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What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.

Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.

New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!

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@HRSCCK's banner

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BANNED USER: ban evasion

HRSCCK

0 followers follows 0 users
joined 2024 June 26 23:38:05 UTC

User ID: 3115

Banned by: @Amadan

BANNED USER: ban evasion

HRSCCK

0 followers follows 0 users joined 2024 June 26 23:38:05 UTC

No bio...

User ID: 3115

Banned by: @Amadan

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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 8, 2024

HRSCCK 4mo ago

but I must admit, the men who at least are open about how much they'd enjoy being the (literal) whip hand strike me as more honest (including to themselves). I may find them disgusting also, but for an entirely different reason

You bear my quote in your flair.

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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 8, 2024

HRSCCK 4mo ago

Your theatrical slamming of the door is so protracted that my ban has expired before you left. Don't let that door hit you on the way out.

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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 8, 2024

HRSCCK 4mo ago

I'm referring to his posts on Rittenhouse 4 years ago.

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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 8, 2024

HRSCCK 4mo ago

Hey, quick question, do you still believe we should lie down and take a beating from your side, hoping that we don't die from it?

-39

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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 8, 2024

HRSCCK 4mo ago

I saw you mention that guy recently elsewhere, and I think no, we shouldn't execute him, we should give him a medal for bringing disparate statistics closer to proportionality.

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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 8, 2024

HRSCCK 4mo ago

Can you tell me why their mental illness is a relevant factor in sentencing them to death without using the word ableism?

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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 8, 2024

HRSCCK 4mo ago

The left engages in MMA, the right engages in WWE.

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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 1, 2024

HRSCCK 4mo ago

Diversity win: Americans elect the first non-binary _{mind flayer} president

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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 1, 2024

HRSCCK 4mo ago

Byrd Bath or Privilege Scrub is memorable: https://youtube.com/watch?v=or0nSfFir6s

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Culture War Roundup for the week of June 24, 2024

HRSCCK 4mo ago

Banks, Iain M. 1988. The Player of Games.

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