Hasan Piker Admits He Was Born to Be Champagne Socialist

Hasan Piker likes to strut around in a suit in the style of 20th-century dictator Mao Zedong. He likes to visit Cuba, but only the neighborhoods carefully manicured by the regime to win the admiration of tourists. By Piker’s own admission on talk show host Ziwe’s program, however, he’s comfortable with his lifestyle hypocrisy: He hasn’t always wanted to be a socialist — he’s always wanted to be a champagne socialist.

“Did you always want to be a champagne socialist?” Ziwe asked. “Umm . . . yes,” Piker replied, with discomfort. That is, a person who participates in decadence while publicly supporting egalitarian policies.

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Caroline Downey

Caroline Downey is a staff writer for National Review.

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Hasan Piker

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Hasan Piker likes to strut around in a suit in the style of 20th-century dictator Mao Zedong. He likes to visit Cuba, but only the neighborhoods carefully manicured by the regime to win the admiration of tourists. By Piker’s own admission on talk show host Ziwe’s program, however, he’s comfortable with his lifestyle hypocrisy: He hasn’t always wanted to be a socialist — he’s always wanted to be a champagne socialist.

“Did you always want to be a champagne socialist?” Ziwe asked. “Umm . . . yes,” Piker replied, with discomfort. That is, a person who participates in decadence while publicly supporting egalitarian policies.