At what point does someone who is mostly reasonable, with a few bad takes become someone not worth listening to? Also, can we separate the art from the artist? For example with Badempanada, he has a couple bad China takes and is kind of toxic online, but he’s well researched, so it really depends whether ML’s I’ve met listen to him. Do you listen to Maoists who are good 95% of the time, but might have a bad Gonzalo take from time to time? Or is there enough agreeable content on the internet that you can just listen to those you agree with? Are certain bad takes just too bad? Will you stop listening to someone after they say something transphobic, even if they’re good the rest of the time like Paul Cockshott? Or if someone is willing to talk with someone like a Larouchite, are they automatically a right deviationist with nothing worthwhile to say, or are the just forming a United front on a specific issue?
Everyone has something to teach you, even if they fill that role by exemplifying what not to be. Remember to stay critical and it’s fine to listen to anyone imo
Of course, the rules are different when people are wielding real-world power. Reading the bigoted writings of some centuries-old white guy isn’t the same as platforming still-alive bigots. It’s a lot tougher to draw the line where we have to organize to counter a person’s influence, so I’m not gonna lol. Ask me an easier question pls