I’ve begun discontinuing many US services in favor of EU ones. However, I’ve noticed that some individuals, instead of simply ceasing to use American products, resorted to illegally downloading everything. While it’s true that the money goes to the US when you pay, it can’t justify disrespecting others’ hard work and effort while still consuming or using their products, and it is also illegal. This is especially true considering that they likely don’t have any direct connection to MAGA. This applies to actors, directors, YouTubers, and many others. We should simply cease using their products without giving them any further consideration.
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No, the right thing to do is to massively start using products that are free like lemmy or linux.
I think that there are three elements that you have to discuss seperately:
Software
If you buy European, you don’t just want the US software, but for free. If you pirate Windows, well, you are still on Windows. If you pirate Photoshop, you are still in Adobes ecosystem and chances are great that, if you’re start doing photo editing professionally, that you will have to buy a license again. So you want to build a “Trump free” tech stack where random fascist tech bros can’t screw you and that automatically means something Linux based and there really is not much to pirate as most stuff there is awesome and free
Movies
Yeah, start downloading as you want. But also keep in mind that many Hollywood movies are also some kind of propaganda. And all that US patriotism in their movies feels empty right now and there will be major movies pushing MAGA narratives. Look for James Bond fighting against refugee drug smugglers or something like that
Music
Let’s be honest: Your favorite Artists won’t get anything from the 10€ you’re paying to Spotify so it really doesn’t matter if you pirate.
But: You want a vibrant European cultural scene. You want local bands. You want European movies. Go see some concerts. Check out what your public broadcaster offers. Be part of that vibrant cultural scene, it’s awesome!
(and one last word: Many people here are hit massively by inflation, rents, social cuts and unemployment. Don’t feel bad if you don’t have the money, piracy is a great way to save money)___
For laymen’s computer, you can use Linux For movies you can borrow them at your public library or get a VOD access to your local online library For music you can use deezzer
Hypothetically speaking Pirate American Stuff especially from the big Studios, support Indies and European Productions
This is especially true considering that they likely don’t have any direct connection to MAGA. This applies to actors, directors, YouTubers, and many others.
You can be assured that the big CEOs of all those Movie Companies the biggest Actors, directors and YouTubers voted for this. (I know there are a few prominent exceptions with Actors and YouTubers)
For most Americans, every thought they have revolves around $$ in their pockets, and tax bill must go down.
For most
Americansrich people, every thought they have revolves around $$ in their pockets, and tax bill must go down.This phenomenon is definitely not unique to the US, same as promoting far right politics. Capitalists love it when the plebs rage at marginalized minorities instead of trying to kick rich people’s asses.
I don’t know, at least in Germany it seems the better off but not super rich people (like earning a good salary, but no huge assets) aren’t so obsessed with turning every move they make into $$$, as the Americans I’ve met so far. Everything feels calculated with these guys, and it’s a big turn off for me.
But yes, the super rich people are assholes everywhere and try to play out people against minorities
In my opinion, if you want to have a real impact, it is probably more effective if you buy European things instead. My arguments are:
- American movies and music also push the American narrative onto Europe and acts as propaganda
- If you pirate stuff like Windows, you will automatically subject to American control - since they decide what software you can run on their operating system and what stuff you see in the Microsoft store. Therefore I would claim it is better to switch to Linux in that case. This is true at least in some way for a lot of software, including Office365, Apple stuff etc.
- If you buy European things you directly support European companies, which then have more money to create new products and they get better chances in raising money from investors as well.
My stance on that question is that it’s up to anyone to make up their own mind. And act accordingly.
Personally, I don’t believe much in resisting USA technological and cultural quasi-monopoly simply by not paying for the US tools and services. Or for the stuff I read, watch, listen to.
One just needs to look how massive piracy ended up not hurting Microsoft or Adobe in the slightest. If you’re too young to have experienced those early times it was a quasi norm, at least outside the USA, to not pay for Microsoft Office and for Windows, or for Adobe Photoshop, and that was true for the penniless student up to more than a few enterprises. Adobe and MS are still the undisputed leaders and they earn mountains of money. The same goes for movie studios who, in my opinion, have never produced so many turd content that also has never cost so much to produce).
So, yeah, so much for ‘resisting by pirating’, imho.
Also, I think any creator (even big ones) deserves to get paid for their work if I’m wanting to enjoy it or to use it. But here again that’s just me, and I can afford it.
Instead, I prefer trying to focus my limited time and limited resources on local EU tools or at least Free and Libre tools, and on reading non-US authors whenever I can. I say reading because first and foremost I’m a reader but that stands true for watching and listening to stuff too.
I will simply favor EU or non-US alternatives whenever I can as I also don’t want to forbid myself the possibility to enjoy US production. Because why would I want to do such a thing? Despite all their flaws, they have an amazing scientific, intellectual and art production that I can only admire—I don’t care how unpopular it has become to appreciate it nowadays.
So, I resist US dominance by using and consuming as much non-us tools and content as I can. And by favoring non-us alternatives when it’s not completely moronic to do so.
To my own surprise, I recently realized it was not just the tools I was using or what I was reading (watching, and so on) that was impacted but also what I was doing and creating myself. After years not worrying at all about my native language, I’m witnessing myself blogging in French more. And it’s not just my blog, which is a tiny part of what I write it’s all the other stuff I write too.
I see that as a rekindled passion and love for my own culture.
This is a question I’ve been pondering too. I’m not a huge TV watcher anyway but might want to watch the odd movie here and there still.
If it’s just the odd movie here and there then piracy doesn’t seem too bad
FYI, downloading things from YouTube isn’t actually illegal in most jurisdictions. And considering you can’t buy their YouTube videos, downloading hurts them about as much as watching them with an active adblocker, which isn’t illegal, either.
Though you should definitely consider donating if you want a creator to continue making content and know that they aren’t already swimming in money.
spend the money you save on subscriptions to go to local theatre and gigs and arts generally
Why not, there is no downsides.
No. The piracy scene is infested with malware and spyware. Without a trusted, reputable source and personal safety habits, piracy will only yield cursed booty.
If you pirate movies and music, you really don’t have to worry about malware. Yeah, those sites are quite shady, but you won’t get a virus from a MP3.
Well, there is a Lemmy community dedicated to the topic which has info on the safety of websites, there is browser extension that shows if a site is considered safe and you can do the regular security stuff (Ublock, Virustotal). While I’m not saying you should pirate, you could definitely do so securely
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