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Culture War Roundup for the week of November 11, 2024

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I'm basically a single-issue voter on this issue of identity.

Fair enough, there are issues that move me this way too. But I think it's important to recognize there are valid reasons why either side won't drop everything to get your support. It's a very limited set of circumstances where a one-issue voter gets to exercise influence.

This wing can actually win primaries/elections in very left-leaning areas; for example, they are going to be running San Francisco as of the recent election

I don't think I heard of this. Who won, and what are they planning to do for meritocracy?

On the other hand, the anti-hereditarian meritocrats on the Republican party, like Ramaswamy, seem to get slaughtered in primaries.

And then they get appointed to high positions by people who win them... what's the problem?

I'll give a line: better for the country than the median citizen in some measure combining ability to assimilate and ability to contribute.

I don't think it's the ability to assimilate that's the problem, because that's actually pretty high for most people. The problem is that there is next to no pressure to assimilate anymore, the very idea of putting such pressure is seen as deplorable, and higher immigration will necessarily lower that pressure even more.

Given how dominant US culture and values are globally, it shouldn't be very hard to find a huge number of people making this cut.

It would still imply mass deportations, wouldn't it?