Tucker Carlson 🙃

I didn't get around to reading this until now. I didn't know this had happened but I deeply respect your reasoning and I agree what you did was good. It's not an endorsement of Carlson.

Haveibeenflocked.com

The message was far more important than the risk of misperceived support. I think that was the most sincere approach and fully support your decision.

This work makes a difference — the city council of a small community in my state voted unanimously to remove their Flock cameras. Hopefully the first of many. https://www.1011now.com/2026/08/04/city-ord-votes-unanimously-remove-its-flock-cameras-first-nebraska/

I was extremely inspired to see two public figures with extremely different political opinions be able to find common ground and focus on issues that unite people

Even though it's for the wrong reasons, I'm hopeful that Tucker's bad reasons for being against Israel might help stop further genocide. Government surveillance is a less tricky topic, and I think the positives greatly outweigh any negatives in getting this info to more people. Ultimately, we're going to have to find common cause with large swaths of the public who have held opposing views on important topics if we're ever going to pull ourselves out of this quagmire.

I live in UK and have watched Benn on YouTube since the Benn and Gear stuff. It’s great what he is doing revealing the underhand surveillance stuff that’s going on especially the Flock shite.. Same thing is going on in the UK with new street lights with embedded cameras under the guise of providing safety for us but new functionality can be added for more sinister options. I guess eventually only the Highlands of Scotland will be the only place that privacy is maintained and similar remote areas. It’s a world wide shit show…Thanks Benn ..

No human being is one thing. I feel like Tucker has turned a corner recently. I subscribed to his youtube channel after his Shawn Ryan episode. Pretty much after Trump disowned him, I started warming up to him. He's not a bad guy, he just used to be one of the faces of Fox News, and fuck Fox News. Now that he's independent, I don't hear much out of him that I disagree with, to be honest. And putting up a hard wall between yourself and someone because of whatever issue you disagree with, is not productive or conducive to a healthy discourse. I've always considered myself to be on 'the left' because I believe everyone should get what they need to live, be happy, and healthy. But one 'left' thing I do not agree with is this 'burn book' mentaility of not 'platforming' individuals because of their past comments. You cut off a person because they said something you don't like, you're going to be alone before you know it. We have to talk to each other...

To speak TRUTH and REALITY in forums where most of the audience listens to LIES all the time is IMPORTANT!

I understand the reasoning and trust your decision, thanks for taking the heat to expand the message

I'm not mad about it, and I think your explanation for why you decided to do the show is valid and makes sense, but I do disagree. It's your call and I wasn't in the same position as you to make the decision so who knows if I would do the same in your shoes. I feel like there needs to be SOME people telling you that this wasn't a good call. It's my duty to do this little service as a member of the parasocial community. Meeting with people who dehumanize immigrants and other marginalized communities legitimizes them. People might get on the side of anti-surveillance now but also think Tucker is a good guy and really speaking their language. Tucker may have switched positions on the liberal-fascist pipeline but he's still on it, and ferrying people over to him isn't a good call. Glad more eyes got on this. Hope it doesn't end up costing us much down the line. Still think you're great and I won't throw you out just because I disagree with one thing.

Hey, would anyone mind volunteering to be my guide in this community? As robotic as that sounds, lol.

I want to remind all the motorists "both sidesy" let's just hear out the people that have been successfully stripping away your rights for the past decade plus that, if you invested all the time that you spend trying to convince people who fundamentally do not acknowledge your personhood or agree with your right to exist, into protecting and scaffolding the people that are already on your side then we wouldn't need to get them to come around on anything.

Don't worry yourself too much with carrying the heavy cross of other people's dogmatic expectations, it's quite heavy and will only slow you down. Excited to see what you get into next and I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with all of us! And quit doin' shit you hate! Duh! lol

Thanks for swallowing your political pride and showing that this is not a partisan issue!

Bro, well done. I've been a recent addition to your audience. I appreciate the depth of your content and the complexity behind your seemingly simple stances. Good explanation re Tucker. As a Muslim Immigrant to the US, I have struggled to find a voice that represents my perspectives, and Tucker recently started voicing things that made sense. But I lived through 2003 -08 and then again 2016 onwards; I saw what he did for the other side. While he's apologized for it, it's not easy to forget being the subject of policies driven by narratives he pushed. So sincerely, I appreciate your explanation. It is an active measure of "Nahi-Anil-Munker" (the identification of evil). Separating yourself from the larger message Tucker represents is a respectable (important) distinction.

benn, you're one of the good people ❤️

Look, it sounds to me like you knew exactly what was going to happen here. I don't necessarily think any worse of you for making a strategic decision, but you knew you were going to have some serious explaining to do and I don't think this reaches that bar. Tucker isn't a divisive figure. Being divisive implies that split somehow cuts in a way that isn't completely obvious. Tucker's political project is completely obvious. Going on his show contributes to it whether you like it or not, that's why his show is there, that's why he invites people on. It's one thing to say you think it's worth risking being useful to a fascist, in some way you're not sure of, in order to draw more awareness to this issue. It's another thing to pretend he's merely 'divisive' and that you can avoid the pitfalls here by merely being 'careful' and 'neutral.'

Honestly a brave thing to do, and you took the necessary precautions.

Something of note is that it seems like people for whom Tucker's opinion and his audience's actions has never been a direct and credible threat have little issue with talking with him. Beyond that, from pure tactics perspective, I think going in front of Tucker's audience and hoping for a reasoned consistent of your points ...is an act of naivety, wording on willful ignorance. Tucker Carlson's platform has never existed on a well-argued consideration of facts, reason, and logic. Tucker Carlson has argued for and on the side of all of the privacy extinguishing policies and people and you would have to be intellectually dishonest to not recognize that fact. This has the effect of making it seem like the people you're courting by doing on his shows are not privacy-minded people, but NIMBYs and while that might be great for all the people who are comfortable talking to Tucker Carlson and all the communities you all live in, that doesn't seem too good for people like me. People and activists who look like me that don't have the luxury of tapping out after the election cycle, as their lack of privilege doesn't allow for such a feat.

I'm of two minds on this subject. I think that it is important to try and reach people who might not otherwise hear about this kind of stuff. But the flip side of that coin is your presence legitimizes Tucker Carlson and his anti-democratic, hate-filled platform. My gut feeling is that going on his show was a mistake but guts can be wrong. Unfortunately logical minds can be perfectly logical and also perfectly wrong. Unlike a lot of people here, I can't tell you that you did the right thing. Anyway, I enjoy your work and look forward to more of it.

Benn: I watched the interview, I think you handled it exceptionally well, and as you pointed out in the interview, this is a place where people genuinely agree ideologically; this isn't throwing trans people or people of color under the bus to appeal to bigots, this is pushing for good policy that most people support. I also want to say that I only recently joined this Patreon, and the thing that got my attention among your videos were your videos on Flock. Nobody else is really talking about Flock cameras as in-depth and in such an educated way; I'm not a musician, I admit to never having listened to any song you have produced, but I really, *really* hope you don't stop talking about these things, though I recognize I may be in the minority among your subscribers.

Hey....even Jesus had something to say about this, as he was bitched at by Pharisee Jews AND his apostles, for his inclusive principles as he "...ate with publicans and sinners..." under one tent.... "The Physician is here for the sick, not the healthy !"

Given the overwhelming support of your decision here, let me at least give one opposite reaction: I disagree talking with Tucker Carlson. The reason should be obvious: he is a vile human being, a white supremacist, and as an adamant conspiracy theorist he is of course open to your investigations, but that does not mean he is an ally in this, and neither are his supporters. It should be painfully obvious by now that they are totally OK with totalitarian methods, as long as these target the "correct" people in their view. They don't have a problem with mass surveillance in principle, they are only bothered that this also targets "normal", white Americans. I would argue that mentioning these issues is not partisan. On the opposite, simply blending out these points and just concentrating on "the issue at hand" is naive. I realize people will pile on me here for daring to criticize you. Let me also add that while I disagree on this issue, this does not mean I will cancel my Patreon or whatever. I think you made the wrong call here, but that does not mean I don't support your work.

Turns out you need to talk to people who don't understand if you want to get them to understand. I love your content. Thank you for teaching me, and people of Carlson's audience, about such important things.

I support you ben and no one whoes not intellectually dishonest would know that tucker a massive media figure agreeing with the right side does not mean you subscribe to everything he believes in or advocates for.

The anti-Flock movement is weirdly unifying; my algorithm excludes maga content but now I see it in the anti-flock groups I’m in. Turns out, I don’t need an algorithm to protect me - can scroll on by

So, this is an interesting one to me. For the record, I completely understand going on the show. Metrics-wise, there are few audiences bigger than Tucker’s, and there are precious few moments where an audience like that can be reached. Political moments make strange bedfellows. The part that sticks with me, though: Tucker Carlson has spent decades characterizing broad swathes of America (cities in general, especially any cities run by Democrats) as being crime-ridden hell holes; statistics be damned. In doing so, he absolutely paved the way for a Flock (or a Ring; whatever, name your own surveillance tech) to exist. After all, there’s so much crime, right? Somebody’s got to do something! I didn’t catch the segment. I don’t know if Benn mentioned it or if Tucker would have copped to it in the moment. But I do think that needs to be part of the broader conversation.

Some of those minds consider anyone that disagrees with them to be branded a "terrorist".

Your conduct paired with this follow-up is just about exactly the way I would want someone to go about a hard decision like this.

Adding my voice to the chorus here: you made an uncomfortable and intelligent choice. Keep up the good and necessary work!

Hi Benn, Your discomfort and effort is appreciated. Small "l" libertarianism and Big "L" conservatism have always rubbed along with a certain degree of discomfort. Ironically (at least here in Australia), our labour parties seem to create "nanny states" that enforce the loss of liberty with the best of intentions (thus paving the way to hell and corruption just as much as the far right). Kind regards, Peter.

Thanks for taking one for all of us. You gotta get the word out about bad stuff wherever you can.

Absolutely the correct decision Benn. There is no point preaching to the choir, you need to reach as wide an audience as possible. If that means appearing on Tucker's channel, so be it.

Separating the man from the message is key. Boost the message anytime you hear one that resonates, that speaks truth to power. Don't let the right words out of the wrong mouth turn you away from the message.

I think you can comfortably view the comments to this post as the majority opinion - being in support of your decision. The advocacy for freedom from surveillance is not a partisan (left v right) one, it is on the other axis of the political scale. And I'd argue that the opinions of reactionaries or pro-authoritarians aren't much worth listening to. I hope you're heartened by the support you're seeing here.

It's somewhat sad that you find it necessary to explain this. Feels like you are apologising. As if you were 'tainted' by speaking to 'them'. BS! It's the other way round. Rather, in this model, you 'cleaned' them by putting things straight.

I appreciate deeply your dedication to this project, and the countless hours you have spent working on publicly available videos about it. While I personally find Tucker Carlson just short of qualifying to be tried for crimes against humanity, I agree that using his platform to reach conservative people with your message was a worthy endeavor. Thank you for all you do. It does not go unnoticed.

I recognise the intent. But I find the decision and the failure to recognise, before hand, the harm it could cause to your community, frustrating. I find it even more infuriating to see so many folks on here fail to empathise with those of us that feel hurt by this. I know patreon comments are almost always glazing, but please try to have a little empathy folks! "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" doesnt apply when said "friend" has repeatedly called for the extermination of your actual friends. And if you cant manage to empathise with marginalised people being hurt because someone they support is collaborating (tangentially) with fascists, maybe you shouldnt be lecturing on how to interact politically!

💯 have u ever contacted channel 5/Andrew Callaghan? Perhaps some sort of Collab or simply partnership is in order?

Anyone who doesn't comprehend the value is an impotent purist. Forest for the trees. F the haters, Benn; you already know you are crushing the needed work

It's hard to be cool with such odious humans as Mr. Carlson and I don't trust his change in message one bit. That said, getting the message out about how the Surveillance State hurts everyone is important enough to manage it. I hope you took a long, hot shower to wash that ick off.

Also, hello. This is my first tim on Patreon. Is this set up like a forum? Is there a place to introduce myself? I'm very excited to be here. I've meant to get involved for months, and what're the odds the day I chose to just finally jump in, he's managed to dig himself in this deep. Thank GOD its you, man.

The echo chambers have to be broken through somehow, and this is what it looks like as one of the junctures for this to occur. Whether or not we align with these people, at a rudimentary-level there are basic things that we all value. These are the bold black and white data points that can kick "the other side" right in the feelsies. They've been empowering their base with fear (except the evangelical side of course, them crazy fucks are FEARLESS!), since forever... anything to throw sticks into the pegs of progress. I don't see anything wrong with handing over black-and-white data points to instill a reason for them to have something to be fearful over. Fear is their base's favorite motivator. Ignorant, bigoted, fear. When things affect them, they act... guess what?! THIS AFFECTS THEM! Expertly done Benn! You're such an inspiration, and one of the major driving forces that have lit an enormous fire under my ass for a project I'm piecing together i wish i would have had time to of finished months ago. KEEP IT UP BROTHER! Its been awhile since I've seen anyone I follow actually gain traction with their applied friction and smoke signals.

I'm not necessarily against the appearance altogether, but: The problem is that you seem to be taking it for granted that TC is a good-faith operator who is interested in truth, and that his rhetoric is sincere, which is simply not true and there are mountains of evidence throughout his career to prove it. When TC wants you on your show, it is not because he graciously wants to give you the opportunity to say your piece and spread the word, it is because he thinks what you have to say will be useful to his propaganda machine, which feeds off hate, fear, paranoia, etc for the primary goal of making himself money. He wants more hate, more fear, more paranoia in the world, because that makes him more money, that’s how he operates. You, and others before you might think that you’ve found a loophole to exploit his audience without supporting his broader purpose, but I really don’t think you have. He has been doing this for a long time and reframing the good intentions of others is something he is unfortunately quite good at. This is not to say that no left-leaning person should ever engage with him or be in his show, but man, you really really need to know what you're doing and at a minimum you have to be combative and make it clear how you feel about him. I don’t think this was an immoral move on your part, I just think it was ill-considered, and I find it particularly strange that you didn’t foresee how it would affect members of your community. This goes to the other issue: going on TC's show hurts your own credibility and undermines the work you’ve done to be the inverse of people like him – someone who does operate in good faith and is genuinely interested in truth. I’m not going to pretend it’s as bad as going on InfoWars (the old one) or Nick Fuentes’ show or anything like that, but it definitely doesn’t help I hope I'm wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if Tucker ends up repurposing your own words to push actively harmful and bigoted ideas. Time will tell I guess, but I certainly hope you managed to reach some of his audience in a positive way at least. Reaching audiences on the right in constructive ways is often a really difficult needle to thread, and it's thankless work, I definitely believe you when you say this was not a decision you took lightly and I wholly appreciate your reservations about the whole situation

You can disagree with someone and still engage them in conversation. If you want your message heard by the people who need it, sometimes you have to go to uncomfortable places. I'm glad that you disagree with many things Tucker has said, me too. But I appreciate that you had the stones to go talk about this issue with him. I mean, he's said some stupid shit, but this is how they learn that we can have a better world. Through kindness and conversation. Keep it up, sir!

It's brave to engage people like TC, who will likely edit footage for their own benefit. While I don't like grifters taking credit from actual researchers like you in this case, I admire you for going into this interview prepared and confident. I'm still upset about having watched an hour of Tucker :) Thank you, Benn, for stepping above your own shadow.

i stand with you, gotta use the platform to speak to people who otherwise wouldn't listen, you do good work

Pete Buttigieg is a model example of this kind of thing. He’s somehow able to go on Fox News and calmly, clearly deliver straight facts to people who hear propaganda 99% of the rest of the time. I don’t know how he does it, but we need people who can. Some of us have family members in the cult and are too close to the real-world harm to not be angry, so props to you for getting the word out.

Thank you for doing what we cannot. I am glad you went through with it! A tough decision, but how else are we going to start chipping away at their inability to learn from anyone except people who tell them what to think? I am so glad to see so much love in these comments.

I know that you know that Tucker Carlson is, before anything else, a white supremacist and champion of the wealthy elite who is responsible for helping cook the brains of a lot of Americans, and he remains a serious threat to the future of our county. That said, I 100% agree with you taking advantage of his platform to get good information in front of people who would have outright rejected it if they didn't hear it on his show. It was very, very good strategy. I have no intention of lending Tucker my eyes or ears, and I don't think anyone here needs to do feel obligated to do so just because you were on the show, but well done for taking the chance to get good info out there to people who otherwise would not hear it.

Benn, the people who claim you were wrong in appearing on Fucker Carlson's channel have the same closed mind as his followers do. Don't apologize.

This is absolutely the right thing to do

Doubling down on what plenty of others have said. You did the right thing. Anyone who cannot understand the pragmatism underpinning the decision is a likely to end up a net detriment to the movement anyways.

If it upset someone, that's on them and perhaps they should reevaluate their own stances. If you're incapable of doing that, then I'm sorry, you're not better of for it. Personally, I'm glad you went on.

I am no fan of Carlson but applaud you for accepting the opportunity to share your knowledge with an audience that might otherwise not proactively seek insights into concerns about mass surveillance that should be worrying to everyone. Definitely the right thing to do, and thank you for doing it and taking the risk!

I watched the show (incognito of course) and I was surprised at how few disagreements I had. Even Tucker was quite apolitical about the whole thing. His example of Houston was surprising to me when he could have picked on a city in California instead. I'm sure I'd disagree with him on many subjects, but on this subject we seem to be in complete alignment. It's so important for us to find those bridges we can build together, if we ever want bipartisan anything again.

Great interview Benn! For those who want to minimize their exposure to Tucker, Benn's interview starts at 30:00.

I think it was a smart move on your part to spread that message how you did. Still and always a strong supporter❤️

Sure I have a deep distaste for Tucker but utilizing the platform he has provided to further educate a wider audience on the issues surrounding Flock and surveillance as a whole I’m always down to support it. Thanks for fighting the good fight folks. Even if it puts you in uncomfortable company.

We need more of this, the willingness to engage across political divides that is.

I think if you're a classical liberal or a libertarian, you're gonna run into criticism from both sides of the aisle. Keep up the fight.

I’m glad you did it. I’ll watch it later.

Love your work both musical and moral. I hope you don't give up totally on the anti-surveillance activism. Your expose videos are one of the few things I look forward to in the dead internet!

Saw your mail. And you absolutely did the right thing. This will not draw your folks fighting for the right thing over to Tucker and his believes, but help to spread your word to his audience, which is a good thing. Having you there is a bigger win for the cause than it is for him. Therefore it was the right thing to do. We win by convincing those on the other side step by step, not by excluding and fighting them. Greetings and lots of love for your work from Switzerland from a guy not concerned about flock (which isn't a thing here) at all, but concerned about the state of society in general.

I watched the segment and I honestly can't see how anyone could possibly see this as negative. I don't know much about Tucker Carlson, but he clearly has a big platform and he let you speak freely on a matter that greatly benefits from more attention. The interview was respectful and I think you did a great job!

You know you're doing the right thing when liberals accuse you of failing the purity test.

Making these decisions will only get harder as the right tightens its grip on our media ecosystem so I think it’s worth really getting into it. We can agree there’s a point where a host is SO awful that no potential outreach or impact could justify appearing on their show. Somewhere between 'Bob’s Benign Takes Podcast' and 'Dave Throws Kids in the Wood Chipper Live' there’s a line. So IMO the interesting questions are a) what is that line and b) does Carlson cross it? For my part the line is when your message / credibility gets co-opted to legitimize some nutty right-wing political project. At that point you’ve screwed up. And I say Carlson crosses that line because his guests are there to serve his ends. It’s not a matter of 'if' but 'how' and 'how much damage.' Obviously many disagree which is fine - for some I suspect it’s because he has skillfully cultivated an 'evil but principled' on-air persona. Seeking common ground with a principled enemy against a mutual threat is sensible. But this is part of his grift. He isn’t motivated by principle and never has been. That’s only obvious if you do a deep dive into his political history, and who has the time? Bottom line, he might help you reach people, or he might turn heel in six months and say mass surveillance is good, actually. We just can’t know because he doesn’t actually care about anything except the murky right-wing grift he’s been nurturing for decades. That’s why I think appearing on his show is a (lower-case m) mistake. Whatever good you hope to do there you’re doing it on his terms and lending your credibility to a political project you can’t trust. ALL THAT SAID only thing I know for sure is I'm glad I’m not the one dealing with this. What a nightmare lol.

I think the same people would be pissed about a progressive pragmatist Pete Buttigieg speaking his truth on FOX. We are doomed if everyone's core identity has to align to a political label. Good on you for spreading the word, wherever you can, about the dystopia of surveillance tech.

Good on you for bringing awareness 🙏

Yeah, collaborating with fascists just ain't it. ✌️

I’m with you good sir. Tucker is a troll in a human skin suit but reaching the largely unreachable with important information is always worthwhile.

Did you make a point to talk about how right wing America is Spearheading this and how he’s literally evil? You’re smarter than this. You can spin it how ever you want because they will spin you. Lost me

Carlson sucks but this message is critical to get out to the exact audience that voted for this surveillance state

Thank you Benn for sitting in on the program. The right messenger delivers the right message from the right platform. The origin of people becoming mad at someone they support for appearing in show with someone they hate seems unthinking like many other commenters have pointed out. Like, maybe it started in the age of partisan media ambush interviews where the idea was to demoralize or embarrass the guest as a foil to a broader ideological or non-factual push. For example Fox News bringing on a progressive tax activist to tear them down and then use them almost as an exhibit of why to ignore progressive taxation. The fear of having a frontrunner like you being tarnished may have morphed with pervasive algorithmically amplified tribalism into anger at you, which is weird!

Regardless of whether someone is on the left or right: if we want to effectively protect our privacy, we need to work together. Sharing knowledge, like Ben did with Tucker, is exactly how we can spread awareness on this topic. So yes, I don't like Tucker, but I do appreciate what Ben did. Even the act of watching Tucker’s video simply because Ben is in it influences the algorithm to show this clip to an even broader audience. Always keep in mind: We are in this together.

Benn, thanks for doing this. Watch some of the Calrson interview, and found it thoughtful (and found it informative to hear about the former RI police officer's plight). Carlso seems to be of a like mind on this one, and I found his tone to be a bit more moderate at least on this topic. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to more music related video, and am glad you are digging into this new tech (cameras, robots, AI, etc) and how it is effecting us all.

Your entire thought process and reasoning behind doing the interview is rock solid. Getting the message out is paramount and you were given an excellent opportunity to educate many more Americans about the surveillance state. I tip my hat to you sir.

THANK YOU Benn for your sacrifices on this project. I really appreciate you championing this topic and the vast amount of testing and debunking you have done on mass surveillance. You are a true patriot and it is one of the many reasons I try to support you on Patreon.

Thanks Benn. The more people that understand the issue, the better.

The enemy of my enemy. The far right is fragmenting with people like Tucker's only agenda being to keep their infamy and viewership up and taking conflicting lines to achieve this, so at least some of them are bound to take _some_ positions the left agrees with. We shouldn't mistake anything they say for something they might actually believe or support. The Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit should have made this clear. And you're certainly not the only person I've seen use Tucker this way despite his abhorrent public persona.

Ben, I'm glad that you were able to reach a larger audience. We need as many people as possible to be concerned and taking action on this. Results are the only thing that matters, now more than ever. Be effective, acchieve results. Purity tests were one of the many contributing factors for where the country is now.

A sound and well thought through decicion. Differing opinions must be recoginzed, as well as widened. Sounds like you did both.

Just because you use someone’s platform to help reach a wider audience doesn’t meant you have to agree with any of their views. Just look at Sam Morril.

I just want you to know that I fully support your decision to take this opportunity to reach a broader demographic about an issue that affects everyone. Doing so in this way cannot have been an easy call to make, and many would not have had the courage - so kudos for that! We all know where your heart is and I really cannot think of any reason to think any less of you because of this decision.

If you bring him onto your show, that's giving him a platform. If you go on his show, that's making use of his platform to bring sane and useful information to his audience. Feels like an unvarnished good to me.

Go Benn. Stay fearless. We love you. Thank you for everything you do.

It's really cool you had a chance to slip real information past the reflexive defensiveness that pops up when an idea is offered by someone considered "too liberal."

I hadn't followed that saga so I went to check the interview. I also don't agree with everything Tucker does, and I can be confident in saying that you and I may have quite some differing points of view on some topics. :D But after watching your interview, I think you refrained from any politically biased statements and remained factual, as well as defending the public at large while exposing what does indeed look like corruption. Anyone who sees a problem with this interview (or even the mere fact of appearing on Tucker’s platform, for that matter) is not exactly open minded, to put it mildly. Remember, as soon as you have any kind of public voice over any politically-charged subject, you will absolutely offend some people. There’s no way everyone will be happy with you. :) And it’s very important that our societies remain that way. Thanks for fighting for privacy, a right that is gradually becoming eroded by greedy and control-seeking freaks. And it’s not only about public camera surveillance - which I believe may have its merits under certain circumstances and tight transparency, and it’s clearly not the case here.

I disagree with your decision. I think it does harm the communities you’ve advocated for legitimizing his mark on the world. But, I really appreciate this thoughtful note to explain why you ultimately made it & felt it was the right thing to do. 🌸 to you & fam

Tucker Carlson is a bad person spreading a variety of harmful messages. You've given him an opportunity to share a message that could be helpful rather than harmful, and you did it in a way where you avoided contributing to any of his harmful messages. I will not be watching the interview, and I completely understand (and share) your conflicted feelings regarding the whole thing, but I'm glad you are warning _everybody_ about the massive harm that comes from these mass surveillance programs, and hopefully will get even more people to push back against them.

I appreciate you talking the time to explain yourself, even if I don't think you need to. I think if it was possible to build coalitions with actual power without ever having to interact with people you don't 100% agree with, we wouldn't be in the situation we're in, so good on you being willing to do the hard work.

Really difficult decision to make but good on you for getting real, good information out to anyone who will listen. I don't know how I'd handle an opportunity like that and I hope I take any that come my way with the same level of thought and care as I'm sure you put in. Keep up the good work, and here's hoping next year brings you back to a more joy-filled orbit.

Carpe Diem. I support this - thanks for reaching my family members - haven't been able to otherwise - and at the risk of being ostracized by the community at large

You made the right call

Have open and free dialogue between people of all views and positions is surely the basis of a healthy liberal democracy. Well done Benn.

Just adding to the number saying "bravo" to this; at this point, given your history, I trust your motives and judgment.

For what it's worth, I am grateful for your advocacy against mass surveillance. I'm sure many would agree, I only knew a fraction about how dangerous Flock cameras are until you started making content about them!

The world is not just black or white. Tucker can be an absolute p.o.s. AND be an ally fighting a greater evil at the same time.

The conversation about privacy and surveillance is one that transcends politics - or at least, it should. The only way to solve problems like this is for us to work together where most of us agree. You absolutely did the right thing here.

yea, you did this right, and it's important for people to see that it's not a partisan issue

You've earned the benefit of he doubt via a track record of integrity. All good with me, brother. Next time ask Tucker if he's recovered from the nightime demon attack.

I'm very glad you did the interview. I have loved ones who are they type to listen to a guy like tucker and as much as I dislike him he seems to at least have some principles

We are so purposely divided in this country, there is little hope of fixing anything if we cannot find at least some common ground where we agree. I appreciate and command you for your efforts to bridge the gap.

If you're going to change minds, you need to engage beyond the boundaries of those who already agree with you. I get it. And as odious is Tucker Carlson is, he is at least able to let other people have their own ideas and opinions without immediately calling down the flying monkey brigade. It's why he's not well liked within Trump's bubble full of sycophants. And to be fair, Carlson's fan base is largely anti-government to a large degree. They're just on the more narcissistic and insular side of that end of the political spectrum. It's good for them to hear about some commonalities with people they might otherwise feel little kinship with. All of which to say: Interesting times beget interesting methods. And I'll certainly be interested to see how this turns out. :)

I'm glad you did the interview, Benn. We are in a desperate place as a nation, and we need to be spreading sensibility wherever we can, to whoever we can get to listen. I've been doing something similar with my UTW outreach, so I really appreciate when other creators are making the same choice. ❤️

You can't platform someone who already has one of the biggest platforms in the world. Going on Tucker's show, especially with your typical degree of care and caution, does very little to promote him but a lot to promote your concerns and viewpoint, which is important.

You did well to take the opportunity to educate rather than let ignorance dominate.

I agree it's worth it to get that insulated audience informed. They are very willing to ignore information not presented by their "trusted sources" which is why we are in our current shit show. (I don't think I could keep from fully expressing my opinions to deliver the information without vitriol. Good on ya'.)

This is great news. Happy it went well, Tucker's access to an audience is a great stepping stone

It’s important to use the platform to voice what you have to say!

Personally, I think it was the right decisions and done for the right reason. That said, fuck Tucker lol

people who can't stand diversity of thought should not be listened to. and you shouldn't feel compelled to have to explain yourself for presenting on an issue you think is important to tucker or satan himself. most of my family will listen to what tucker has to say, so i'm glad you took the time!

You’re legitimizing and normalizing his platform, even if you don’t want to. It’s pretty naive IMHO. He’s not just someone with different opinions, he’s a white nationalist who has done pretty much everything in his power to help Trump take over the Republican Party and the country

I've spent decades digging moats. Now all I want to do is build bridges. Please keep talking to everybody. The overwhelming majority of Americans agree on an overwhelming majority of things and we can't let the oligarchy or the politics of outrage split us apart on core issues we all agree on.

Benn, I agree that you made the right call. It's a hard truth to swallow, but shouting into an echo chamber doesn't make meaningful change as effectively as broader outreach to communities does, especially if those communities have been carefully siloed into their own echo chambers. It's an expertly implemented and well-documented strategy of the economically powerful to throttle information streams. Educating people means you have to speak into that bottleneck, even if the bottle itself is questionably filthy. Thanks for keeping our eyes open and our hearts alive. Your determination to do what you see as right, without letting go of who you are, helps many of us remember we can do that too.

Glad you did. People we don't agree with are still going to exist and if we want change, there has to be a path towards it.

It's a really tough position to be in. I think you did it for the right reasons and you're clearly trying to handle it as best as you can (distancing, addressing the community). I respect you for doing what you think is right, and that you're sticking to your action. I do think it's a step towards bipartisanship. Privacy is a human right

What a cool opportunity. Thank you for being so thoughtful about it!

It takes courage to do this and not fall into partisanship death traps. Huge kudos for doing it. Also I kind of want to watch it now to see how it went?

It's apparent how much thought went into your decision. I hope it helps, props for stepping outside of your comfort zone like that!

Fuck TC. Worth it.

Benn, you are a good man and wonderful human being. Your energy and passion to be of service to others awe inspiring. We all know that it’s literally impossible please everyone at all times. It was nice of you here to provide us, your loyal supporters, with this detailed explanation of your decisions/actions. Speaking only for myself, you have absolutely nothing to explain, no reason to justify your actions to anyone, because your excellent reputation always precedes you, and for that I trust your good judgment. -Be well, be kind, and lead a good life 😊

I support you 100% on this

Use their weapons of mass Desinformation!

No offense taken. Sounds like you reached a lot of folks who needed to hear about this.

Given how many of these people aren’t hearing anything about Flock, or are hearing “they’re just anti-police”, this is super important. While I find him repugnant, this is an issue that is being harmed by a lack of actual awareness.

Benn, I fully support you doing Tucker Carlson. We all have way more in common with him and his audience than people care to admit, and if you disagree with that, that's the machine succeeding at dividing you. Doing the uncomfortable thing is often the most important. Congratulations again. Truly, Benn, congratulations.

I guess I disagree with others here, and no longer feel welcome in this community (as some of the above comments imply that disagreement is "mad" and "not touching grass").

I really appreciate you putting yourself in this uncomfortable situation. How can anyone expect to break people out of their isolated garbage news loop without meeting them where they are.

Your decision to go on the show, as well as this post itself, are admirable examples of what personal integrity truly looks like. Thank you for being you!

God forbid 'both sides' agree on something important. Good work!

I appreciate you and am thankful that you're working to get the word out regarding the surveillance state that is being created. Thank you.

Giving off some light Luthen "condemned to use the tools of my enemies" vibe here, haha. But I would say getting the messaging out and getting more eyes/ears on the subject is the most important part here...but I completely get why people don't say the ends justify the means. We all have our different levels of what is comfortable/acceptable. For instance, I'll never actually see the clip because Tucker can be the broken clock right twice a day and doesn't need more clicks, but of course the video wasn't made for me. At the end of the day, I don't think it can be argued Benn is still very much fighting the good fight.

Anything to increase exposure on the issue is worthwhile

People too pure to fight where the battles are aren't as serious about fighting as they are about virtue signaling.

Agreed with many here - issues like this are issues which expand across lines and its important we find alliances on issues where we can.

I'm a huge lefty and I still think this was a good way to use "the weapon of the enemy" against a bigger target. You don't need my absolution or anything here, but you've got it, man.

Using his audience to reach an audience that needs to hear it is smart.

Agree with others here. Glad you're in the discourse. Maps of Flock cameras show intentional barriers between communities of color and gated communities. Couldn't be more clear. Important to get bi partisan and cross-bubble awareness and anxiety raised about the overall surveillance threat. Even if they're not afraid of the State, they should know private hands are holding dangerous data. Mayor Pete on Fox makes important points. No reason you should shy away from speaking your mind on questionable platforms too imho.

Having an opportunity to communicate truth to the public is not equivalent to aligning yourself with TC. This took some guts and i'm glad you did it.

Hey people can be right in the wrong way. Broken clock correct twice a day kinda thing. Tucker is 100% that. It's what fascism does. Takes valid concerns and weaponizes them to manufacture consent.

It saddens me to note that we will miss you in this fight against tyranny. Because you say you’re going to stop covering surveillance topics and focus on other things. Which I understand.

Not sure who's upset about this, but im glad you took the opportunity to spread awareness. Even if it was on that unfortunate podcast.

I agree with all of your points here, and it was a great idea to use this as an opportunity to spread knowledge where it may otherwise not exist. Anyone who thinks you align with all of Tucker's viewpoints simply because you appear on his show clearly hasn't seen any of your content.

Using him to reach a larger audience and get more people to realize what's going on is a smart move. It's obviously not an endorsement.

It's important to find common ground on important issues, even if one still needs to vociferously disagree on other issues. That's how politics should work.

the more people aware, the better!

You're awesome, keep it up

Congrats on getting your message in front of new audiences

Bravo for doing this!

Tucker is a piece of @#$% .. but some topics can be viewed as more universal (such as this), and educating folks that we may not agree with on other topics is a good thing. That said, I hate you for doing this because I am about to go watch a Tucker Carlson video.

Using his platform to deliver a message to an otherwise unreachable audience is an intelligent move in my humble opinion. Happy to see a member of my community navigating a difficult environment to deliver an important massage. Kudos to you sir!

I think you did the right thing

The "platform" sucks, but I agree with getting the message out to people who are viewing it. I suspect this will be the only time his viewers will be hearing anything negative about tools like Flock.

I’m of the mind that we don’t change minds by excluding voices from the conversation. It only seems to make people dig in further. Spread your message by whatever means are necessary. This fight is important.

Good on you for taking the opportunity to speak on this topic on an otherwise toxic platform. Hopefully the message spreads to those who wouldn’t normally hear it.

Anyone mad about it can't think for themselves and likely hasn't touched grass in a long time.

Glad you can be a voice involved in a larger discourse.