This Thomas Lockley Situation Is Insane

Summary

The video script discusses the controversy surrounding 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' and its portrayal of historical figure Yasuke, focusing on the backlash against historian Thomas Lockley. It explores the game's impact on cultural and political discourse, accusations of historical inaccuracy, and the debate over Lockley's credibility and alleged manipulation of Wikipedia. The Metatron, the channel's host, offers a balanced view, critiquing extreme reactions and advocating for fair examination of evidence before making judgments.

Takeaways

• 🎮 The video discusses the controversy surrounding the game 'Assassin's Creed Shadows', which started as a game review but escalated into a historical analysis, social media debate, and even a diplomatic crisis.
• 🗡️ The game is set in feudal Japan, and the protagonist is Yasuke, a historical figure of African descent. This choice of protagonist has sparked debates about historical accuracy and representation.
• 🌐 The video mentions that Ubisoft, the game's developer, has been accused of using the game for political correctness and manipulating historical narratives to fit a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) agenda.
• 📚 Thomas Lley, a historian and author of 'African Samurai', has been at the center of the controversy. Critics accuse him of manipulating historical facts and promoting his book through Wikipedia edits.
• 🔍 The video suggests that many YouTubers and gamers have conducted their own research on Japanese history to challenge Lley's claims, leading to a surge in self-proclaimed 'experts' on the subject.
• 🇯🇵 The controversy has also involved Japanese gamers who feel misrepresented by the portrayal of Yasuke, and there is a debate about whether he was indeed a samurai.
• 🌐 The video highlights the involvement of politicians and the media in the controversy, turning it into a political issue rather than an academic one.
• 👨‍🏫 Thomas Lley is accused of using a pseudonym on Wikipedia to promote his work, but the video suggests that he was open about his identity and did not act with malicious intent.
• 🔥 The video criticizes the extreme reactions to Lley's work, including calls for his dismissal from his academic position and personal attacks, suggesting that these responses are disproportionate to the issue at hand.
• 🤔 The video concludes by emphasizing the importance of fair and balanced discussion, calling for evidence-based arguments and a rejection of cancel culture in historical debates.

Q & A

What is the controversy surrounding the game 'Assassin's Creed Shadows'?

The controversy revolves around the game's setting in feudal Japan and the choice of a non-Japanese protagonist, which has led to debates about historical accuracy and cultural representation.

Why did the discussion about 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' escalate to a national and diplomatic level?

The discussion escalated due to the involvement of politicians and the game's developers' claims of historical accuracy, which led to a broader debate about cultural representation and the impact of games on historical understanding.

What is the role of Thomas Lee in this controversy?

Thomas Lee, a professor, has been accused of influencing the game's development with his research on Yas, a historical figure, and of promoting a particular narrative that some perceive as politically motivated.

What are the accusations against Thomas Lee regarding his Wikipedia edits?

Thomas Lee is accused of using an alternate account to edit Wikipedia pages related to Yas, promoting his own book and research, and potentially manipulating historical understanding.

How does the Metatron view the accusations of Thomas Lee manipulating Wikipedia?

The Metatron expresses skepticism about the accusations, noting that Lee had publicly admitted to making edits under the account 'toor Tom' and that it may not be an attempt to hide his identity.

What is the Metatron's stance on the use of historical figures in video games?

The Metatron believes that while historical fiction and fantasy can be used in games, they should maintain a logical suspension of disbelief and coherent narrative integration to be believable.

What evidence does the Metatron provide to support his views on Thomas Lee's intentions?

The Metatron cites his own experience of exchanging emails with Thomas Lee, noting Lee's politeness and willingness to collaborate, which does not align with the image of a manipulative historian.

How does the Metatron address the involvement of Japanese politicians in the controversy?

The Metatron criticizes the involvement of politicians, suggesting that it has turned the academic discussion into a political one, with absolute statements that are uncharacteristic of professional historians.

What is the Metatron's opinion on the harassment and potential cancellation of Thomas Lee?

The Metatron does not support harassment or attempts to cancel Thomas Lee, advocating for intellectual debate and the presentation of counterarguments instead.

How does the Metatron suggest handling disagreements with Thomas Lee's historical interpretations?

The Metatron suggests that those who disagree with Thomas Lee should present their own evidence and reasoning, rather than resorting to personal attacks or attempts to silence him.

Outlines

00:00

🕵️ Controversy Over Assassin's Creed Shadows and Thomas Lockley

The video script discusses the controversy surrounding the game 'Assassin's Creed Shadows', which escalated from a game review to a historical analysis, then to a social media battleground, and finally a diplomatic crisis. The focus is on the game's setting in feudal Japan and the protagonist's race, which has led to accusations of racism and political correctness. The script introduces Thomas Lockley, a historian whose work on Yas, a historical black African figure in Japan, has been scrutinized and challenged by gamers and YouTubers, leading to a debate on the accuracy of historical representation in the game and the role of politics in historical revisionism.

05:01

📚 The Debate on Historical Accuracy and Representation in Assassin's Creed Shadows

This paragraph delves into the debate on the historical accuracy of 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' and the role of the game's protagonist, Yas. It highlights the expectation of players to play as a native character and the disappointment when the protagonist's race and background do not align with these expectations. The script also addresses the overuse of the term 'racist' and the politicization of the debate, with a focus on the role of Thomas Lockley, whose academic credentials and methods have been questioned in the context of the game's historical setting and character representation.

10:03

🎮 The Impact of 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' on Academic and Political Discourse

The script explores the impact of 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' on both academic and political discourse, with a focus on the backlash against Thomas Lockley. It discusses the accusations of historical inaccuracy and the politicization of history, particularly in the context of the game's development and the involvement of Ubisoft. The paragraph also addresses the broader implications of the controversy, including the potential for the game to influence perceptions of history and the role of historians in shaping these narratives.

15:04

🗣️ The Role of Media and Politicians in the 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' Controversy

This section of the script examines the role of media and politicians in the controversy surrounding 'Assassin's Creed Shadows'. It discusses the involvement of Japanese politicians and journalists, the potential for political bias in historical representation, and the accusations against Thomas Lockley of manipulating historical narratives. The paragraph also highlights the complexities of the debate, including the difficulty in distinguishing between historical fact and fiction in the context of the game.

20:05

🤔 The Question of Yas' Samurai Status and the Academic Integrity of Thomas Lockley

The script raises questions about the historical status of Yas as a samurai and the academic integrity of Thomas Lockley. It discusses the lack of consensus among historians and the potential for bias in historical interpretation. The paragraph also addresses the accusations against Lockley of using a fake account to manipulate Wikipedia and the subsequent debunking of these claims, highlighting the importance of evidence-based discourse in academic debate.

25:07

📉 The Consequences for Thomas Lockley and the Broader Implications for Academia

This paragraph discusses the personal and professional consequences faced by Thomas Lockley as a result of the controversy, including allegations of academic misconduct and the impact on his career. It also explores the broader implications for academia, particularly the challenges of maintaining academic integrity in the face of political and social pressures. The script emphasizes the importance of evidence-based research and the need for historians to approach their work with objectivity and professionalism.

📚 A Call for Evidence-Based Discourse and Fair Treatment in Historical Debates

The final paragraph of the script calls for evidence-based discourse and fair treatment in historical debates, particularly in the context of the controversy surrounding 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' and Thomas Lockley. It emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between academic disagreements and personal attacks, and the need for a respectful and evidence-based approach to historical research and debate. The script concludes with a call for viewers to engage in thoughtful discussion and critical thinking about the issues raised.

Keywords

💡Assassin's Creed Shadows

Assassin's Creed Shadows is a video game developed by Ubisoft, which is the central topic of the video script. The game is set in feudal Japan and has sparked controversy due to its historical representation and the choice of its protagonist. The video discusses the game's impact on historical accuracy and the broader cultural and political discussions it has generated.

💡historical accuracy

Historical accuracy refers to how closely a work, such as a video game or film, aligns with the actual events and context of a historical period. In the video, the creator criticizes Ubisoft for not maintaining historical accuracy in Assassin's Creed Shadows, particularly in the portrayal of the protagonist and the events of the game, which has led to debates about the game's representation of Japanese history.

💡protagonist

The protagonist is the main character in a story or game. The video script discusses the controversy surrounding the choice of the protagonist in Assassin's Creed Shadows, who is not a traditional Japanese samurai, leading to debates about cultural representation and authenticity in the game.

💡Thomas lley

Thomas lley is a central figure in the video, who is criticized for his alleged role in promoting a historically inaccurate representation of Yas, a historical figure, in his book 'African Samurai'. The video discusses the backlash against lley and the broader implications of his work on the historical narrative of Yas.

💡cultural representation

Cultural representation in media refers to how accurately and respectfully a culture is depicted. The video script explores the controversy over the cultural representation in Assassin's Creed Shadows, particularly the portrayal of Japanese history and characters, and how this has led to broader discussions about representation in video games.

💡political correctness

Political correctness is the avoidance of expressions or actions that can be perceived to marginalize or offend certain groups. The video discusses how accusations of political correctness have been used to criticize those who challenge the historical accuracy of Assassin's Creed Shadows, suggesting that some view the game's representation as an attempt to cater to modern sensibilities at the expense of historical truth.

💡historical revisionism

Historical revisionism is the act of reinterpreting or altering historical events or figures to fit a particular narrative or agenda. The video script suggests that some critics accuse Thomas lley and Ubisoft of engaging in historical revisionism by altering the historical narrative of Yas and the events of feudal Japan in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

💡Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a collaborative online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. The video discusses allegations that Thomas lley used a Wikipedia account to promote his book and alter historical information about Yas, which has become a point of controversy in the debate over the accuracy of his work and the game's portrayal of history.

💡diplomatic crisis

A diplomatic crisis refers to a situation where international relations are severely strained, often due to disagreements or conflicts. The video script mentions a diplomatic crisis as a potential outcome of the controversy surrounding Assassin's Creed Shadows, highlighting the global impact of the game's historical inaccuracies and the intense reactions it has provoked.

💡cancel culture

Cancel culture is a modern phenomenon where individuals or groups publicly call for the ostracism of someone who has done something considered offensive or controversial. The video discusses the potential dangers of cancel culture in the context of the backlash against Thomas lley, suggesting that the intense criticism and calls for his professional and personal ostracism may be excessive.

Highlights

The controversy around 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' and its historical accuracy sparked a social media battle and national upheaval.

Ubisoft's choice of protagonist in 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' set in feudal Japan has been a point of contention among gamers.

The expectation of a Japanese protagonist in a Japanese setting has been a trademark of the Assassin's Creed series.

The use of the term 'racist' has become overused, as shown by the increase in its usage over time.

Thomas Laley, a central figure in the controversy, has been accused of manipulating historical narratives for political correctness.

The debate over Yas's racial and social status in history has been fueled by the game's development and Laley's involvement.

Some gamers and YouTubers have been accused of harassment against Thomas Laley, blurring the lines between critique and personal attacks.

The involvement of politicians and the media has turned the historical debate into a political issue.

The accusation that Thomas Laley used a fake Wikipedia account to promote his book has been debunked.

The channel argues that the academic community should focus on evidence-based discussions rather than political narratives.

The channel criticizes the overuse of absolute statements in historical debates, which detracts from academic integrity.

The channel calls for a fair and balanced approach to historical debates, respecting differing viewpoints without personal attacks.

The controversy has led to a broader discussion on the representation of historical figures in video games and the impact on cultural narratives.

The channel emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between historical fiction and factual history in media representation.

The channel suggests that the controversy may have been fueled by a misunderstanding or misrepresentation of Thomas Laley's work.

The channel concludes by encouraging viewers to engage in respectful discourse and to avoid the pitfalls of cancel culture.

Transcripts

if you have opinions about this specific

matter Assassin's Creed Thomas lley and

you wish to share them with me in order

to begin a discussion come join my live

stream tomorrow 300 p.m. central the

live is already scheduled so you can

click the link in the description and

select notify me we'll be talking about

Thomas lley and many other topics see

you

there hello Noble ones welcome back to

my channel this is the Metatron speaking

so Assassin's Creed

Shadows

again here me because this is getting

insane it all started as a game review

which proceeded to become a historical

analysis turned social media

Battleground then turned into a national

upheaval which then became a diplomatic

crisis with politicians involved next is

what they're going to start a damn world

war for it deploy weapons of mass

destruction and here it comes nuclear

winter the production of Assassin's

Creed Shadows has just become a

civilization ending event well I can't

say I'm surprised to find out that it

was Ubisoft in fact that did us all in

anyway speculative future occurrences

aside ladies and gentlemen this is a mul

historically accurate representation of

the current state of our species

Collective

[Music]

psyche hello Noble ones welcome back to

my channel this is the Metatron speaking

and today we're talking about Assassin's

Creed Shadows developed by Lawless swamp

plant of Dishonor Ubisoft now I have a

few videos on this game myself mostly

discussing the historical accuracy or

like thereof something I've been doing

consistently since 2013 before anyone

starts accusing me of oh you're jumping

on the bandwagon just for clicks I

started doing this sort of historical

evaluation of games to geek out before

it became a political matter within the

culture War but I digress the core of

the conundrum is that Assassin's Creed

Shadows is set in fudal Japan so Gamers

initially expected to play as a Japanese

Samurai guy also because to be fair the

protagonist being native to the setting

of an Assassin's Creed game has been

sort of a trademark of the series for

instance Assassin's Creed 2 set in Italy

and you play as etor de Assassin's Creed

Odyssey set in Greece and you play as a

Greek guy with the result of hearing the

word malaka every 16 seconds in

Assassin's Creed Origins you play as an

Egyptian guy in three you get a big

chunk of the game where you can play as

a Native American so on and so forth but

then again in Assassin's Creed Valhalla

yes you're playing as a Norse but the

game is set in England shut up it's

about Vikings oh Metatron what about

Black Flag huh you're playing as a Welsh

protagonist but it's set in the

Caribbeans they are Buccaneers and one

of the most famous Buccaneers was Welsh

I mean

anyways moral of the story some Gamers

don't like the protagonist Choice and

then they get called racists for it

which I mean don't get me wrong some of

the people in the comments were actually

racist and they were horrible but apart

from that I think that there are a few

Gamers that get enraged because the

simple fact that they didn't like the

protagonist Choice doesn't make them

automatically racist but unfortunately

this word is now absolutely overused as

we can see ourselves as we review the

data online and according to Google

engram look at the difference in usage

of the word racist between 2019 and the

freaking

1800s we say racist more than they did

in the freaking post-world War if that

doesn't tell you something regardless

most people including me don't have a

problem with a black protagonist it's

the reasons why Ubisoft did it which

let's be real it's Dei check boxes you

know it I know it we all know it

although to be precise I do have to say

one thing you know that I hate it when

they race war a historical character

whether it be a black character turning

white or a white character turning black

but at least in this case Yas is a real

historical character a real historical

black African since it's Ubisoft you're

talking about I was half expecting them

to make OD Naga black so that's half a

victory we have a throng of channels

that have become Japanese history

Specialists overnight I love it

literally all it took to become a master

of Japanese history was a 15 minutes

Google research took me four years at

University I must be really slow in the

head and by the way I have a question to

these channel that now State

categorically he was not a samurai he

was a samurai 100% 100% 100% while

engaged in your 15 minutes of deep

empirical studies what types of

safeguards did you implement to defend

against selective bias how did you form

valid coherent and robust connections as

you reviewing all the available data

both in English and Japanese and of

course you must have done your very best

in those 15 minutes to assess the

validity of each Source examined right

yeah didn't think so back to my story

now Gamers and YouTubers are enraged

they feel double wronged and when I say

enraged I don't particularly like the

execution when it comes to historical

part but then again I agree with the

base core sentiment so I have nothing

against the videos that they made or

these creators as a whole but there are

other creators that went completely nuts

yelling and screaming like maniacs yeah

those were cringe there was for example

this gaming YouTuber who was doing this

not going to mention him he doesn't

deserve it an absolute psychological

case study let me tell you that much

some Japanese Gamers also feel wronged

because they say well why us and then

with this whole idea of yase will not

being 100% sure whether he actually was

samurai or he wasn't I've already talked

about this at length but in general I

just want to say to the Japanese gamers

in this specific situation I do

absolutely get it you want to defend the

correct representation of your history

nothing wrong with that a typical

comment that you get in this situation

is well it's fiction so why do you care

at the end of the day historical fiction

and low fantasies still need to follow a

suspension of this belief that is

logical in order for the product to be

believable and good and any Fantastical

elements must be added through coherent

narrative integration moreover Ubisoft

keeps complicating the things because at

any given point in any interview the

developers plus talking head historians

keep saying historical historical

historical and as you can read in their

own words we are showing real historical

figures such as OD noaga and a lot of

events that happened during that time so

you're not only playing in FAL Japan but

learning about this fantastic time

period therefore they did not say that

this is historical fiction Loosely based

on historical events not they said that

this is a great way to learn the history

of Japan so that point of disagreement

is moot but all of this introduction

served the purpose of introducing the

next section which is really the meet

and Bone and core of this discussion

within this whole situation angered

Gamers and YouTubers looked for someone

to blame escapegoat ladies and gentlemen

let me introduce you to Tom Cruz lost

twin Thomas lley and I swe if the family

name was the one they had in common and

not the first name I would have totally

believed it and here it goes it's him

it's him it's always been him screams

the mob while brandishing torches and

pitchforks it's all his fault take him

to the Gallows he has been doing this

since 2015 changing Wikipedia since 1915

injecting Dei since the 13th century

take him seize him he's evil incarnate

he's the

devil um let me let you on a little

secret

here he's not Satan he is I'm only

joking but seriously next time Ubisoft

CEO goes to one of these like gaming

Convention of sorts I'm going to

sprinkle some holy water on him if his

skin starts burning at least we know but

jokes aside in all seriousness this

professor sorry I mean perfidious

historian not a historian by the way his

specialty is education I'm expecting

precision here Thomas Luckley has been

the center of what could be considered

to be a debunking campaign now I don't

have a problem per se with it in the

sense that well if you disagree with his

takes and you want to debunk him that's

absolutely fine debunk anyone debunk me

if you disagree with what I say you know

attacking the arguments or presenting

evidence reason and logic I have nothing

against that but in some cases with some

YouTubers this seems to have escalated

to almost a harassment campaign and that

I don't support particularly if we enter

the realm of cancel culture so it's a

case by case with YouTubers now as a

history and civilization focused Channel

and being someone who actually has a

degree in Japanese history and language

Thomas loley is being debunked and he's

being harassed does he deserve it I'll

rest my case in a moment but let me

first say that I'm not here as an

apologist for Thomas lley why would I I

don't even know the guy apart from a few

emails we have exchanged so I will point

out the elements of his thesis and modus

operandi I disagree with but I'm also

not here to support this accusation of

Deery a priori According to which Mr

lley is a criminal mastermind of

undercover da injection and politically

motivated hisorical rewriting without

first reviewing the evidence that's fair

right now regardless of my personal

University curriculum degree blah blah

blah I think the reason why I might be

as a content creator in the right spot

to talk about this objectively and

impartially is the fact that I get

called both a bigot and woke apparently

according to some people I'm an altright

grifter while simultaneously being a

leftwing troll which of course confirms

I'm neither so I've conducted a thorough

and comprehensive investigation into all

the claims made on social media in the

last few weeks so that we can actually

separate the objective facts from the

uninformed fiction and mind you about

those people accusing me of being an ALT

woke I suppose I'm intrigued by their

stupidity they occasionally infect the

comment section while at the same time

showing the entire world that their IQ

is connected to the same integer that we

used to represent the freezing point in

Celsius

which I find fascinating honest to God

how they can perform even the most basic

functions of human survival with an IQ

that is indeed subatomic it's

so I digress but at the end of the day

lyimo hate him in the world of Academia

not the world of politics you don't

attack someone at omm trying to cancel

or silence him just because he dares to

disagree with you/ your side you instead

present your counterarguments and defend

your case intellectually and even though

I myself make a lot of debunking content

I want this to be known no man I

disagree with should ever fear any real

world repercussions to speaking his mind

freely against any points I present into

my historical analysis which takes us to

this comment written by an actual

specimen of the nandal species you

thought they were extinct but oh no one

of them is in my comment section Thomas

Luckley has been discredited this video

didn't age well dear Denny Soven here

are the facts differently from all the

other YouTubers who at least two or

three maybe even five years ago took

Thomas ly's word and his book as the

gospel of our Lord and savior without

questioning him in any way shape or form

I was the one who two years ago made a

video where I literally said that a lot

of what's written in the book African

Samurai by Thomas lley is fantasy it's

fiction I'm the one who said it before

all of this so my videos aged like fine

wine question is Thomas lley the

ultimate Authority on the history of Yas

no and neither am I all right but what

about this accusation that he has used a

fake alt account to manipulate the

Wikipedia page and possibly britanica

putting links and references to his book

and papers while simultaneously

allegedly trying to hide his identity it

turns out that the account called Toom

is in fact Mr lley aha caught you

right-handed in your

deception wait all right detective let's

examine this one thoroughly shall we

looking forward to the sardonic banter

of the private eye the name of the fake

account used to allegedly hide the

identity of the culprit Mr lley is toor

Tom name of the defendant Tom and he was

living in toori which is the name of the

capital of the homonymous prefecture

toor Tom

to are we serious about this let me get

this straight criminal mastermind was it

man whoever found this out must have put

together a team directly from Scotland

Yard because I mean to uncover that

level of evidence sifting through all

those layers of deception in order to

finally uncover the truth and unmask him

to Tom is indeed Tom who lives in toori

don't don't know wait it gets better I

looked into it deeply and won't you know

that Thomas lley actually said publicly

during his interview with Anthony

Cummings that to to Tom is in fact his

account making changes onto Wikipedia so

you know once again you you can hate the

guy he did it publicly so the idea that

he used an ALT account with a different

name to hide his identity while

pretending to be someone else in order

to boost his book The accusation is

false we can all disagree with him and

his historical takes I'll mention a few

but it's just a false accusations

without actually digging it I know they

get they make great titles for

thumbnails clicks whatever it's false

it's false he didn't try to hide his

identity next let's now talk about the

Diplomatic crime is because I mean we

have had both politicians senators and

journalists from Japan joining the frey

and here we are you know how I know that

this has become now a political matter

and not an academic matter because a

typical symptom of the switch between

academic discourse into Political

discourse is the presence of absolute

statements which professional historians

very rarely make particularly in the

presence of scaned historical evidence I

mean that's insane well that and the

involvement in this discussion of

Senator Hamada Satoshi now there is this

article specifically that I wanted to

have a look at and it says nion

University erases associate professor

ly's resume NHK deletes program over

Assassin's Creed issue now I've spoken

to Thomas lley recently he unfortunately

asked me not to show the emails on

screen and of course anything that is

said within the privacy of private

messaging I'm going to respect that I

wish he actually allowed me to show the

emails because I think personally that

they would have spoken in his favor but

once again he asked me not to show so I

will not show them regardless he hasn't

confirmed that he was fired but once

again unless he proves it to me like he

actually sends me proof that he hasn't

been fired I can't comment on either of

these two possibilities but if you

scroll down in this article you'll

notice something absolutely insane they

say Professor lley seems to have written

a fictional novel about Black Samurai so

far so good but he sold it overseas as a

historical fact Professor lucky academic

paper is

100% fiction this is where they lose me

right what do you mean 100% fiction I

mean I get it the title African Samurai

already putting Samurai in the title

when you don't know if it was an actual

samurai or not you know I can get it

yeah he's pushing it as his storic I get

that the true story of Yas legendary

black warrior in fi of Japan I also have

an issue with the subtitle to be honest

because I would have said based on a

true historical character but regardless

of all that to go all the way out and to

go from a fairly based critique which is

the idea of don't push it as history if

it's fiction or history to it's 100% F

how is it 100% fiction I really don't

get it and I'm not trying to get a

strowman here about is yasa 100% fiction

what about the Jesuits are they fictions

Europeans encountering the Japanese OD

Naga is he fiction Samurai n battles

combat is the whole s Goku period

fiction like it's insane to call it 100%

fiction this is why I mean it's politics

when you come across these sort of

categorical statements there is some

history into his book regardless of the

fictional size of it which takes us to

this nepon journal coverage of the

situation of Thomas lley now get ready

so basically would be this one here

because I actually watched it in

Japanese to make sure that the

translation was correct so here is what

we get from these speakers Thomas lley

and associate professor at ni Horn

University falsified the English

Wikipedia page by quoting his own book

before it was released and sent out a

false image of Yas as an African Samurai

to the world this was discovered by the

political correctness Community

political correctness community and a

false history of Japan is being created

and spread around the world in order to

dilute the guilt of the history of

racial discrimination by white

people and to be fair he does pretty

much say that I mean the translation is

not perfect but yeah he does say that

basically political corectness group is

defending white people

defending white

people oh my gosh talking about not

knowing anything about Western politics

and still

speaking okay so yeah what he just said

now is that he doesn't do games so he

spoke about Assassin's Creed and they

said I usually I don't do games I mostly

don't do games and the guy on the right

says oh me I don't do games and then the

guy on the left is like uh he like

really agreeing with the idea I'm not

doing games

oh my gosh we know that you don't do

games we

know oh this guy this guy really hates

video games look at him he's like

that's the part so he's saying you see

what they're trying to do is that the uh

in this idea that it wasn't just white

people Japanese did it too but but who

would do that in

the oh my gosh yeah that's the part

that's the part

that's not that's not the point of the

people who are injecting the EI sir and

not trying to say it's not just the

white people it's the Japanese too

no I kept the Japanese to a minimum here

because I don't want to annoy people who

don't speak it but if nepon Journal

wants me to actually address this topic

I can make an entire video in Japanese

to discuss my position on this matter

here's the thing you can totally

challenge the notion that Yas was 100% a

samurai really I do myself I always lean

towards the idea that he wasn't Samurai

but I also keep an open mind in the idea

that it could be that it was made

samurai and the reality of fact is we

don't know and that's why I have a

problem with people making statements

when there is a lack of actual evidence

that can point to a definitive answer

which makes it extem extremely

unprofessional and when it comes to

Absolute statements check this out and

here we are y hirayama enters the fry we

read real Japanese historian yayama says

that Yas was a samurai there seems to be

a lot of talk about Yas black man who

served Nobunaga order historical records

about him are quite

scarse but there is no doubt that he was

a samurai serving

Nobunaga this is this is so

unprofessional is beyond me he just said

a second prior to making the absolute

statement he said that historical

records about him AKA Yas are quite scar

so how can you make a statement like

this if you just said that they are scar

I'll tell you how you can do it if

you're not doing history you're doing

politics why do I say that well do you

remember the Japanese Senate that I

mentioned a second ago Mr Satoshi Hamada

well he's a member of a parliamentary

group that is famous for anti-communism

why does that matter well because Mr

hirayama is a member is a is quite of an

active member of the Japanese Communist

party so what you just saw right now

with this historian is not an academic

statement No historian in his right mind

would make a categorical statement about

a piece of information for which we have

scarse and scanned evidence and you know

why I know I'm right because he recanted

it now to his credit I read all of his

discussions and all of his

justifications for his statement before

he actually came to his senses and said

guys we don't know which is what I've

been saying this entire time for three

years but regardless he did make some

very good points and simply because I'm

not a big fan of Communism it doesn't

mean that just because he's a Comm see

that's what I don't do you know you can

be whatever but if the information you

present is solid it is solid and he made

some very good points when it comes to

the idea of the surname the fact that a

surname the lack of a surname doesn't

necessarily mean that he wasn't Samurai

and all that it's interesting it's

interesting read but as I say he did

when he finally regained some

professionalism stepped outside of the

the political battle and culture war and

made an academic statement where he said

he wishes that he was a samurai but he

can't prove it and there is no way to

prove it so you can't be absolute about

it thank you so so far we've got

politicians and journalists that don't

understand International politics we've

got historians that make statements like

politicians I told you this was going to

be a mess and we're not done not to

mention the people that were celebrating

the idea that this guy was fired that he

had to flee the country that he was

exiled now I don't know how much of this

actually happened but what I do know is

that I wouldn't celebrate any of these

just because I disagree with historical

points that he makes on his book that I

don't think are history for instance the

part in the book African Samurai when he

talks about how important of a figure

within Japanese history yase was because

he prevented the head of Nobunaga from

being taken from his opponents

effectively changing creating a

butterfly effect yeah okay so there is

no proof historically that yasa actually

did prevent nobunaga's assassins from

taking his head Thomas lley has clearly

exaggerated the weight and historical

importance of yasa as a character within

Japanese history but when is enough they

went for his book his name his

reputation his career his teaching

curriculum his job wanted him exiled

from Japan celebrated him being fired

allegedly what's next are we going to go

after his family are we going to go

after his friends next of

kin Thomas lley was also strongly

criticized for his idea to delete his

social media presence AKA his Facebook

page is being locked or Frozen at the

moment now I personally don't see that

as oh he went into hiding I understand

that when you are attacked like this and

believe me sometimes I get attacked as

well but I do this as a job so people

can attack me all they want they can

make debunking videos they can call me

Griff blah blah blah I don't care best

case scenario if they really present

some good points I'll take the time if

they don't I will ignore them but I do

understand that for someone who's not

used to this sort of attention it can be

really exhausting he did mention death

threats but when it comes to that and

Thomas if you're watching and I

imagining you are going to come and give

you a little piece of advice from

someone who kind of has to do with this

kind of stuff if you want to use the

line I receive death threats hence I

need to remove my social media access

and make it private you have to take

screenshots and prove it cuz what you

may not know is that everybody claims

this when they're under Fire because

some people use it as a way to shift an

narrative in order to become a victim of

a greater offense than the one they're

being accused of so it's a way to

redirect focus and it's quite

manipulative I'm not saying that that's

what you're doing and I'm not saying

that I don't believe you I'm saying that

the internet will not believe you unless

you present proof so if you want to send

me some of those screenshots feel free

through my email and then I'll confirm

it but if you don't have those

screenshots I would Rob the idea of I

received threats as a line of defense

now when it comes to the idea of Thomas

Luckley actually utilizing his alt that

now we know toor Tom he wasn't doing it

to hide but he still did go into

Wikipedia and added links to his book

added links to his papers so as a way to

promote his book now do I have a problem

with that I do want to give him the

benefit of the doubt because yes this

could be as some people say his way to

manipulate the historical understanding

that people have and push his own ideas

but at the same time if I did a lot of

research on a specific topic and then I

am confident with my research and the

results of that research and then I go

and I find this Wikipedia article

dedicated to let's say roman armor but

they say a lot of stuff that doesn't

overlap correctly with the research and

the results that I have say for example

that they said that no roman armor was

made of leather but I did my research

and it says iron and low carbon steel

would I change with my personal account

would I go and change and say no it

wasn't leather it was I and yes people

do it all the time so the simple fact

that he changed it in order to put it

into alignment with his own the results

of his own research I don't see a

problem with that and once again we

speak a little bit about this in the 16

emails of you exchange unfortunately I

cannot show you once again but the way

he explained it to me sounds like he

wasn't doing it in bad faith once again

I don't know that he could be completely

lying to me and I have no idea but what

I'm saying is that I don't necessarily

see it as a an indication of Nefarious

or malicious intention necess it could

be it might not be and when it comes to

promoting your own book well that's what

all authors do but of course let me know

what you think about about this in the

comments below still talking about these

emails that we have exchanged over the

years since 2019 one of the things that

I noticed and one of the reasons why I'm

not convinced that this guy is this

monster manipulator who is trying to

push politics and inject it in history

as much as possible is the following in

all of these emails even when we

disagreed on a few points and agreed on

others he's always been very polite with

me and he even said that it would have

been an honor he said say the word when

it comes to doing a collaboration and

coming onto my channel and I mean if

this is really someone who wants to push

the political rewriting of History he

wouldn't touch my Channel with a 10t

pole because that's exactly what I fight

and when it comes to finding these

people like the professor from Vanity

Fair that I've debunked a million times

I showed no hesitation I didn't F blink

it doesn't feel like it all the emails

that we have exchanged yes there are a

couple of things that he said that when

I read I'm like uh-uh I disagree with

that there are some elements of his

thought that I disagree with but he was

also very forthcoming and accepting of

anything that I presented to him as a

counterargument so at the end of the day

since I don't have enough data to be

categorical about it and say no

absolutely this guy is 100% innoc

innocent or no this guy you were right

he is a historical revisionist trying to

push di in the manipulation of history

at all costs including the expenses of

the correctness of the historical

archives I don't know 100% but I'm just

saying as a feeling it doesn't give me

that Vibe if you will particularly due

to the to the many emails that we have

exchanged with some of which were quite

long I always work on the principle of

innocent until proven guilty which is I

mean the base of Law and I've been quite

Fair even when talking about creators

that were very unfair towards me but

still Whenever there is a big situation

or a scandal that has to do with them

I've always said yes but you know Court

of public opinion is not enough we need

to gather as much evidence as possible

look into this and only when when we can

State something like we have an

admission of guilt or there is enough

evidence mounting up to be certain that

the person is in fact maliciously

operating under malicious intent that's

when we attack and that's when we strike

I do believe that he truly believes that

Yas was 100% a samurai which is of

course a point of disagreement between

me and him but I do believe he believes

it and as long as he believes it and

there was no I don't think it as far as

I know he didn't get any money from

Ubisoft by the way when it comes to his

participation he has nothing to do and

he himself hates Ubisoft now because of

all this situation so at least we've got

that one in common then whatever he

stated really has to do with his freedom

of speech and if you disagree debunk him

but honestly I would wouldn't go for his

career his job his personal life I think

we can be more decent than that but

anyways this is my opinion on Thomas

luckily and this all conundrum but of

course let me know what you think in the

comments below if you agree if you

disagree with me completely I'm more

than happy to change my mind of course

if evidence is presented and until then

thank you very much for watching and

remember the Metatron has spread his

wings goodbye