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 -
"Former" CIA staffs most of the moderation teams. How much of a collaboration this is I don't know. Which is to say, I don't know if they were invited in, or sent in, or both. But IMHO you should treat big tech as an extension of the CIA.
Do you have even something like even an InfoWars citation on for this? I've never heard this before (and, plainly, don't believe it). I know some of the moderation folks at YouTube etc. They're the last people who would work at the CIA - most are art history major from Vassar types ... which, yes, brings up its own concerns about the censorship. But, this idea that we're already at KGB levels of information-gov't integration seems truly weirdo.
Facebook, Twitter stocked with ex-FBI, CIA officials in key posts
The irony if you never hearing about this, because the FBI/CIA has such control in the first place should be a punch in the gut.
Thanks for the source. Learning has occurred.
Wow, like, damn, dude, you're so based and right. I'll go take my midwit self to the euthanasia trough ASAP.
I have terrible news for you about the board members of Euthanasia Trough Ltd
What? After that partnership with Nihlism, Inc. I thought the synergies were leading to way more onboarded users - OHHHH, I see it now.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
Personally, I was invited. Zorba had to wait for my badge and gun to come in the mail before he could give me any permissions, though.
This website hardly qualifies as "big tech" sufficient to be dunking on Coil
More options
Context Copy link
You think that’s bad, imagine the headache it must have been to get @self_made_human onboarded and his gun transported into rural Scotland.
Five Eyes collaboration made it quite easy tbh, especially when they figured out I could write a legal script for all the crack cocaine I was asked to smuggle in!
Damn, the CIA’s gonna do the same thing to the British blacks that they did to the American blacks… 😢
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link