An Anarchist Watches The West Wing | Renegade Cut
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 พ.ย. 2021
- The West Wing is bad and wrong, sorry. Support Renegade Cut through Patreon: / renegadecut
#thewestwing #biden
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READING:
oxford.universitypressscholar...
wwnorton.com/books/The-Art-of...
www.vox.com/policy-and-politi...
www.vulture.com/2014/07/stay-...
/ after-what-happened-in...
/ why-does-the-president...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/arc...
theintercept.com/2019/02/09/o...
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I can't remember who said it, but a quote that stuck with me is, "Conspiracy theories would have you believe that the world is secretly run by a bunch of evil people, rather than reality where the world is openly run by a bunch of evil people."
Exactly, people are scared of the Rothschild Family because they supposedly control all the wealth in the world, when in reality it's a company named Blackrock which controls all the wealth in the world and nobody gives a damn about Blackrock.
I really don't find South Park that intelligent but the 9/11 truthers episode is frighteningly accurate.
@@tanjimpurno2560 the Rothschilds even stopped doing the banking many years ago, decided they got enough money and started doing charity work full time instead.
Also they supported loads of settlements in Israel before it was established, BUT, they also made sure all the stuff they funded worked ALONGSIDE the local Arabs, they followed the original ideal of Zionism of co-habitation at peace.
Funny how many people forget that the early Israeli settlements and governments were super socialists and communist :/ (untill 1977 at least, and sure, the Likud governments did so many war crimes and racism, but that was after 1977, and the last left wing leader in Israel left in 2000)
Similar to ho conspiracy theorists think elites want to control you, when the reality is we’re all doing exactly what they want already. “Labor for us, we’ll keep 99 percent of the value up front, then recapture the other 1% on the back end” what more could they want? That’s literally everything.
"I'm not paranoid if everyone really is out to get me."
Sure he murdered someone extrajudicially, but it clearly ate him up inside!
Didn't watch any of it, but I've heard that was part of the depiction of Thanos in the MCU. Sure, he wants to wipe out half the sapient population of the universe, but he feels *really bad* about it.
He's been blasting Evanescence on loop for a week, clearly he's suffering the most.
@@TheBronzeDog Sort of? Except, y'know, Thanos was the villain.
Funny how feeling guilty for something absolves you of being guilty for something. Mind you, I'm for restorative justice, but restorative justice requires restorative action, not complicity in injustice.
@@TheBronzeDog Not sure that comparison is apt. Thanos didn’t feel bad about it - he felt it was the right thing to do and was motivated by what he believed to be pure intentions. He took no joy in most of the violence or cruelty, which is where he and Bartlet overlap, but Bartlet was conflicted, and wasn’t 100% sure it was the right thing to do but rather the lesser of two evils, and did feel guilty.
it is fairly trivial to show that "one person one vote" and "vote with your dollars" are fundamentally incompatible .
Yeah it falls apart instantly. Money allowing for voting power, even indirectly, horrendously violates first principle.
Citizens United v US is the biggest disappointment of my lifetime. It gave corporations the same weight as a citizen - legalizing money as a way to participate in politics. It is incredibly sad. But sadder than that may be our electoral system in which the places with the largest populations are given unequal weight to the places with small populations. Just review the popular vote versus the electoral vote for the past decade and the discrepancy will be apparent.
@@christian2i "Cultural Marxists" :))) what a dog whistle huh?
When we vote with our dollars, people with more dollars get more votes.
But what is the solution? How does a campaign run without money?
The amount of sophisticated propaganda Americans are subjected to is mind blowing.
As a non American i would say: The amount of blunt propaganda is also mind blowing... (NOT to say we Europeans are BETTER just DIFFERENT)
... yeah. We are. It's depressing.
I feel the need to say, no one is immune to propaganda, but also, no one is not subjected to propaganda.
I'm sure your home country has little systems and mirrors for the system of the States.
@@thatdudeoverthere2188 north Korea would love that
@@christian2i Did you hust use Kek?
To be fair, "Spring Break for Anarchists" would be a great band and/or album name.
On it
@@Julianna.Domina need a drummer?
I think it's most telling that in that famously shared scene where the guy from the West Wing berates a homophobic reporter and chides her with the Bible verses and stuff, later on in that episode they decide to scrap the LGBT-favored section of a bill because it "went too far."
And that they never show that bit in the clips always shared online
Oh wow I didn't even remember that.
So basically, the homophobic reporter got what she wanted. She won.
The homophobia is really weird too, because the capitalist overlords should be pretty much neutral on whether gay people are oppressed or not, as long as there's money to be made. But as it turns out, people pay out of their ass for weddings, baby showers, baby clothing, toys etc., so that should be a business opportunity, right? Oh, wait. They're not about freedom as such, but the freedom of the rich. And if the rich people happen to be bigots, then liberty is really just re-branded privilege... Which actually explains why right-wingers like to talk about liberty and freedom. They don't care about anybody else's, as long as they have theirs.
@@GuerillaBunny Not to mention capitalists benefit from dividing the working class before they can form class solidarity.
"I'd hate to see what the conservative show was doing."
Me side-eyeing 24, which was blatantly and openly justifying torture around this time: "Yeah..."
Hey now they kidnapped his daughter like 10 times in the same 24 hours, also his wife fell and bonked her head and got amnesia! And there was a nuclear bomb about to go off or something!! And there's a mole on the inside working for the other side! Man that show was unhinged
The way the party treated India Walton was absolutely unconscionable. If you want the left wing of the party to abide by the vote blue no matter who doctrine, then the same should hold true when one of our candidates wins the primary. Waging a write-in campaign just displays a pathological level of contempt for the rules of reciprocity.
"What series is the most American of all?"
The Sopranos - There's nothing really desirable in it. Everyone is basically petty, small-minded, and violent when they can't figure anything out; which is more often than would be desirable. The entire basis of the Sopranos family is just a top down black market Capitalist structure. Everyone outside of the Family is superfluous and unimportant, so much so that their deaths are punchlines. Everyone is money-grubbing and is self-consciously miserable but puts on a front of competency. The main character is a villain at bottom and has few actual redeeming qualities if any. It isn't idealized like The Godfather, it's an ugly world, populated by many ugly protagonists, and no one with a conscience would really care if any of these people died; and for good reason. Also, the Sopranos, as an organization, is clearly in a slow state of decline and power loss; and the characters know it.
The Wire. Not least of which is that it represents America more thoroughly, and not just the Italian American experience.
@@MXM194 I'm using the "Sopranos" as actual stand-ins for America and its leadership.
@@MXM194 was looking for this answer
@@noheroespublishing1907 If you're using the Sopranos to represent America then it fits, but as you say there's little depth given to those outside the family; the UK, Saudi Arabia etc are not as morally neutral as those characters in the show.
The Wire shows you the long term effects that institutions have on individuals as they try to effect change, and that the institutions have in interacting with each other ignoring the consequences to other people outside it. These are the logics of capitalism as we experience it now, and I wish David Simon would see it.
I love sopranos. The greatest show of all time.
"The point is that sexual revolution tends to get in the way of actual revolution." Not just a poor argument, but a disingenuous one. The characters here have no interest in 'actual revolution' to begin with. It's reminiscent of conservative arguments against gender equality through appeal to other parts of the world where gender inequality is even more severe.
It's either "the leader," or "the free world." You can't have both.
Democratic Party: "Lower your expectations, lower your expectations."
Bitch, if I have to keep lowering my expectations any further Republicans will start meeting them.
I do believe that's the end goal.
That's a clever rebuttal actually.
You know, enemies often start to look alike. Like the US and North Korea: lots of hungry people because of an idiot ideology, lots of propaganda (say a slightly leftish thing and the Pavlov dogs go: "Communism never worked!") and many slaves in prison working for either state or corporations. I bet there's more to find.
And that’s how the Republican Party gets votes tbh. Aside from the folks who are just really passionate about the culture war stuff, folks see that at least the Republicans can actually do some the stuff they say they will, they can cut taxes and make the line of the graph go up. Now sure, the average life of the worker only gets worse, but at least the people can feel like they actually have a victory. As Sorkin himself would later write in the Newsroom, “if liberals are so fucking smart, then why do they lose so god damn always?”
@@13Psycho13 indeed! And something for folks to think on!!!
The most American show for me would be *'Scared Straight'* and *'Undercover Boss'* bough are 'reality' TV shows, one is about how nice rich people are, and the other is about how individuals are responsible for their own wellbeing even since the age of 12.
Good choices, but the most American reality show is definitely Walker: Texas Ranger.
@@psy2mentor that show was bonkers, native Americans still riding horses in the 21st century, ninja attacking small towns, and ghost! The writers must of been smoking some shrooms
The most american show ever is Kitchen Nightmares, where a rich guy screams at and humiliates broke people
I think the most American Show is Full House tbh. They have a big ass house and show a cute funny family and has (mostly) good life lessons. Like telling an adult if you know someone is being abused.
@@falcon_arkaig idk bout you but i dont think cute, funny, or good life lessons when i think of America
And Then Everybody Clapped: The Show
Pretty much, yeah.
The fact that the writers named a Muslim Arab nation "Kumar" tells you all you need to know about the West Wing. "Kumar" comes from Sanskrit, not Arabic.
"Hard 'K' and hard 'R'? Must be a middle eastern country" - - The West Wing staff probably
@@PutXi_Whipped Transliteration into English doesn't impact which language it originates from.
From what I remember watching West Wing years ago, they showed a "map" of Qumar for a brief moment and it was located basically in Beluchistan region of Iran. AFAIK Beluchis speak an indo-iranian langauge, so not that much different from Sanskrit.
Kumar / Qumar is like a name a racist white person would throw at a brown guy rather than asking for their name.
@@khazermashkes2316 Are you trying to tell me there are languages out there that don't use American letters? Bomb them! Bomb them all!
A less sympathetic observer might also see incrementalism as allowing one party to go through the motions of appearing to try to do something about an issue while still guaranteeing that the process for the other side of rolling it back remains quick and cheap and easy.
Indeed. Also known as the ratchet effect 😭
this, exactly.
Damn I was editing and about to sleep, but a 52 minute Renegade Cut video?
Another hour couldn't hurt right?
Hurrah for sleeping weird hours! \0/
Hiii
I first truly questioned 'American ideals' when we invaded Iraq and Afghanistan, knowing that these wars had nothing to do with 'terrorism' or 'freedom' - it was about resources and a Middle East 'presence', as the events of 9/11 were criminal actions - neither of these countries having declaring war on us. I started researching our involvement in countries from SE Asia, to Central and South America, and it became obvious to me, at least, that what we were doing was attempting to establish a hegemony - not to spread democracy or self-rule. Then, there was the Katrina disaster. What law enforcement existed, the media, and even some in the midst of the disaster, seemed far more offended by some guy stealing a TV from a Target, than with the fact there were people in attics and on roofs - or floating dead in the water. A TV? Seriously - property is more important than human life? Even with the hope inspired by Obama's election because a sore disappointment. I realized then, that the Democrats weren't that much different than the GOP - they just say 'nicer' things, occasionally passing decent legislation, but who bring pillows to every fight. They're just as 'corporate' as the GOP. There is no 'left' in political leadership. So, I'm done with capitalism, and with liberalism, for good. As for 'The West Wing'; screw that. Liberal/neoliberal apologetics.
Beautifully put. I hope one day we can live under a better system. I would like to see it within my lifetime but who knows. Thank you for your comment it definitely resonated with me.
I don't know enough about capitalism or the alternatives to comment on that, but I just want to remark that there are decent alternatives in terms of nations that practice a capitalist system. Think of countries with multi-party systems and a stronger adherence to (democratic-)socialism for example.
I saw an interview with Aaron Sorkin's, he was absolutely flabbergasted that people of color were less likely to get their scripts looked at. He said he thought all that mattered was if the writing was good. I think this was about 5 years ago. But he was open to learning more, he said. So...
He's like if there was an effort made to grow the absolute platonic ideal of a clueless liberal in a lab.
I would love to hear this kind of breakdown of NYPD Blue. I grew up with that show on all the time at my house and it feels like a nightmare these days.
@@PutXi_Whipped skip intro’s copaganda series is fantastic
@@PutXi_Whipped Definitely check it out!
From watching reruns of Law and Order/Criminal Intent/SVU, I'd like to know if there are any breakdowns on those as well.
@@MattEldritchHorrorthere wasn't when you wrote this comment but he's got 2 on law and order now. And based on those, i think Vile Eye needs to do an "analyzing evil" video on dick wolf
I've seen so many people cite The West Wing as a personal and even political influence on them, it really makes me wonder how much of the show was based on the reality of the Democratic Party and how much the show influenced the Democratic Party and the direction it would take. Maybe both things are true and its a sort of simultaneous feedback loop.
There’s a passage in Dan Pfeiffer’s book about working in the Obama White House where he describes people saying “this is the room where this West Wing character would have worked” and dumb ish like that.
These guys were in the actual WH with the actual power of the office and attempting to cram their square peg reality into this round fictional brain slot. Just dismal. They started out in a vice of their own and Sorkin’s making.
@@emmy8526 That's just embarrassing. These people effectively ruled the world and their imaginations couldn't extend passed an old TV show.
That explains a lot of things, like Obamacare for example.
@@Xondar11223344 Not enough materialism in your analysis as to how we got Obamacare.
@@Xondar11223344 A lot of common people imagine that the powerful are smarter or deeper than they are. The only thing you can actually count on is that they are more power hungry.
I keep finding myself agreeing with you. This one is particularly hard for me since The West Wing was my gateway drug out of my Conservative, Republican, Baptist upbringing. I agree it's problematic, but if not for it I'd probably still be a younger version of my father thinking the "liberals" want to destroy America or whatever.
First time I've heard anyone point out AOC has been threatened with redistricting. Idk why I never even thought about that
same
Its how they got rid of Kucinich, the progressive holdout in the 90's...
I know a show is a joke whenever a it presents viewing "both sides" as valued wisdom.
Me at the beginning of this video: "Ah yes, I remember watching two or three episodes of this show as a 10 year old with an interest in civics. I know it won't gel with my adult leftist values, but how bad could it be?"
And five minutes later, the show is telling us that the US assassinating foreign leaders is A-OK. Jesus Christ.
I'm... Late to the party realizing Renegade Cut has been an anarchist this whole time, aren't I?
You couldn't tell from my videos about abolishing the police, abolishing borders, abolishing capitalism and at least one that ends "Anyway, I'm an anarchist now."?
@@renegadecut9875 Fair point! I knew you some kinda Leftist. Lol
@@renegadecut9875 don't forget a video entitled "No More Presidents"
I think he announced that aspect of himself in the episode about Black sitcoms.
Sometimes things don’t click even when they are obvious. Happens to me all the time
I'm not american and solidly dem socialist so watching this show was a fascinating insight into centrism and a "benevolent" empire, I knew france and england's colonial history but the contemporary sugarcoating has not aged well and is fully transparent whereas the west wing is much more subtle and better at re-framing the harm, re-directing the questions and it was a trip to then hear TWW in the words of our local EU centrists.
I had a poly sci teaacher who literally used westwing as lessions, multiple lessons were just watching and praising the show as an "accurate view of politics"
I’m sorry to hear that. Mine was a Viatnam war vet who did Union sit ins in his factory and showed us documentaries about Patrice Lamumba and the Iran Coup
The part about “serving at the President’s pleasure” made me shudder - here in the UK do you know who is said be serving at Her Majesty’s pleasure? Prison inmates!
In the UK (and Canada, New Zealand, and Australia) cabinet ministers actually do serve "at Her Majesty's pleasure," it's just that Her Majesty's chief advisor is the prime minster, so technically they "serve at the prime minister's pleasure," which adds an extra layer between the queen and those who serve at her pleasure. There's an even extra layer with the governors-general of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. And, unlike the US, cabinet ministers in the Westminster system are all elected representatives.
Which is another reason why Westminster parliamentary democracy will always be superior to the American republican system.
Also, it's way more comfortable when "at x's pleasure" refers to a ceremonial entity who exists more as a moral beacon, than when such an entity has actual executive power.
(The monarch of the UK, as well as constitutional monarchs elsewhere, usually do have certain powers and rights, but excercising them would welcome a constitutional crisis, social unrest, and probably the end of said monarch if not the monarchy as a whole. So they don't.)
@@Xondar11223344 Nah parliamentary democracy is just as bad, arguably much worse, than American presidentialism.
Hearing Biden and Pelosi talk about "needing a strong Republican party" is sickening (though not surprising). But it should clearly display whose side they're on at the end of the day.
king. it’s so refreshing and hope inspiring to hear actual leftism expressed. this country is so centrist it hurts
Centrist? To me, from Europe is soo far right wing that it meets the opposition from the other side. You know, enemies often start to look alike. Like the US and North Korea: lots of hungry people because of an idiot ideology, lots of propaganda (say a slightly leftish thing and the Pavlov dogs go: "Communism never worked!") and many slaves in prison working for either state or corporations. I bet there's way more to find.
I never liked the series. It just seemed... wrong? Like... incongruous between what they "believed" and what they did, and _said._ And their discussions were just... they rubbed me the wrong way. A proper adult now, I've been looking within & around for answers on the topics you bring up, and why I couldn't jibe with the series, you put it so clearly. I don't know how I never saw that before. ...In my defence, I never _followed_ it (like watching full, consecutive episodes). They were just ..."bad", I still stand by that. Thanks for putting it in such an eloquent way, as to truly elucidate the bigger issues. (It's about more than a TV show, after all.) As ever.
I've never watched the West Wing, but this looks like it was designed in a lab to be the most infuriating thing you could possibly watch.
The happiest ending this show could've gotten was the one from Doctor Strangelove.
It's actually a very good series in many respects and does allow you to appreciate a lot of the complexities of the US political system. It's well written and very clever. However it is a liberal fever dream as the video notes and glorifies a system that doesn't want to change anything.
It has good writing for the first 4 seasons but if you’re smart enough the shitty political undertones of the show are glaringly obvious
It was made in a lab. It's pure propaganda, probably got funded by the CIA, let alone 'advised'. Just consider this was the time when thinktanks would start to put psychologist, social scientists, marketeers and neuroscientists together in one room, to influence opinions.
It was a neoliberal wet dream which can be summed up as "what if the Clintons were wholesome and bookish?"
As a high school and college student while it originally aired, of course I loved it. Then I grew up. I don't hate it but it is certainly not inspirational as it was at the time.
"We can sabotage the machine" reminds me of a line in one of my favourite old german worker/union songs: "Alle Räder stehen still wenn dein starker Arm es will!" roughly; All wheels/machines stand still if your strong arm wants it.
I just want to add two things: the extreme ignoring of race in the show and foreign policy. Two quick examples:
After the shooting at the Bartlet convoy a troubled and anguished Toby Zeigler sits with Prez. Bartlet and asks: "Why does it feel like this?" to which the president answers: "Because they tried to lynch him [Charlie]. Can you believe that, they tried to lynch him in front of us." Meanwhile Charlie is literally outside the oval office! Ready to smile and open the door for Zeigler and Bartlet when they are done being sad that he was almost lynched. It shocked me upon rewatching. Just two white men being sad while the victim gets almost no screentime.
My other point is quick: when Santos wins Vinick becomes Secretary of State for him. Because the Democrat and the Republican agree on foreign policy. So... that's depressing.
Grab the Popcorn everyone this is gonna be good.
Love your icon
I remember really liking the West wing, and News Room.
That was back when I was deconstructing the conservative indoctrination I grew up with.
I wonder how I would feel about it now beyond, "It would be nice if the people in charge really were so intelligent and moral." I am certain I would disagree with most of their beliefs, but it would be honest and based in data and experience vs... well the reality of our situation.
You know? Like how the politics of the Harry Potter world are fucked up, but the fantasy of magic, and the world's worst bad guy being a guy who is constantly outwitted by teenagers is still a nice little fantasy.
The Democrats want a strong Republican party because a strong Republican party will reliably ensure that they "can't" help the working class. Otherwise, they would have to obstruct themselves and that makes it harder to blame "the other guy". See e.g. build back better
this is precisely how it works. The purpose of the Democratic party is to maintain the capitalist/neoliberal status quo. But maintaining status quo means doing basically nothing, and that doesn't make for a good platform. "We'll do nothing, won't solve any issues, and just make everything stay the same". That would give way to leftism very quickly. So they need a strong bad opposition to then point fingers at and say "see we can't do anything! Those bad Wepubwicans won't let us!". This two-party-but-really-just-one-party-system also has the benefit of allowing it to cut taxes for the rich/capitalists and remove regulations because, well, Repubs are the bad guys anyway right? And then Dems can try to move it back, but never back far enough. The ratchet effect
it's a pretty smart system. Capitalists love it.
For a non-American, the West Wing is a hard watch. Great writing and very engaging, but the politics presented feel almost alien (unless you are a very avid follower of American politics). America seems to have a massive blind-spot regarding social democracy. As an Australian I'd happily ignore US politics, except that because of their power they have a huge impact on the world's economy, culture and politics in general. Their conflation of totalitarian communism (i.e the Soviet Union and China) with socialism has ruined political discourse in the US.
I’m from here and there is so much brainwashing of many people against their own best interests. There’s a miasma of anti intellectualism here
Thank you RC!
The myth surrounding the United States should and must be confronted, along with national myths of any other countries, who end up doing more harm than good. Populism and nationalism, two disgusting reminders of the past, still powerful in today politics, which go hand in hand with the cultivation of egocentrism, ignorance and narrow-sightedness to perpetuate the same flaws, while yelling "this is the best we can do, no one thought of better".
If I had a living wage, I'd donate to you just to say thank you for all of the work you have done, if not for anything else
There’s no myth around the USA you’re international policy is seen as war mongering imperialism.
@@rossleeson8626 hello Ross.
What you said implies that I am an American.
Also, while many outside the US see the international policy as war-mongering imperialism, many within the US see it as a force of "good", whichever way they would define good as, which... makes it (part of) the myth, dissected in this video.
Speaking of imperialism, I myself follow and agree with RC's and others take of foreign policy as "business as usual" where the financial interests are of primacy and the engine behind the war machine in present times.
But wars were conducted as such for a very long time. We could talk about how similar the Ancient Rome model is to the US, how similar their structures are and also how similar their problems faced but that would not be of interest to anyone probably.
Anyway, hoping that I don't sound condescending, I blame these misunderstandings on language differences. I'm not a native speaker either
@@janespright erm OK. I should’ve known better than to comment on someone’s comment haha lol did you edit you’re original comment ?
@@janespright While I agree with some of your points, I contend with the point "The myth surrounding the U.S should and must be confronted, along with national myths of any other countries, who end up doing more harm than good." I would extend the debunking of those myths regardless if the good to harm ratio. In short, the myths should and must be confronted regardless of which nation and their scale of good to harm.
@@christiantabares6713 totally concur here, my addition of doing more harm than good is superfluous, even though I did not mean that to be the condition for which a myth should be confronted but as related to their functionality in society and social behaviour. The term is used pejoratively to imply stories that are widely believed although they have almost no factual basis
I’d only ever heard clips of this show on West Wing Thing and it’s surreal how in audio only, there is no indicator that Josh and Toby are different characters.
Only upon watching this video did I realize I had Leo and Toby mixed up in my mind while listening to WWT.
Just to let you know. This is the first time in months that your video has appeared in my recommendations even though I am a subscriber. I have to actively search for your channel to see your new stuff. Doesn't happen with any other channel so I assume it is because youtube isn't a fan of the content. Keep up the great work.
Yeah, that has been an issue for a while. I don't have any answers about that.
i came here to say the same thing.
Sometimes it helps to unsubscribe and subscribe again.
Americans: "We serve at the pleasure of the president"
Brazilians: *composing entire carnaval songs mocking the president's actions, ideals, name, hair and literally every cell in his body*
Well, you still got a fashist in power, so I wouldn't be too proud
That got 1/3 of the votes on second turn
It's not like he is a popular politician, the surprising thing is that the other politicians were slightly less popular than he was
"What series is the most American of all?" I'd have said the Wire.
Thanks for this vid, it's always good to have another thing to point to when some lib praises West Wing, especially since your vids are always so accessible!
God the Wire is so fucking good
The Wire is very American in so far as it depicts issues as they really are
If The West Wing is sophisticated political propaganda, then The Wire is a realistic, unvarnished take on America.
@yossarian Breaking Bad for its psychology, The Wire for its sociology
The wire is amazing and has a lot of valuable insights about American society but isn't perfect, the show assumes that "the war on drugs ruined Policing because now police can't solve murders." Several characters even state that to the audience directly in dialogue. However even if we assume that the police are solving murders there was never a point prior to the start of the war on drugs where the police worked to solve the murders of everyone equally and there never has been. Prior to the start of the war on rugs was the civil rights movement. Are we supposed to assume that the same police beating the followers of MLK and Malcolm X were making a Good faith effort to solve the murders of African Mexican men and women? Likewise it has a cop shot an African american police officer and we never even see the victims family and how they react. The role race played in the shooting is given a passive mention at best and then the cop leaves the force and gets to become a kind and loving teacher in season 4 of the show. The wire raises some great points and offers some great conversation topics and draws some interesting parallels, but it was still created by liberal white men and therefore has blind spots.
Anyone who like the video should check out the "West Wing Thing", it's a whole podcast that criticizes West Wing from the left. They're the best!
This was excellent. It's fascinating to see this take on it, which is about where I am now, having seen the show originally some 10 years ago where I was still in the "the world can't exist outside capitalism" bubble. Thanks for all the great content you put out!
Ok, I'm using this to procrastinate on cooking rn, but I would send this to my mother to confront her beliefs on this show if I thought she would listen a little. Especially the whole thing with the losses in the Democratic Party.
Its a West Wing Thing! 🎵🎶
I remember the story Jed told about how a roman citizen could walk the earth and not be harmed because the retribution of Rome was so great.
I used to think that was a good thing, how it kept people safe. Now I understand how that is a story of imperialism
Strangely Western sources never seem as quick to credit Achaemenid Persia or the Mongol Empire for achieving similar or greater degrees of internal peace and safe transit.
Sorkin writes great sharp dialogue, the problem is everyone sounds like Sorkin and you end up feeling he's arguing with himself.
@@PutXi_Whipped yep, he has a habit of wanting us to see how clever he is. I think he would do a great screwball comedy, if they were still a thing.
It's not great dialogue. It's painfully unnatural and half the time it's characters citing statistics no one would know off the top of their head.
@@ablacknambercat Even what you just said "screwball comedy" is a Sorkinism that he's used on The West Wing! (Bartlett said Leo and his lawyer would be great in a "screwball comedy")
I grew up watching The West Wing with my family and have always thought of it as a solid show. Watching this, I'm honestly alarmed and a little embarrassed that I drank the kool aide so enthusiastically.
Even the word president was apparently chosen as it didn’t have the connotations of something like king, chief, prime minister etc. Few hundred years later it might as well mean emperor.
I can feel the anger in this video, and I get it, I didn't knew what the West Wing was before today, now I'm angry too
Holy cannoli!
Can't believe I've gone this long without knowing about your channel. Thanks renegade Cute for the video
Huh, why have I been avoiding RC videos? Oh yeah, because every time I tune in I'm reminded we're on a collision course with ruin and the systems in place will do absolutely nothing to stop it by design. It's a real downer man.
Yeah ngl this was definitely bleak. But there is hope. The Left and democratic ideals are making a modern resurgence in this country after being more or less eradicated during the mid to late 20th century. We just have to keep the pressure up.
Thanks man, I'm fed up with people telling me I have to watch this or that I'd love it, because I'm into politics.
Yesssss another renegade cut 🎉
I never understood the appeal of this show. It always seemed to me to be a milquetoast fantasy for people to retreat to rather than engage with actual politics and the news coming out of a shitty, real world white house.
I think you nailed it in one, though. The appeal *was* the comforting retreat. People really don’t want to wake up.
You should make a video on Veep. I’d say the philosophy of that show is “politics is awful. Everyone in politics is a heartless, corrupt piece of shit or will become one”
I've been trying for years to explain to my boomer parents why this show is so problematic. Thanks for putting it into much better words than I could! Looks I'll have to send them this video.
West Wing Thing!!!!! Seriously everyone listen to their podcast.
Calling all Winglords!
I clicked because I thought it said “Antichrist.” No regrets though.
Spring Break for Anarchists sounds bad ass
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And thanks to *you* as well, Renegade Cut! For this video 💕 🦃
Been waiting for this since you first announced it.
The Sopranos was the greatest Am*rican television series of all time and it's not even close.
Pete Buttigieg hosted West Wing watch parties while at Harvard.
I’m not sure how you present yourself as teacher of fact, uncoverer of latent lies, stater of truth, professer of conviction, and showing the bloody obvious. But you do it. Keep being you.
This video is fantastic. Thank you for this! Watching this video made me feel like I was a little kid opening xmas presents. I sent it to the people I love, the people I like, and even some people I dislike!
I thought this was going to be about house of cards.... I can't even remember that the West wing was a show that existed to the point where even when I read the title I think of house of cards..... I haven't actually watched either show.... I think I might have seen some fragments of house of cards when a roommate was watching it.
I remember picking up this show in my early 20's because I'd heard it was really good. I couldn't get passed the first episode where that guy yells at the protesters arguing for perfectly reasonable things. I realised I was supposed to relate to the guy yelling, not the protestors and I turned it off. I'm not American for context.
My problem with Sorkin's political-based writing is that it's utopian at its core, a fantasy based on his personal politics and his perception on how the political bureaucratic machine (West Wing) and the media should be run (Newsroom). It's extremely idealistic and operates on the false assumption that the people involved on them are philosophers and luminaries when in reality they're filled with divas and Borgias, or as Xzibit said "The fate of the free world is in the hands of hookers and thieves".
Compare it with its counterparts: BBC's Yes, Minister; Yes, Prime Minister; The Thick of It and HBO Veep (the last two developed by Armand Ianucci). This ones show the other face of politics: the Chronic Backstabbing Disease (named from the webcomic Last Days of Foxhound), the pettiness and the continued idiocy within the bureaucracy, the reality of what happens within the ministries/departments in charge of executing government policy.
The problem is that we're focused on the smokescreen and are not willing to question the executive aspects of the political apparatus: who is part of the organizational chart of the political parties, what is their background, and how do they affect the party's policies and public outreach. How this unelected, shadow elements affect political discourse.
It works better if one sees political parties as a brand with the candidates as their celebrity spokesperson selling their ideals and beliefs in hopes of winning the popularity contest known as elections.
Comparing sex workers to politicians is unfair to sex workers
I always knew there was something I did not like about the show. Thanks for putting it in such an eloquent format ❤️
Everything you upload is a masterpiece. I feel like a playlist of your channel should be required Viewing for high school government classes lol
Jeez dude you hit the nail right on the coffin. I’m definitely pretty left, and my liberal mom was blaming recent local election losses in the left for being too radical and alienating the public. I was always a bit suspicious as to why she would say that, but now it makes so much more sense.
Also fuck that show. Being against having the people in power support Gay rights is even worse than being openly homophobic.
My wife has been wanting to watch this show. She is a liberal who I am slowly radicalizing lol. Let’s see how she responds to this video. She loves your others!
The tv show that introduced me to politics of us was house of cards
This show was basically propaganda
I used to watch West Wing with my family when we lived in Alaska. Now that my political identity is to the left of them, this is a really interesting revisiting. Great vid.
I've been looking forward to this for a while, now. Glad to see it's finally done!
Lol Ive seen almost everything hbo has to offer but not this and seeing how you and Thought Slime feel about it I'm glad I havent
For the algorithm. Dope video. I’ve never watched The West Wing but I feel like Joseph Goebbels would applaud the technical application of propaganda.
Well, a friend once told me
Men, they would follow any man who would turn the wheels
(Now the wheels are spinning out of control)
But now the wheels are spinning out of control
What would they do if we held them still? (If you destroy the working parts)
If you destroy the working parts, what you'll get is a broken machine
A beacon of light from a burning screen (A beacon of light from a burning screen)
Act III when
"Aaron Sorkin loves writing arguments for him to win." Is everything.
40:05 ah, well, they're right - the democrats *do* need a principled and strong opposition…… on the left.
Great analysis. I very much enjoy your channel.
I gobbled up this show while it was on. Ive tried a couple times to revisit it, but it hasn't aged well.
Oooh cant wait to watch later! Just commenting to help the algorithm 😎😎😎
I watched a few seasons of the West Wing years ago and remember enjoying the Sorkin-speak, but it's good (albeit horrifying) to revisit now that I've clarified my views on politics, capitalism, imperialism, etc. Good video Leon.
I never caught this series.
I'm no longer regretful of that fact.
Any time dragging The West Wing is time well spent
If that's the ideal american world then it's a bit weird because in an ideal world ; the war isn't supposed to be righteous. In an ideal world there is no war.
Here's a joke.
What's the difference between "conservative" and "liberal"?
The spelling.
youtube really seems to try to bury your vids. i watch every one, subscribed with notifications on, and it still only shows a day or two after you originally post. amazing and informative video, as always.
This is some of your best work Leon. Gawds I miss Word Funk.
It's definitely neoliberal propaganda, but my god is it well written and acted. I wasn't always a lefty (though I've always thought I was) so I can't help but have a soft spot for this series.
The acting holds up better on reexamination than the writing does
Hoooly shit I’m excited to watch this. Unfortunately, I have to sleep now but I’m going have a pretty great hour of entertainment tomorrow.
Machiavelli argued against incrementalism because it lengthens and continually refreshes the resentment of those who oppose the changes. It's entirely possible that the negative response to an incremental change will be of the same duration and intensity as the negative response the a full scale complete social change. Ripping off the bandaid all at once is the way to go if you actually care about preserving political capitol. 😉
Thanks!! great gift for today. Keep up the good work.
This is really more of an analysis of our current political landscape than the show, which is even more relevant.
Watching this while cleaning after the Thanksgiving meal. Good stuff!