I think it's interesting that you're saying this in a forum where we all, without monetary compensation, share our opinions
How much industry is created by Smogon?
I’m not going to belittle the work created by community projects, or volunteer work, open source projects etc. but don’t think it’s what should critically run society or that only those with enough time/wealth to engage with politics for free should do so. That’s also a form of limiting democratic participation by paywall.
(Also if you ever get in inside scoop and can read through all Smogon’s past drama, ugliness and angst arisen over community compensation in badge pixels— you’ll see even more of the importance of compensating labor)
It’s not weird for a lefty to genuinely value people’s time and fundamentally think that since labor creates almost all value, labor that’s valued should be compensated by society as a starting point.
You don’t have to like the political influencer sphere, but I disagree that it shouldn’t exist. I believe in free speech, free society, and the value of creative expression in society. I would want it to be regulated in ways that prevent over monopolization (essentially antitust and algorithms that act more egalitarian) and detrimental degrees of power concentration that hurts society—
—but that’s essentially what I think of any other industry as well. This isn’t the kind of industry I’d want to ban outright.
Edit: Also we must preserve Right Wing Mandela, Warrenite Mandela, Nation of Islam Obama, Bernie or Bust Bill Clinton, ‘Just Ideas’ Dave Rubin, Saying-His-Real-Racism-Bluntly Sam Harris, Civil War Era Anti-Slavery Slave Owner Sam Harris, and any of Michael Brooks other impressions— actually everything that Michael ever said on YouTube— it all must be preserved in its entirety for future generations.
Rest in Power