It turns out that the great and mighty Oz, better known as the man who pulls the strings behind the curtain, is the 35-year-old American-born son of Turkish parents.
No less contentious than his well-known, left-wing political activist uncle, Cenk Kadir Uygur, co-creator and host of the controversial program The Young Turks, Hasan Piker has risen to fame as a political power broker.
Demanding strict allegiance to the main tenets of the Democratic Socialist party, the all-powerful Internet superstar, who has gotten up to a billion views for his content, will not bestow his coveted blessing upon any potential candidate unless they pass his scrutiny.
Those include their commitment to: open borders, universal healthcare, no foreign wars, and, possibly most important, aligning with the Free Palestine movement.
Despite his insistence that he is not antisemitic, Piker, who happens to be a Muslim, is known as “a vocal proponent of Palestinian rights, frequently using his streaming platform and media appearances to advocate for a “Free Palestine,” criticize Israeli government policies, and support pro-Palestinian political figures.
Among his more incendiary comments, three stand out the most: The first is “that America deserved 9/11, because US foreign policy had made an event like 9/11 possible.” The second is that “Hamas is a thousand times better than Israel,” stating that “if rapes happened on October 7, that wouldn’t change his opinion.”
And the third is “calling for the killing of American landlords, saying, ‘let the streets soak in their red capitalist blood.’”
For his 9/11 comment, Piker was temporarily suspended from Twitch (the popular live-stream broadcasting platform owned by Amazon) and had his travel permit revoked, making it impossible for him to enter the UK.
It’s hard to comprehend how Piker remains such a popular figure, given his preference for a barbaric terror group over the democratic country of Israel as well as comments that display an obvious contempt for the country where he was lucky enough to be born.
Nonetheless, he has a steady stream of 10 million followers across multiple social media platforms, mostly male followers enthralled by his radical-left politics, which he has turned into performance art – mixing gym culture, gaming, and an exaggerated male image, and focusing on socialist issues.
Seizing on the lost generation of men ridiculed by the Democratic Party for either having too much toxic masculinity or being insensitive to women, Piker saw an opportunity to capture their attention.
By empathizing with their inability to purchase homes and access other benefits their parents and grandparents had, Piker discovered a real dearth in the male market, creating a space for him to address their gripes and make them feel heard.
The average Piker fan is said to be “young adult males, between the ages of 18 to 29, heavily active online, and leaning politically progressive, leftist, or socialist. His core audience consists largely of Gen Z and younger millennial men interested in anti-establishment politics, media commentary, and internet culture.”
When you combine those particular listeners who lament their station in life and couple it with the politics of Democratic socialism, you get a healthy dose of radicals who are easy prey for the notion that anarchy and burning down the status quo is the best solution.
It’s that ever-growing niche market which has catapulted Piker to the top, turning him into a sort of socialist pope whose ring must be kissed by aspiring political figures. Once they get his approval, they’re sitting pretty.
And that’s what happened to Abdul El-Sayed, who, only a week ago, won his bid in the primaries to serve as a senator for the State of Michigan. As the saying goes, “birds of a feather flock together.” Piker and El-Sayed became fast friends.
Spending the night together at a pool party before the election results came in, Piker and El-Sayed looked like the two “cool kids” with peak confidence, believing the win would be secured – and it was.
An army of captive listeners
With great ideological similarities, it’s no wonder the two are often spotted together. And although much criticism was hurled at El-Sayed for appearing to be so chummy with an individual who harbors great resentment for America, it didn’t prevent him from winning – albeit by a few thousand votes.
One can only wonder if El-Sayed will cave in to pressure and shun Piker for the sake of victory in November? That might prove to be tricky since a large portion of his potential supporters would be heavily influenced by Piker.
Would they feel slighted by the would-be senator who might be seen as a sellout who abandoned his political soulmate for the sake of a win?
And would Piker forgive him, knowing that the only way El-Sayed could prevail would be to distance himself from a prominent anti-American and antisemitic voice?
It all remains to be seen, but no one should underestimate the power of Piker, whose influence is as statuesque as the man who stands at 193 centimeters, towering over all others, both physically and metaphorically.
With youth, popularity, wealth, and influence, Piker’s future looks promising, as he continues to grow his following, steering them in the extreme direction he hopes America will take and fundamentally change its classic image.
Piker’s American dream will be the nightmare of most citizens who will have to fight tooth and nail to keep their country from going full on red and green – red for the socialist/communist ideology, and green for the Islamic way of life that seeks to be imposed by the likes of Piker and El-Sayed.
Socialism and Islam are the grim reapers of freedom and liberty, seeking to silence all other voices as they force their way into the culture and customs that were beloved by past generations who gave their lives so that a better tomorrow could be the reality of future generations.
Hasan Piker is determined to make sure that never happens, and, towards that end, he is assembling an army of captive listeners who have his attention. Will he succeed in putting an end to the American dream, or will he be exposed as the dangerous man behind the curtain who poses a real threat as he pulls the strings to replace freedom and democracy?
The writer, a former principal of Jerusalem elementary and middle schools, was a member of Kibbutz Re’im from 1994 to 1999. She is the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs, available on Amazon.
