Why does he need to be defended? Does he actually contribute to the issues he is concerned with in any way that doesn’t also benefit his brand? How would any streamer, regardless of their professed politics, be worth anything to a revolutionary process? Why is he not a mere spectacle?
I think he’s very valuable. He’s become more able to articulate Marxist theory over the years and he’s tuned in to mainstream lib shit enough to critique it from a more leftist lens. This isn’t to say most of his value doesn’t lie on the mere fact that he is one of the biggest streamers on the planet, but he’s hot and presentable and his politics aren’t terrible.
I add, I don’t watch him regularly. This massive smear campaign is obviously astrotrufed for a reason. If the evidence isn’t clear cut and verges more into selectively edited bullshit, I’m going to back the guy.