I used to have respect (sort of) for Ryan Dawson, the young man who runs "Anti-Neo Con." But I have lost it all recently. I had a very unfriendly conversation with Ryan yesterday (he said he was drinking, so I considered that) and, now today, I have unfriended him on Facebook (big deal, right?) The guy thinks he is some sort of genius that comes up with new ideas (that are 150 years old) and he seems to believe that it is some sort of revelation that he has to present to the choir!
Oh, the foolhardiness of youth!
I got a bit upset at Ryan due to a video that he placed on his Facebook page that appeared at the public (anyone can see) Facebook wall. It had, as an explanation, "Not Funny" and below that was "Breaking taboo to express a point." That's all it said. No other explanation... Being Ryan, I expected an anti-war video...
The video was extremely poorly made. Frankly speaking, quality and conceptually wise, it was first year high school film class level work, if that. The visual and sound editing was terrible and the music wasn't synched at all. It included Rap music with scenes of people dancing, with scenes of the handicapped (in some scenes handicapped children were falling down from wheelchairs). The lyrics to the music were "This is what you want..." Then "This is what you get" (over the scenes of handicapped people falling down). These scene kept repeating. There was even a scene with a sort of belly dancer (what was that about?)... After over 35 seconds of watching the video, disgusted, I turned it off.
If you want to see this amateurish production, be forewarned, it is very poorly made (technically and conceptually)... But at least here there is a better explanation, than was on the public Facbook wall, yet still, not enough, click here. You'll have to watch it for over one-minute and about ten-seconds, before you are let in on the point: http://www.myspace.com/rys2sense/videos/so-wrong/109037253 (Update: I guess Ryan realized that I was right and he was wrong because he deleted this video soon after this correspondence. Of course he doesn't have the self-respect and guts to at least write and say, "I'm sorry." That figures. His thinking is not clear and he argues like a child. Read on...)
Like I said, I watched this 1'40"video for over the first 35 seconds then got disgusted and turned it off. The repetitive falling down of the handicapped (same shots) got tiring very quickly.
Ryan, hasn't anyone ever told you that a joke doesn't need to be told more than once?
Here, now, is the conversation with Ryan Dawson and why I have unfriended him. Now, remember, this video appeared on the publicly viewed Facebook wall. I didn't see it on Ryan's wall. I have copied all the correspondence. Now, you, dear reader, tell me if you think he is out of line or am I?
Gee, Ryan. Well done. I ask you a question. "If so, how does that relate to handicapped people? Please explain." and you write back "I think your brain is handicapped" and "Seriously, F*ck you!"
Wise words from an expert and a professional trying to spread the gospel. Well done, Ryan. I'll make sure we hire you as a speaker at our next event! Sheesh!
A very good friend and activist friend of mine said to me, "You know, you've really got to wonder about these sorts of "peace-activists" or "anti-war activists" who are so full of vitriol and say fighting words like "F-you!" yet they claim to profess peace. It doesn't make sense."
It goes on... Ryan starts foaming at the mouth more and more. What an excellent spokesman for the anti-war movement, eh? My, the art of debate is alive and well today!
Get it? Ryan thinks it's the duty of the viewer to watch his message all the way to the end (without the courtesy of his explanation at the beginning) and if the viewer does not, it's the viewer's fault? Hardly, Ryan. It is the filmmakers and the presenters responsibility that they do the proper ground work to prepare the viewer and, after doing at least that, to make the video powerful enough to stand on its own and motivate the viewer want to watch to the end. That's just plain common sense!
The Ryan writes: "You think you own disabled people because you're related? Like no one else would feel horrible seeing such a thing?" Duh? Hello? Ryan! Yeah. That's exactly my point; it is insulting to everyone especially to the handicapped. That's why I wrote to you in the first place. Try to follow the line of questioning here, will ya?
Ryan, if you knew what you were doing, which you obviously don't; or if you weren't drunk, which you obviously are, then you'd know that when it comes to making these videos, you might have written text at the very start of the video that said, "What makes you the angriest? This... Or?" Or something along those lines. Just having shots of belly dancers followed by shots of children in wheelchairs tipping over - for over a minute... Does not do anything but insult everyone - as you seem to have finally figured out.
Like I said, this video is extremely poorly made and conceived; the work of a rank amateur.
We'll ignore his nonsense remarks about "African-Americans for Obama" as not being racist... Like I said, "How about white people for Romney?" Nah.... No one would raise an eyebrow over that, would they, Ryan?
He also starts of with "Don't start with that American collectivist bullsh*t, either!" Duh, Ryan, your entire concept concerning this post of how "Americans will get upset over criticism about the handicapped people, but not about war" is founded totally and completely on the concept of what you call, "American collectivist bullsh*t!" Or are you so used to selective morality that you can write, "Picking on the disabled, hurting animals, racism sexism etc (all dispicable)will get a rise out of Americans"(sic) and not see the gross hypocrisy in your own words (or are you even thinking at all?)
Uh, Ryan, it's spelled "despicable"... Get a dictionary, will ya? And, duh, you just figured this out?
Now, Ryan goes on to rationalize his words and the corner he keeps painting himself into. Let's keep in mind that what Ryan said about American collectivism:
Rationalization by Ryan. Continued profanity. My, what a fine and intelligent young man. Excellent debating skills too!... More like my pompous, self-centered little 14-year-old niece... Like I said, it is the filmmakers or the presenters duty to create something that people will watch to the end to get the message. If the viewers turn it off halfway through (I turned off before 1/4 way through) then the presenter or filmmaker failed... Or, Ryan, our arm-chair philosopher with this brilliant new discovery, do you consider yourself the expert on marketing, video production and mass media too?
Again, though, Ryan continues with the vitriol for no apparent reason until he writes, "You can't judge sh*t. I am sitting here drinking a chu-hi and playing Marvel Alliance..." (Chu-hi is a cheap Korean liquor)... Like I said, I figured Ryan was drinking (he often looks hung-over in his vlogs - I know I am a TV professional for 30 years... All of pros can recognize these things immediately)... But then he confirmed it... It tried to be civil again, but Ryan just couldn't control himself.... He starts off, again, by using invective when none was ever called for...
For some bizarre reason, Ryan Dawson thinks he is some sort of wise all-seeing witch-doctor who must be the only one who has realized that while the average American gets angry at racism, sexism, or "discrimination," they will say nothing about the wars and killing brown-skinned people all over the world in an American Empire since 1861...
He also thinks, for some weird reason, that people wouldn't get upset at seeing dead Iraqi children within the first 15 seconds either! My god, Ryan, are you surrounded by nothing but neanderthals? Oops, there I go with his "American collectivism" retort.
The video ends with:
Because worst than any of this is the very real acts of murdering children in for profit wars based on deception. Picking on the disabled, hurting animals, racism sexism etc (all dispicable)will get a rise out of Americans. But torturing people to death and murder by drone and robbing trillions is all ok because MURDER still isn't taboo yet. (sic)
Wow! Ryan! Have you just figured this out? Incredible deduction! Was this like some kind of revelation for you? If so, what cave have you been living in for the last 170 years?
Ryan thinks this is some sort of epiphany, I guess. Finally after being repeatedly insulted and called profane names by Ryan, I lost my temper and wrote this:
It's true. If anyone were right 55% of the time they'd be trading stocks and be rich.
I mean every word of it too. Ryan, there's smart and there's stupid. You certainly cannot be doing it the smart way... If you are too stubborn to listen to the advice or constructive criticism of someone who has made a good life in the mass media for over 30 years then you are just, as Malcolm X would say,.... "a chump!"
Sorry, Ryan, I know 14 year old kids who act more adult than you do...
"Brevity is the soul of wit." This says in 1 second what Ryan takes 2 minutes to say. Sorry, Ryan Get a life. Some of us do have a life to live... We don't have time to sit around and play video games and drink cheap booze.
NOTE: Yeah, I know that by writing this, I am actually giving this guy promotion. (I am a professional about that too, you know)... But, being the nice guy I am, I'm hoping that, if Ryan is smart, he'll learn a lesson... That is if he's smart... So far returns aren't so promising... Especially since he doesn't know the first basic rule about drinking and computers: Once you start drinking, DON'T touch the computer!
NOTE TWO: If I come off as feeling dis-respected, I do. I mean, I may be old-fashioned, but I don't think that anyone, who asks a straight question, deserves to be insulted by someone who is supposedly, "a public figure." But Ryan brags that he "Can be on Russia Today anytime he likes and on the radio" so, it seems quite clear that he is, as they say, "full of himself." There's nothing wrong with pride, but there's no reason to be insulting people.
29 comments:
It's good that you unfriended him. I'll bet you've read this by James Altucher about getting crappy people out of your life? http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2011/06/how-to-deal-with-crappy-people/
- Lana
no shout out to me for the epiphany typo. damn, can't a brother get a break? :-(
Bill! You are a hero. And, yes, I did have Epiphany wrong at the title... Thanks to Bill, he's da man!
He sounds like he might have gone into asshole mode. I think that he did not need to jump on you with such rudeness--you did only ask a question. Maybe he is really proud of his movie. - Red Brown
Thanks, mike. I don't get things right too often. ;-)
Bill
So, Bill. thanks. Your opinion? Am I too sensitive or is this guy way out of line?
Mike.
The first sign that this guy is f-ed up is that he is still using myspace. Nothing more needs to be said.
Bill.
He was a jerk, on purpose.
You spent too much time explaining something to someone who didn't want to hear explanations, or reason or facts and such, nor provide them.
He tried to bring you down to the adolescent level and you didn't go there so he got mad, like a child. Was funny, kind of.
Reminder from blog:
No drinking before 5 p.m. and don't touch the keyboard after 5 p.m.
Hard rules.
It's 4 p.m. on weekends though, isn't it? And 12 Noon if on water or real grass.
Also, you might lower your lifeexpectancy level if you jump on the wagon?
Or, maybe not.
- IndividualAudienceMemeber
The video was poorly done all around. To purposely insult handicapped people to supposedly make a larger point is stupid, because the supposedly larger point gets displaced by the original insult revealing, at the very least, poor taste. The only reason I watched the all the way through was on your recommendation, and I was uncomfortable doing it. As to your being overly sensitive, I think the immediate in-your-face disrespect of Ryan’s initial response would get the hair up on the back of any man’s neck. He reacted like a punk and you called him on it. If anything, I’m surprised you showed so much patience with a drunken fool who is obviously full of himself. I noted that he was proud to treat everybody that way. Perhaps your scolding will help him grow up some. But I doubt that an apology is forthcoming anytime soon because I don’t believe he’s capable of the necessary self-reflection. - Mark Davis
I agree with Anon @ 12:18.
You waste your time, good sense and manners debating with the typical snotty-faced American (it's obvious that's what he is)... You've been in Japan long enough, Mike, to know.
Like they say, you can take the boy our of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy. Ryan Dawson has got a long way to go before he matures, if he ever does... He isn't going to make it as a public figure discussing politics at this rate.
As you said, it takes professionals to recognize that.
Thanks. Reg. in HK. (TV professional for almost 23 years)
I remember seeing that vid too a while back. I think I watched maybe thirty secs of it before I had to quite watching. I am in my thirties (and live in the U.S.) so I know it is not a generational/international difference here that is causing the misperception. More likely someone composing a vid while drunk and drunkenly responding to valid questions about said vid. I wonder about whether he is homeschooled but then that is unfair to those public schooled people who demonstrate more self discipline he does.
Post got lost in cyberspace. So here is the short short version. I think this disagreement is not a differences in ages or nationality issue. I am in the U.S. and in my thirties. Yet I found the vid badly made. I could only handle thirty secs of it. More likely he composed the vid while drunk. And resppnd to Mike's valid question (again while) drunk. And continued the discussion (while maintaining or even increasing his intoxication.
My comment is that that damn robo-filter is one hard nut to crack! Not only are the letters really hard to read, but even when I think I'm right, it says otherwise.
Ryan Dawson seems intelligent 99% of the time, which is 90% more than any fulltime talking head on TeeVee.
It's frustrating for Truthers to watch the sheeple jump off the cliff and try to drag everyone else with them. Hence, they tend to get on each others nerves after decades of seeing invisible Truth.
After 30 years employment in media, what have you accomplished to report mass Truth to the sheeple and not just the choir?
Marketing and Truth are usually in opposition, very few can earn million$ doing both (Alex Jones, Joyce Riley). Hopefully that will change if Truthers get professional training and infiltrate the media corporations or start their own. Ideally a Truther would be 100% perfect in voice and tone, the better to debrainwash the sheeple with Truth.
What is your child's disability and current status? What can the rest of us learn from your experiences?
John Lee,
I've been blogging at Lew Rockwell (as Mike in Tokyo Rogers) since Ryan Dawson was a little kid (and well before Ron Paul and Libertarianism were popular)... More than 10 years now. I blog in Europe under a different name... The questions you asked were answered long ago. Ever heard of "search?" All one has to do is search "Mike in Tokyo Rogers + handicapped" and you'll find lots of them. You ask, "What can the rest of us learn from your experiences?" Well, not a thing. Especially if you don't bother to read them. Like the bible says, "Search and you shall find"
PS: There's no way Ryan Dawson is right 99% of the time. He claimed, just recently, that Obama announced immediately after the election no withdrawal from Afghanistan when, in fact, that was widely reported and public knowledge in July. The only thing Ryan is 99% of the time is either drunk or hung-over. Hell, just look at his face in those videos. As Mark davis said, "The video was poorly done all around. To purposely insult handicapped people to supposedly make a larger point is stupid." The best lesson learned from Ryan are two: 1) Don't drink and make videos or touch your computer and 2) Good ideas when you are drunk are not such good ideas sober.
PPS: Finally, anyone who is right even 55% of the time surely wouldn't be doing what I do or Ryan does; They'd be multi-millionaires day-trading stocks. Think about it. 99% right? Laughable.
There is no way Duh-son is intelligent 99% of the time. If he is, he is doing a very good job of keeping it under wraps. What he apparently lacks in intelligence he more than makes up for in ego, which is where you came unstuck, Mike. Like many know-it-all fools, he doesn't like to have ANYTHING he does challenged in any way.
actually how old is this Ryan Dawson? He pretends to be an independent journalist ...knowing the "truth" about almost any political issue ...combined with his declared passions for drinking and superheroes (proofs on his FB page)...I am confused and have some question marks about his sanity!
It takes a special kind of asshole to make fun of the handicapped to try to make a point.... Then it takes another very special kind of person to try to defend doing so.... The biggest piece of eveidence that PROVES BEYOND ANY REASONABLE DOUBT that Dawson knows he fucked up is the mere fact that he has deleted this video...
...Probably in no small part to you and this article.
- J.D.
...Oh, and like you said, he deleted the video but hasn't the balls to say, "I'm sorry. I made a mistake."
Dawson is an uncouth loud-mouth.
There's a reason why you don't see him on RT anymore...
-J.D.
I wonder; you said you used to respect Ryan Dawson up until this incident. The context of this comment would suggest that nothing that Ryan Dawson has stated in his documented abhorrent political views ( http://www.interpretermag.com/ryan-dawson-rts-human-rights-activist-a-holocaust-denier-whos-friends-with-hate-criminals/) prior to this incident caused you to lose respect for him. My question to you, Mike: is the only reason you no longer respect him is because you took his comments about the handicapped personally? Or are you okay with anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial? (Which have been out there for a while, so you can't sit there and say "I didn't know".) Because apparently none of that offended you, only his comments about the handicapped did.
Ryan Dawson is not right "99% of the time", as one of your more misinformed posters put it. Ryan is not a geopolitical analyst; he is a part-time English "teacher" with too much time on his hands. He is seldom right about anything.
Thanks Anonymous!
Nah, this is the first I had heard of the anti-semitism, etc. Thanks for alerting me. Now I am more convinced he's a fool.
-Thanks
Mike
Here's the real hypocrisy (or irony) of Ryan Dawson: if you've ever met him in person (which I have), he's real quiet about his political ideology and Holocaust denial. I never heard him mention it once. Yet he's filled with courage to spout off on all of this from the safety and security of sitting in front of a computer. Imbeciles like Ernst Zundel, David Irving, Robert Faurisson et al, as wrong and ugly as they are, they are true believers to the point that they are willing to risk public ostracism, legal action, and widespread contempt and ridicule. They are willing to suffer the consequences of their stupidity.
Ryan Dawson is not-he only talks about it in an environment that he can control. For all his years of espousing his beliefs, for all the YouTube videos, appearances on RT and nonsensical "books" that he has written, he doesn't even have the courage enough to publicly voice them out loud in person around a group of strangers or coworkers.
Ryan Dawson is a coward. Period.
Pretty lame, eh? I got fed up with him on this one single issue and then I also got pissed off at his "Anti-war" views yet he is a big government Democrat (I hate the Republicans too, mind you)... But an anti-war big government democrat? WTF? If that isn't a sign of someone not thinking straight, I don't know what is... By the way, he insisted to me he wasn't an English teacher (nuttin' wrong with being an English teacher - one should be proud of what they do - so, you and I are in agreement).... Ryan is lame! I try to ignore him.
Ryan Dawson has a major spelling problem for a college educated person, most of his crap he posts on WRH website wouldn't pass 3rd grade spelling, as he and Mikey Rivero peddle their propaganda. I don't know why Rivero thinks this putz would be an asset to his bullshit machine, but apparently it's a match made in Tel Aviv! :)
by the way, the alums of William and Mary ought to be somewhat ashamed that this dufus has such poor diction and shitty spelling that he's borderline 'nonsensical' and almost 'parody' material in how he approaches trying to snow the morons out there.
if this is the best the MOSSAD can muster, they need to flip a few more rocks.
jeez..
I'm pretty sure Ryan Dawson is dyslexic. That doesn't mean he's unintelligent. He's also usually very well spoken and debates well on platforms like Qallout. If you would like to debate him, go ahead and request him to do so, and I'm sure he would be happy to respond.
And to the idiot above calling Ryan Dawson a coward who only uses his 'voice' behind the safe space of a computer... are you fucking serious? He's not hiding behind a screen moniker or an Anonymous name tag. His face and name is out for everyone to see, and he regularly gives public talks about his political beliefs; in fact he very recently did so at an Australian university. He appears on news outlets for god's sake, he has written books, he has made movies and he openly invites people to debate with him. After all, why are we here even discussing him like this, if he was hiding in ways that made this slander impossible? You, sir, are a complete fool.
Regarding this video and scuffle over Facebook, nobody's perfect. Ryan Dawson isn't perfect. I'm not perfect. You're not perfect. Maybe Ryan is a bit conceited, maybe he makes mistakes, maybe he can be an asshole sometimes; remember he's only human. This doesn't mean he hasn't done tremendous work to expose the war machine for what it is really is and give a voice to those the mainstream media does not. I'm sorry you were offended and that Ryan can get petty over internet arguments but if you really are someone that's antiwar I'd urge you to call it bygones and appreciate Ryan for his positives which far outweigh the bad. He can be pompous, sure, but he's genuinely a good dude, one of the very few that has the balls to speak his mind about Israel's sordid treatment of Palestinians and expose them for their heinous deeds. If you want to slander someone, there are actual snakes out there, of which Ryan undoubtedly isn't one of.
Today a friend of his died and someone asked what happened? Dawson would not say and i said he was avoiding that question of his friends death....Normal question? Well Dawson went into a fit cursing and screaming....on his utube at me. Drinking that cheap korean liquor again and foaming at the mouth...a real "cutie" as Brendon O'connell keeps saying(hehehe), and a "real professional".
Someone needs to explain to me how Alex Jones gets banned from YouTube while Ryan Dawson still has his YT videosl and all his posts intact. Selective enforcement? Either permit both to express themselves unexpurgated or administer equal treatment.
Personally, I prefer those of Ryan Dawson's ilk to be out in the open, exposed by the light of day; where everyone can keep a watchful on him.
Thanks a lot for not warning me about the pictures of dead children. I cann't believe you did that. Thanks a lot buddy. Horrible of you to post those with no warning!!!! You're no better than the guy you are talking about! I took the time to read your whole post only to be sandbagged by those picture
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