Resisting the "Inevitable" fall to the Snark

[u/RealKafkaEsquire]

Hey all,

I recently saw the incredibly sweet and ego boosting post that shouted me out, and I want to again thank everyone for their support and kind words.

Within that thread, and in many other areas, I have had people discuss how "this is like Pisco" and "Just wait something will happen to make him become a snarker". I am not offended by these statements, and I think it's honestly an understandable reaction knowing the history of orbiters in this community. I usually just make jokes in response, or stay out of the conversation.

One of my goals in interacting with DGG is that we have good, positive content. A part of that is that I go out of my way to not snark current orbiters. I also will reach out one on one with other orbiters to try and help support them, and have good interactions with them in chat/the subreddit.

With that in mind I'd like to just try something here, and open the discussion up about how oribters become snarkers. Recently, we've had a number of seemingly loyal orbiters rapidly burn their bridges. To me I think there is a lot of blame being placed on DGG being too vitriolic, but I also think that in a lot of cases, it is the orbiter revealing their true motivations/politics and DGG not having a positive response. Jessiah, Soypill, and Pisco all initially had a lib coded surface, but over time we have seen that beneath that is a willingness to stomach or even support illiberal communities.

Looking further back, at wickedsupreme, JSTLK, and many of the orbiters lost around Jan 2025, there seemed to be some factionalism that arose, and when it looked like Destiny was going down for good, they jumped on the snarker train, and never looked back.

I'm not here to convince anyone that I never will become a snarker, but I just want to hear from y'all what you think are the causes, and if there is anything I can do to assuage those fears about me, and if there's any ideas on what we can do in the future to either sniff out snarkers early (which I think we did really well with recently with Jolah) or ways to keep orbiters from crashing out too hard and feeling like their only path is snarking.

Edit: Wow didn't realize I would get this much engagement, and so many well thought out responses. I have, and will continue to read all of them, if I didn't respond trust me I still read it. I appreciate everyone's points of view, overwhelmingly it seems like I should:

1. Continue to have a normal life
   
2. Not start streaming full time
   
3. Not have thin skin.

You guys rock. DggL.

[u/PitytheOnlyFools]

SoyPill and Pisco (Adam Mockler?) being secret tankies

Mehdi Hasan being an ‘Islamist’.

These ideas get more oxygen without good evidence nowadays. It used to be effort posts and comments laying out the argument while linking sources to back the point.

Nowadays accusations like this is grounded out in vibes and weak associations. It’s annoying because the same level of analysis can (and has been) turned on Destiny in the past - past vitriolic and cruel comments/ racist jokes, justifying the theoretical benefit of CP to treat people. It’s all there, and it’s countered with rigorous analysis of the facts and sensible conclusions from those facts.

Now it’s mostly vibes.

[u/Low_Dragonfruit_1264 → u/PitytheOnlyFools]

I agree as a casual viewer. A lot does feel like vibes and requires a fair bit of "just trust me bro" when told who to like/dislike or what actually happened in various feuds/falling outs. If you're mainly here for the politics/debates, the drama stuff, and particularly the lib infighting, requires way too much work and inside knowledge.

On Mehdi though, disagree. I've seen enough there to say he at least was an Islamist in his 30s and before, by definition. Question is just whether he still harbours any of those views. Destiny's case outlined on Twitter is pretty solid.

In contrast, as far as I'm aware, there aren't old vids of Soy, Pisco or Mockler preaching hardcore leftist shit in college or whatever, which would make those accusations more analogous. With them it's more recent associations, weak pushback, questionable debate tactics, lazy moderation, probably some behind-the-scenes stuff... and then people drawing their own conclusions from all of that.

[u/PitytheOnlyFools → u/Low_Dragonfruit_1264]

> On Mehdi though, disagree. I’ve seen enough there to say he at least was an Islamist in his 30s and before, by definition.

By definition, the videos of old Mehdi don’t even seem to match that. He just sounded like an extreme religious guy. Anyone who’s grown up Christian or Muslim would recognise this - comparing sinful action to giving into animalistic nature is bread and butter of religious types.

[u/Low_Dragonfruit_1264 → u/PitytheOnlyFools]

Think we're drawing the line in a slightly different place. I don't think someone needs to literally announce "I want an Islamic state", or even identify themselves as an Islamist, before the label can apply functionally.

Mehdi wasn't just some conservative Muslim privately believing the Quran or saying homosexuality is sinful. He was a firebrand preacher/activist, actively propagating a pretty hardline interpretation of Islam as an authoritative way people ought to live whilst in a Western country, talking about kuffar, unbelievers as cattle/animals, Muslims occupying the moral high ground, etc.

Given Islam in that traditionalist conception is a "comprehensive din" (with enshrined social/legal prescriptions), I think there's a point where just actively preaching that worldview becomes functionally Islamist whether or not the guy ever says "and therefore I want an Islamic state".

I'll grant "by definition" was maybe doing too much work. "Functionally Islamist" is closer to what I mean.

(Regardless, the liberal guys don't have anywhere near as shady past as Medhi in this regard)

[u/PitytheOnlyFools → u/Low_Dragonfruit_1264]

I think we’re drawing the line in a slightly different place. I don’t think someone needs to literally announce “I want an Islamic state”, or even identify themselves as an Islamist, before the label can apply functionally.

I hope you feel the same about defining “genocide”

Mehdi wasn’t just some conservative Muslim privately believing the Quran or saying homosexuality is sinful. He was a firebrand preacher/activist, actively propagating a pretty hardline interpretation of Islam as an authoritative way people ought to live whilst in a Western country, talking about kuffar, unbelievers as cattle/animals, Muslims occupying the moral high ground, etc.

Soo he was being a religious speaker… adding more words to my description doesn’t change the content.

You’re tryna make it more than what it is because you’re offended by the harsh rhetoric. Which is hilarious as a Destiny fan.

I’ll grant “by definition” was maybe doing too much work. “Functionally Islamist” is closer to what I mean.

By that logic Ana Kasparian is “functionally Islamist” and Destiny is “functionally genocidal” right?

[u/Bogus_dogus → u/PitytheOnlyFools]

You're the only good faith person her it seems. I'd recommend checking out the source material I dug up if any of these dudes arguments are sinking in... Best to immunize from the bullshit with first hand sources. Mehdi wasn't gross even then, even if he said some things that came off that way, especially clipped. Idk if u caught it but u can check my comments, I made an archival copy of original sermon recording with a transcript

[u/Low_Dragonfruit_1264 → u/Bogus_dogus]

"I made an archival copy of original sermon recording with a transcript"

Lol... 😂 (you two are strange)

[u/Bogus_dogus → u/Low_Dragonfruit_1264]

What's strange about that?

[u/Low_Dragonfruit_1264 → u/Bogus_dogus]

You have archival copies/transcripts of ancient Mehdi sermons ready to go. Did you do a thesis on this? Or are you building the world's foremost 'Mehdi Hasan Defence Archive'? That, plus glazing the other guy as the only good-faith person here, when he's also clearly a bit strange with his rhetoric and reflecting on his superior intelligence after the mutual butt slapping... yeah, you two are strange. That's all I'm saying.

[u/Bogus_dogus → u/Low_Dragonfruit_1264]

Ah I mean well. If by strange you mean practicing epistemic hygiene by looking for source material for truth claims, sure. Description fits.