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 -
Explain like I am a 55 year old non-American non-4Chan non-always-online person?
I think I know who Southern Lauren is back from Gamergate (but searching her I find a video that she fled a tradwife life because of her horrible husband?), and I sometimes hear about this Destiny guy (why is it noteworthy that he is gay?), but I have no idea what he is or for what politics he has (was he some StarCraft streamer?) and Nick Fuentes seems to be some rightwingnut troll? What does it mean “to be a fed”? Is this just a diss or a really serious allegation?
I think there should be a more extensive KnowYourMeme or outOfTheLoop explanation?
Lauren Southern and Nick Fuentes are both minor celebrities (for a given definition of "celebrity") who made thier bones out of trolling the woke. While both try to paint themselves as very trad, both come fom very liberal "blue" backgrounds.
The accusation of being "a fed" comes from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's known habit of using honey-pots, entrapment, and controlled opposition to target would-be dissidents/criminals. That Fuentes seems to be able to publicly advocate for an engage in illegal and anti-social behavior without suffering negative consequences has resulted in suggestions that he must at least have "friends" in FBI, or amongst the wider powers that be, if he isn't actually working for them directly.
More options
Context Copy link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COINTELPRO
Basically that.
"I like our political advocacy group, but what if we also committed violent crimes? In fact I have some bombs. Let's start bombing." <- That person is a fed.
"you're going to spy on your neighbors for us or we'll throw you in prison for sawing the barrel off of this here shotgun, don't resist or we'll kill your wife in front of your kids"
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
Destiny is a fast-talking lib who would debate anyone and everyone exept for people who talk about hbd. He routinely gets his ass handed to him by actual experts and looked silly when he debated mister metokur 8 years ago. He recently got dumped by his wife and overall you are better off not knowing him.
The term fed is used for federal agents or for people who act for federal authorities as a bargain to avoid charges. Milo and Richard both helped out various intelligence agencies and the guy Lauren Southern married was one of these people. Another term used for this is glowie, sometimes snitch and you would find plenty of examples of it being used online. This is why you have so many people telling younger dissidents to avoid anyone who is online and telling them to pick up arms for a revolution from a righ wing perspective as it is either an asset or an undercover agent.
I apologise for the lack of documentation, many here are familiar with the lingo and it was pretty late so I did not add it but will add Urban Dictionary and other links tomorrow.
The nick allegation is very serious since he was on a loudspeaker inciting people on jan 6, there are people from his audience who served jail time including his former friends like Baked Alaska, he was on the no fly list but never had to show up to courts for even a day which is wierd. Anyone who is cooperating with the agencies will never publicly say that as that is a violation of their agreement. Nick also runs or ran cozy.tv which has the info of his followers so if people think that anyone subscribed to his ideology is up to no good, you have a lot of names and personal info which people think is private afterall.
Nick also happens to be prone to hurt his side of politics at the most convenient of times, often flying in the face of his own stated ideology. And he is always named and promoted as the face of the far right by mainstream figures whilst rarely facing the same level of persecution as more directionally accurate but less well known dissidents.
There is no definitive proof but a suspicious amount of circumstance points towards him being part of some intelligence operation.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
Yes, he was, years and years and years ago. He streamed League of Legends, too, for years after leaving Starcraft. He's been doing political debate (talk-radio, basically) for quite some time and has made that his main content focus.
More options
Context Copy link
"A fed" is someone working for the federal government. In this context, it's an accusation either of being a federal informant or a federal agent, most likely the former, and is an allegation being made seriously.
I wonder if we'll ever get an "FBI files" similar to the "Twitter files" when Elon aired all of Twitter's dirty laundry?
Probably not because they'll classify everything, but I really hope so.
"What is the weirdest American tradition?"
"The secret police regularly declassifies a bunch of documents proving that yes they were up to all that no good shit that you suspected all those years ago and nobody can or will do a damn thing about it."
More options
Context Copy link
No if they're any competent. Spook agencies have shredders for reasons.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
To add some more context in right wing circles (I would also assert this) many of the most prominent "kinetic" actions of extreme right wingers seem to be full of "feds" if not majority feds. Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping both probably started with more feds than not. Similar with a lot of the Islamic terrorist plots that the FBI "foiled".
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link