Are they left gamekeepers or left gateways? I agree that social democrats and their media is popular right now, but it seems to me that it's an increase caused by a "left shift". Most of the people here saying "Jacobin is imperialist apologia!" would probably have read it rabidly at one point and later realized it was too conservative later on.
They may be gateways so long as people understand that you have to radicalize past them. That's entirely possible. Maybe most people get into them and do exactly that.
But in terms of what they are? I doubt it's their intent to radicalize people further.
I'm not hating on people for reading Jacobin. I don't think it has too many bad takes compared to, say, parts of breadtube, which legitimately are acting as left gatekeepers (despite them being a gateway for myself and presumably many others.)
It's good that it exists, but print media of that kind tends to follow one trajectory. We should encourage the left curious to read it without internalizing it as a left cornerstone.
Are they left gamekeepers or left gateways? I agree that social democrats and their media is popular right now, but it seems to me that it's an increase caused by a "left shift". Most of the people here saying "Jacobin is imperialist apologia!" would probably have read it rabidly at one point and later realized it was too conservative later on.
They may be gateways so long as people understand that you have to radicalize past them. That's entirely possible. Maybe most people get into them and do exactly that.
But in terms of what they are? I doubt it's their intent to radicalize people further.
I'm not hating on people for reading Jacobin. I don't think it has too many bad takes compared to, say, parts of breadtube, which legitimately are acting as left gatekeepers (despite them being a gateway for myself and presumably many others.)
It's good that it exists, but print media of that kind tends to follow one trajectory. We should encourage the left curious to read it without internalizing it as a left cornerstone.