Episode Overview

Podcast: Conspirituality
Episode: Bonus Sample: “Joe Rogan of The Left” Glazes China
Air Date: December 8, 2025
Hosts: Julian Walker (plus Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, though not directly heard in this sample)
Focus: The episode critically examines the controversy surrounding leftist streamer Hasan Piker’s highly publicized livestream trip to China—its image management, the potential for whitewashing authoritarianism, historical erasure, and what it means for public discourse when influential voices do this work.

Main Discussion Points

1. Hasan Piker’s Enthusiastic Embrace of China

• [00:03] Clip of Hasan Piker
  Hasan expresses overt admiration for China:
  • Claims emotional and ideological alignment (“I’ve already become Chinese. In my heart, in my soul, in my mind, in my conscience, I have already become Chinese.”)
  • Praises hyper-consumerism paired with centralized economic control:

    “It’s fucking sick. Like you have abundance style consumption paired up with a centrally controlled economy, an economic system that has yielded tremendous development. 1950s Soviet era building blocks next to the Gucci store.”

  • Characterizes the environment as personally ideal and expresses little irony or skepticism.
• Implication: Hasan’s remarks are more than travelog—they’re a celebration of the Chinese system, potentially ignoring issues of authoritarian control and repression.

2. The Controversy and Public Reaction

• [00:32] Julian Walker introduces critical questions
  • Raises the issue of whitewashing: “Was Hasan whitewashing Chinese authoritarianism and human rights abuses?”
  • Questions potential foreign influence: “Was he being paid to do propaganda for the Chinese Communist Party to his almost 5 million combined followers?”
  • Poses the bigger issue of influencer responsibility:

    “How are we to think about him as a potential Joe Rogan of the left in light of all of this? And what does that even mean?”

  • Sets context for the episode as a discussion on history, censorship, and influencer ethics.

3. Setting the Historical Context: Tiananmen Square

• [01:10 – 03:53] Julian Walker recounts ‘Tank Man’ and Tiananmen Square
  • Describes in vivid detail the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest and the image of “Tank Man,” still globally recognized as a symbol of resistance.

    “He stops and stands quietly in front of the first tank. The tank grinds to a halt and then tries to…go around him. But the man neatly steps to the side to again block the enormous…vehicle’s passage.”

  • Emphasizes state censorship and repression in China:

    “Within China, the events of that period are actively censored so that no mention of it exists online, and serious repercussions await anyone bringing it up.”

  • Provides chilling statistics (citing between “hundreds…perhaps as many as 10,000” killed; expert consensus is ~3,000).
  • Connection to Hasan’s stream:

    “Now back to Hasan Piker, who made the flag raising ceremony in Tiananmen Square a first stop on his enthusiastically livestreamed visit to China.”

  • Implication: Contrasts Western memories of Tiananmen with the heavily sanitized version found in China—implying Hasan’s uncritical excitement ignores these realities.

4. Hasan’s Attitude Toward State Monitoring

• [04:08] Further Hasan Piker clips
  • Jokes about using VPNs to bypass China’s censorship and government monitoring:

    “Live behind the Firewall, the Great Firewall. What are your Internet speeds? My Internet speeds are not great because I’m obviously using a vpn…Chill, bro. You think the Chinese government doesn’t know that? Like, what do you think is going on?”

  • Downplays the risks and awareness of state surveillance, which the hosts find telling regarding his perspective.
• Assessment: Highlights a blasé, dismissive attitude towards real repression and the risks faced by locals.

5. The Broader Significance: Influencers and Information Warfare

• Julian Walker (host) frames the episode’s central mission:
  • How influential new media personalities—especially those with left-wing credibility—can act as image managers for authoritarian regimes, intentionally or otherwise.
  • Compares Hasan to "the Joe Rogan of the left," raising the issue of crossover influencer platforms and blurred lines between critical reporting, tourism, and propaganda.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Hasan Piker [00:03]:

  “I’ve already become Chinese. In my heart, in my soul, in my mind, in my conscience, I have already become Chinese. … 1950s Soviet era building blocks next to the Gucci store.”

• Julian Walker [00:32]:

  “Was Hasan whitewashing Chinese authoritarianism and human rights abuses?... Was he being paid to do propaganda for the Chinese Communist Party?...How are we to think about him as a potential Joe Rogan of the left in light of all of this?”

• Julian Walker [02:30]:

  “The date was June 5, 1989, and the location was Tiananmen Square in Beijing … after six weeks of student and citizen protests … the military opened fire on its own people.”

• Julian Walker [03:17]:

  “Within China, the events of that period are actively censored so that no mention of it exists online, and serious repercussions await anyone bringing it up.”

• Hasan Piker [04:08]:

  “Live behind the Firewall, the Great Firewall… What do you mean? Chill, bro. You think the Chinese government doesn’t know that? … you think the Chinese government's like, wow, we had no idea.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:03] – Hasan Piker’s glowing remarks about China
• [00:32] – Introduction of controversy and analytic lenses
• [01:10 – 03:53] – Historical segment: Tiananmen Square and its censorship
• [04:08] – Hasan’s attitude toward censorship, VPN use, and surveillance
• [04:29] – Host welcomes listeners to the bonus episode proper

Tone and Takeaways

• The hosts maintain a critical, fact-based tone, mixing incredulity and concern about influencer responsibility (“Was Hasan whitewashing Chinese authoritarianism?”).
• The description of Tiananmen is vivid, tragic, and deeply empathetic.
• Hasan’s own tone is jovial, hype-driven, casual—even when sensitive issues arise, underscoring the hosts’ concern about platforming narratives that can have real political impact.

Summary

This sample from the Conspirituality podcast critically unpacks Hasan Piker’s controversial livestream trip to China, focusing on the tension between influencer excitement and the reality of authoritarian repression—especially regarding historical amnesia and state censorship. Through vivid historical context (Tiananmen Square), pointed questions, and direct quotations, the hosts highlight the risk of left-leaning influencers echoing state propaganda, whether knowingly or through naiveté. The episode promises deeper exploration of these themes and their implications for media ethics and public discourse in future segments.