people understand that.
	Honestly, I'll go through some of the comments.
	So, you can see exactly the sort of thing that people who clearly don't understand are saying.
	So, just to put this all in perspective, because seriously, I can't believe the reaction that some people have had to what is clearly me covering myself.
	I don't think I actually banned anyone for any kind of hate speech or anything that might be construed as hate speech because nobody did anything that.
	And I'm really pleased that that wasn't something that came up.
	But listen, right.
	I mean, okay, I'll go through some of these things, right?
	The first thing was: someone said, Oh my god, this channel is now worthless because I couldn't, I don't have the luxury of permitting you to say that how much you hate Muslims or whatever it is you wanted to do, right?
	That's a ridiculous position.
	Honestly, if that's how you feel, then I'm sorry, I've got I can't do anything for you.
	There's nothing I can do to suggest that anyone should be absolutely adherent to principles is ridiculous.
	You can't do anything in the real world if you're going to take this position.
	And unfortunately, I actually want to change minds.
	I want to tell people what has actually happened, and I want to be able to do this.
	And if I don't, I have to play by some rules as well.
	It's not something I want.
	If it was my choice, if I had the option, you wouldn't have this restriction.
	It wouldn't be something I would even have to bring up.
	But unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect system, and I'm trying to do something good with what we have.
	So, treating me as if I am the man and railing against me, go ahead.
	You know, you can say, Oh my god, you know, censorship, censorship, censorship.
	But at the end of the day, right, that is not actually censorship.
	I'm not preventing you from expressing your opinions unless your opinions are literally just how much you hate Muslims, how much you hate a group of people.
	If that's your opinion, then I'm sorry, I can't.
	This isn't the place for that discussion.
	If you want to have a reasoned discussion that doesn't involve you doing something that might be construed as hate speech, then go ahead.
	Your comments are still there.
	I mean, your comments against me are still there.
	If I was so busy censoring everyone, why are all of your agitation against me still in the comments?
	Why would they why wouldn't I remove that if I'm just trying to censor you?
	If that's okay, why wouldn't I?
	I mean, look at I'll go through some of these comments because these are some of these are just absurd, right?
	Do you really think that Sargon is unable to be flipped?
	I can spend 50k on a weekend that would blow in his mind.
	Convince him that the greater good is in line with his views,
	then use him to subvert us all.
	Go ahead and watch.
	Do you honestly think you could flip my views and say, you know, actually, I do think that everything should be censored.
	I don't think that we should be able to say anything that isn't SJW approved.
	Do you think you could make me think that?
	I will pay you to try and convince me of that.
	How's that?
	You know, you don't even have to spend any money.
	I want to hear your argument for this.
	You could not spend any amount of money to make me agree with these things.
	What you've said that is absurd.
	It's ridiculous, and it's never going to happen.
	I am funded entirely by you, my audience, entirely.
	I don't take ad revenue from corporations.
	I'm not part of a network.
	I am a completely independent actor on YouTube.
	And it's because of my audience that this allows me to this to happen.
	But there are still things that I have to do.
	I have to be careful.
	I don't have lawyers.
	I don't have any backup.
	I don't have any.
	So I have to be careful.
	I mean, if you don't understand that, that is you that has the problem if you don't understand that.
	You know, you must.
	Honestly, it's absurd.
	And I love this as well, right?
	Oh, I threaten to ban people.
	That's very different from asking, yeah, I'm threatening you.
	If you post the sort of shit that will get my channel regarded as a place that hate is brewed on a subject that is being actively censored, I will ban you.
	I'll do it twice if that helps.
	You can get offended by that, but that's what's going to happen.
	This isn't your channel, it's my channel, and I have to moderate it.
	Okay, I have to make sure that I can't be accused of incitement to hate or anything like this.
	And all of this is so we can have an actual honest conversation about the genuine events that have happened that are being censored.
	You understand there's cover-up, right?
	You understand there's a cover-up.
	You understand that social media is engaged in it.
	You understand that I'm not in control of YouTube, right?
	I mean, you must.
	I'm sorry for people who are completely like, well, I don't get any of this.
	This is nothing to do with me.
	You're right, it's not.
	And I'm not trying to belittle anyone or anything like that.
	It's really hard not to sound patronizing, but my God, this is such a stupid thing to say.
	To get up and I was like, don't be offensive because I can't fucking say how much I hate music, man.
	Go on 4chan.
	Go on fucking 4chan.
	Seriously, right?
	And you literally sound like an SJW right now.
	Okay, well, then you don't really have much experience with SJWs, do you?
	Think this through, Sargon.
	It's not too late to admit you made a mistake.
	Unfortunately, I haven't made a mistake.
	This isn't the first time I've said, look, you're going to have to keep the discussion within a certain realms of decency on this subject.
	And the rule only applies to that video, because that's the video, oh, well, and other videos dealing with the cologne attacks, or whenever I'm dealing with a particularly sensitive subject that is possibly going to fall within the purview of things that have to be censored.
	On other videos, I haven't said anything like that.
	Unless you truly believe that a censored discussion is actually good.
	I'm not censoring you.
	You understand, I'm not censoring you.
	You can give any political viewpoint you like, even against me, and I'm going to let it stand.
	Like I already have.
	All I'm saying is don't post hateful bullshit because it doesn't help anyone.
	It doesn't help me.
	It doesn't help anyone.
	Like, it doesn't change any minds.
	All it does is make you feel better behind your keyboard.
	Go on 4chan.
	That's what it's for.
	Okay, that's what that's for.
	Go there.
	Sargon will have to do a video explaining exactly how he's not a sellout.
	That ought to be entertaining.
	Well, I just have.
	I'm entirely funded by my audience.
	Unfortunately, I have to use a platform to be able to produce these videos and to be able to project them into the wider world.
	And that's what I'm not under control of.
	If I was getting corporate backing, if I was getting anything like that, then yeah, I'm a sellout.
	But yeah, a single man as an entrepreneur, I don't think you can really call that selling out.
	I mean, I'm sure you probably could miss the comment, but I'm pretty sure anyone reasonable would be like, why is he even responding to this?
	But I really think this is worth addressing.
	So, I mean, this just gets better.
	This is my favourite one.
	All the more reason for his supporters to get rife with anger.
	The best thing to happen to the anti-SJW situation is to have a martyr with many followers.
	250,000 is sizable.
	There would be a lot of complaints and hundreds of videos made exposing it for what it is.
	I don't care.
	If you want to do that, you build your channel, you martyr yourself.
	Okay?
	I don't think me martyring myself is really going to do anything in the grand scheme of things.
	I don't think 250,000 is as many as you think.
	Okay?
	I think I can do a lot more damage to the SJWs by continuing on a level-headed discussion of actual things that have happened and have been censored or attempted to be censored by the social justice or politically correct media.
	And I think over a long period of time, that will do a lot more damage to them than just one, oh, I lost a big channel.
	That's great.
	I mean, it's good for the anti-SJW movement.
	You do that if that's what you want.
	For Christ's sakes, ridiculous point of view.
	And then this, he's caving to fear, peer pressure, to economic pressure.
	What do you work for free, comrade?
	Do you work for free?
	Do you?
	Well, it must be nice.
	It must be nice to have that flexibility.
	Unfortunately, I have to work for a living.
	And I do require a living at the end of it.
	So yes, unfortunately, there are certain things that I have to play ball with.
	One of them is not getting my channel stamped on by Google because someone, or not even just someone, it's not just one person, but a bunch of people said some nasty shit in the comments.
	And it's not just that.
	By the fact that I've said, look, don't do this or I will have to take action.
	Hey, no one's done it, so I haven't had to take action.
	But it means I can defend myself from accusations of incitement in the future.
	Do you understand?
	I have to do that.
	It's not peer pressure, you idiot.
	It's just being a professional about this.
	It's being sensible and sane and rational.
	Instead of sticking up for freedom of speech, and this is the fundamental crux of the argument.
	I am somehow betraying freedom of speech.
	No.
	You are expecting me to adhere to principles so rigidly and to be so perfect about it as to not be in touch with reality.
	This is unrealistic.
	These are not standards you would set for yourself if your job was on the line.
	You just went, well, okay, I'm just going to have to deal with it.
	And you wouldn't do that.
	You wouldn't be like, well, I'm just going to, I'm just going to throw away everything I've been building for the last two years because these guys wanted me to say something that wasn't actually censorship, but like something was just not a contribution to the discussion, just something hate-filled because I was angry at the time.
	That's all I'm asking.
	That's all I'm asking.
	You can make any political statements you want in the comments.
	You can make any arguments you want.
	All I'm saying is don't do something that's going to be considered to be hate speech.
	It's not even like, I'm not even saying like, don't criticize people.
	Criticize anything you want.
	Just don't go on a fucking tirade of bullshit.
	For Christ's sake, is that so hard to understand?
	And this is another good one.
	A censored conversation is no conversation at all.
	Words matter.
	And watering down language and sugarcoating facts until the words have no meaning anymore is pointless.
	You have taken the first step to do just that.
	No, you fool.
	That's not what I'm doing.
	You can say what you want in regards to the cologne attacks.
	You can do what you want, except for incite hatred.
	That's it.
	I mean, it's probably illegal in the country you're in anyway, unless it's in America, which lucky for you, it's not.
	But unfortunately, in other countries, these things are illegal.
	This is beyond my fucking control, man.
	All right?
	This is not the first step.
	It's not the slippery slope.
	This is just me saying, look, we just have to be careful so we can discuss this honestly.
	Because if I don't do this and I do end up getting shut down, we lose a particularly good avenue, I think, of being able to have decent conversations on this.
	This is important information.
	And you are actually willing to risk this for your own fucking like little woody for perfect fucking the divine immaculate conception of principles.
	You should read a Linsky.
	I know you're going to go, oh my kiddie, Mr. Linsky.
	But seriously, you shouldn't.
	He was a sensible, intelligent man.
	He knew the game.
	And this is what we are playing together.
	You're going to have to learn it as well.
	Get used to it for the love of God.
	Conversation at child level is a woman's idea of responsibility, really.
	And you've just agreed with them.
	Putting sensitivity and taking offense above truth and facts.
	Have I in any way, in any way, compromised the truth or the facts of what I put in the video?
	If I didn't, which I know I didn't, then you're talking shit, aren't you, mate?
	I don't know even why you say you're not even talking about what I was talking about at this point.
	Now, you are going off on this ridiculous and probably your own ideological fucking journey here.
	But I don't know why you're bringing this up.
	This is not relevant to what I have asked of you.
	If you want to talk about truth and facts, you go ahead.
	Do it.
	I want truth and facts in my video.
	I don't want a bunch of angry twats being angry twats.
	That's not helpful.
	It's just going to cause trouble in the long run.
	You have made your decision, and I have made mine.
	This is someone who says, unsubbed.
	If you feel justified in censoring people, then you are lost and your discussions hold no value.
	Well, I guess you'll have to get that sort of information elsewhere, but I'm sure there are plenty of outlets that are doing that.
	I'm sure that there aren't outlets that, you know, aren't censoring themselves like I am and making sure you don't get the full information.
	But anyway, I'm sorry I sound like a twat like this, right?
	It's really, really hard to, like, just like not be a twat about this.
	It's really difficult.
	I swear to God, it's like you don't even seem to understand what you're saying.
	You know, you don't seem to understand what I'm saying.
	You don't seem to understand why I'm saying it.
	You're like getting this fucking autistic bent about like your freedom of speech.
	I'm not compromising your freedom of speech.
	I'm in no way doing it.
	Even if I were to turn off the comments from my channel, you can still create your own channel and talk about it there.
	All I'm saying is it's my space and I'm not prepared to risk it for you being able to shout things.
	No, fucking shut up, phone.
	You know, and I can't believe I'm even having to make this video.
	This seems like I can't believe you think it's unreasonable that I should be like, look, just don't like do anything that's going to risk our ability to have this conversation because it is important.
	It is more important than your little argument about, oh, well, I'm my perfect free speech.
	Well, I'm sorry, it's not perfect.
	It's not perfect, but it's good enough.
	I don't like it either, but it's good enough to have the important conversation that needs to be had to hold the people who need to be held to account to account.
	You can rail at me if all you want.
	I'm not going to, I haven't removed any of those comments.
	They're all there.
	You can, oh, you're a hypocrite, you've sold out.
	You can say any of these things and go ahead.
	They're not true.
	So you can say what you like.
	I've done all I can do on the issue and I've worked as hard as I can to present the facts as honestly and accurately as I can.
	And it's not something I'm going to change.
	I'm going to carry on doing that.
	And when a particularly sensitive subject comes up, and it is in the current political climate that we're in, where Google and YouTube are censoring things, I will have to ask you, may threaten you.
	If you are going to go full poll in my comments, I'll have to ban you.
	Don't want to, but it's got to be done.
	And I'm sure that people will understand that.
	And sorry about my phone.
	And I'm sorry that I've had to have this conversation.
	You know, this video.
	You know, I didn't want to have to.
	I can't believe you guys didn't see that as me protecting myself.
	I'm honestly shocked you didn't see it that way.
	But okay, I mean, maybe you are the sort of person who would genuinely just go and post those things.
	I don't know.
	But I have got no doubt that the intelligent, rational people who actually want to have a sensible, honest conversation about what happened in Cologne without it being falsified or covered up or lied about, I'm sure that they have got no problem going.
	Well, obviously, this is a non-issue.
	But it's an issue to me because I'm annoyed about these things.
	And I, again, I probably shouldn't even have gone this far.
	But you know what?
	It's fine.
	This is my opinion on this.
	And I think it's justified.
	And if you think it's unjustified, then unsubscribe.
	I can't stop you.
	And I'd rather you go and find a channel that you could feel good about if my requirements are too stringent for you.

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