Normal Times on the Internet (feat. Nadim of 99 Zu Eins)

·1 hr 4 min·5 clips

A top German Twitch streamer faced thousands of hate comments after calling Gaza a genocide.

The episode opens with hosts Ciaran, Nick, and Uma welcoming Nadim from the German political show 99 Zu Eins. Nadim describes a recent incident where a major German Twitch streamer, Shouyoka (Pia Scholz), faced an overwhelming backlash after taking a pro-Palestine stance, calling Gaza a genocide. Her announcement post attracted thousands of hate comments, which Nadim's show decided to engage with directly rather than ignore. The hosts discuss the character of this mob, noting they lack any coherent knowledge about Israel-Palestine, unlike typical pro-Zionist commentators in Germany who at least engage with facts. Nadim explains that the mob's motivation isn't ideological but stems from a desire for community, power, and moral policing, often driven by misogyny. They compare this to online phenomena like Andrew Tate's followers and the manosphere, highlighting how technology amplifies such bullying. The conversation delves into how these groups transition into a fascist dynamic, taking the law into their own hands when courts don't align with their moral outrage. Examples include the streamer Drachenlord, who was driven to need police protection. The hosts also touch on parallels with Zionist online campaigns, noting both use exhaustion as a tactic to silence critics. Nadim contrasts this online toxicity with offline German public opinion, suggesting most people are appalled by Gaza but scared to speak. The episode concludes with a discussion of media pressures, where Israeli embassies allegedly pressure German outlets to suppress pro-Palestine voices, and Nadim promotes his show's English content for broader reach.

As heard by us

A sharp move from online Israel-Palestine fights into arguments over Antifa, law, and direct action.

The episode brings Ciaran, Nick, Uma, and Nadim from 99 Zu Eins into a brisk exchange that starts with the uglier side of online backlash around Israel-Palestine before turning to German arguments over Antifa, direct action, and what it means to say the state is not doing its…

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Why you'd press play

For when a harmless show post turns into a heated German politics pile-on.

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