What attracted you to DAGGER?

[palimpsest]

The hydewars video with Don. Right away you got the vibe he was one of us, but without the mandatory fashy posturing of r/mde. Refreshing

[palimpsest]

Heard about Don after he messaged me for being a runner-up the MDE writing contest, and looked up his name to find the Dagger mag website. I'm a little skeptical about outsider publications, because they tend to be shit. They are outside the literary establishment for good reason. I checked out some of the stories, had a few chuckles, and bookmarked the website. What converted me was the editor's note on the newest online edition, where Don talked about politics as a means to posture, specifically how grassroots progressivism today has been whittled down to a novelty, a nostalgic roleplaying game for the youth. The political complacency and decadence of the young generation is not a new idea (and not new to the current times either, listen to "Maybe Partying Will Help" by the Minutemen), but I appreciated the lucidity of Don's writing, along with the fact that no one seems to be talking about this stuff in an intelligent manner. Every literary outlet seems to be attacking things that are either obvious or not even worth talking about. Go to the McSweeney's website and you'll see 200 snarky stories critiquing the vapidness of social media branding, reality tv, corny political candidates etc. etc. These people have no balls in their writing, no creativity, except pompous assurance in their "left-leaning" beliefs, wafting in the smell of their own farts, endlessly. It has become clear to me that the truth, whatever that may mean, has to come from down under--the anonymized, chaotic boards of 4chan/8chan, the last vanguard where authority has not made its grip. Don understands this, and his stance on the importance of shitposting in shaping and discovering the truth is original and it's fucking true. The phrase, "Trump is the first president that was elected by shitposting" is brilliant, and I bring it up to my friends all the time (one of my friends, a sociology major, is considering writing a thesis on this topic after my constant propagandizing). I wouldn't have had this realization if it wasn't for Dagger. As for the print magazine, I was impressed not only by the content, but the aesthetics and the obvious effort that went to it. To see people with similar sensibilities put so much passion into a project, outside the realm of public opinion, is beautiful, redemptive. I interpreted the last page, where they shout out God, as genuine. If anyone understands God, what it means to live outside yourself, for others, for the truth, it seems to be the people here, and for that I am thankful. Amen.

This is a fuckin fantastic post, btw

[Tolenza]

As others have said, I saw Don on HydeWars and I thought he had a really eloquent way of speaking, striking me as someone who probably reads/writes A LOT, which he later confirmed in the episode. I'm always looking for thought-provoking content, and I love when people can take an honest look at the ugly truths around us. Given my rural surroundings and the prevalence of boomers, I don't have much of an outlet for expressing the way I really see the world, so it's fucking cathartic to see other people doing it. I rarely do much more than lurk when I go to forums, but I felt like this place had a special energy so I decided to offer a slice of my perspective. And the Daggermag site looks badass.

[moevot]

Seeing DJ on Hyde Wars. Real comfy episode with a lot of interesting out of the way topics and perspectives. Bought the physical edition that very night and didn't regret it.

I did the exact same thing.

[hayden]

Seeing DJ on Hyde Wars. Real comfy episode with a lot of interesting out of the way topics and perspectives. Bought the physical edition that very night and didn't regret it.

I did the exact same thing.

Same here! Got my copy of Dag Mag soon after, and have never looked back.

[KHOKABOG]

Got pointed here by my friend GENERALLYKILLING aka NAVY SEAL EXTREME aka PSYOPS MASTER (LOCATION: THE US EMPIRE). Unfortunately, my boy shipped out. But this is a good place, I like it.

[Archadus]

attached Chuck pretty much sums it up for me. looking for a spot (SAFE SPACE) where lads can be lads. saw dagger's involvement in HYDEWARS. saw the print mag which I thought was sick, so I copped it and dug it. here now, and it feels oh so right

[tito]

Its just good writing... People here have a grip on the word........bukowski was the easiest shit for me to read untill dagger......bomb the u.s. govt...........it was a grasp on language that was appealing ........