This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.
Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.
We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:
-
Shaming.
-
Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.
-
Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.
-
Recruiting for a cause.
-
Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.
In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:
-
Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.
-
Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.
-
Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.
-
Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.
On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
Couldn't agree more. And I might be unfair to @KMC, but @ymeskhout did a pretty good job attempting (and in my recollection, succeeding) to dismantle quite a few of the fraud claims to a degree I am not able to reproduce here. It just irks me when people put forth a hugely controversial claim that has been discussed ad nauseam on this forum and pretend it's an obvious matter of fact. This is a debate forum, debates should have consequences. If we all just go back to our previous claims as if nothing happened, what's the point? It just means the most stubborn win out, as opposed to those with better arguments. It's sadly a strategy some posters here employed to great effect, including our resident "revisionist".
To be clear, that last bit isn't directed at KMC. It's just something that annoyed me for a while now and I might be unfairly projecting my grievances onto him.
Yes, that's how I feel about people declaring 2020 as the most secure election ever, and saying that people who question it are not fit to hold office. My stubbornness is a reflection and response, as well as my own nature.
Cards on the table, the next two most obviously stolen elections I know of are 2004 (the other one in my lifetime) and 1960.
Our elections are insecure. The Democrats appear to have benefited from that insecurity, and are obviously preventing necessary and reasonable methods to increase security. Until there is some contrition from the left, and concessions on election security, I will continue to be stubborn, and continue to insist it was obviously stolen, if to no other purpose than to remind people that it is not settled and there is no consensus.
Caesar's wife must be above suspicion.
How was the 2004 election stolen by the Democrats?
I never said it was stolen by the Democrats.
It was the Ohio electronic voting machines that stole it for Bush.
Ah, given your repeated emphasis on how democrats need to apologize, I interpreted you as meaning they stole that one too
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
None of those people are on this forum.
Sure, but that's different from claiming that Publius obviously fucked her.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link