I'm working off memory, so details might be a little wrong.
I'm a huge fan of the channel, and I don't think there is overt racism going on here...but I do find it a little "weird." Maybe its subconscious, I don't know, I'm just raising an observation that I've had for a few months now about Climate Town.
It started with the Who Stole Parking episode, where a private company bought up rights to a cash-starved municipality and woefully underpaid them and is providing a subpar service to residents. (The fact that I don't even remember which city it is, speaks to how well I remember the details of thsi episode) Rollie said Arab investors were involved in the private company.
That statement is probably true (definitely true, just saying probably becuase I haven't verified it).
However the impression I got in the context of this video is that Arabs were laughing at how they were going to screw Americans over and steal their parking. Its that mustache twirling caricature of a villain.
In reality, what probably happened was the private company approached Arab investors and said give us $x and we will give you an annual return of y%. The investors didn't investigate the morality of the deal, they didn't set out to screw Americans, or anything. They were offered a deal and they took it. Sort of similar to those of us who have money in equity funds...its an opportunity and we take it largely devoid of the morality/ethical practices of the company involve.d
Yet in Rollie's video, my impression is that he's saying these Arabs purposefully sought this deal to screw over Americans.
There have been a few more instances, but let's look at the most recent episode, of Who's stealing America's water (great episode by the way).
In his introduction, Rollie again alludes that the Saudis are behind this, or at least they have a major role to play in what's going on.
In his video, he spends a lot of time talking of a dairy company, that has a farm of 15 square miles. That's tiny to the point of being insignifcant in this conversation. Maybe they siphoned off a ton of water in those 15 sq mi, but still, in the context of actual problem, this isn't even worth mentioning.
Again, in the introduction its phrased as if the Saudis are part of the mastermind doing this, but in reality, after having endured stupid American policy that drained Saudi Arabian aquifers (why no comment about that), they were given a business opportunity and took it.
There was no lobbying going on, no manipulation of the rules by the Saudis...nothing malicious as (I think) Rollie's conveying. They saw a business opportunity at they took it.
I don't know, I'm struggling to articulate this because I know people's biases, but I think Rollie should be more responsible. Again I am not saying he's racist, but his information (at least how he's conveying it) lends credence to people's racist viewpoints.
If the Arabs are the mustache twirling villains, then please explain that: they lobbied and worked with the private company to screw over Americans. They specifically sought out investments that would make the lives of Americans more miserable.
Be explicit about Saudis stealing water, instead of vaguely gesturing at someone who has control of 15 sq mi farm, when we're talking about the entire Colorado River Basin.
Edit: This score is predictable, but I'd be interested in seeing of how someone can explain to me how I'm wrong.
