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PaperclipPerfector  19d ago (text post)   35138 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of February 3, 2025

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Do you really think "SJ" is the biggest problem?

It's certainly extremely pervasive. And by instituting political tests for various positions (such as university faculty, lawyers, doctors) it is a major long term problem. Maybe not the biggest, but very big.

But when you say "make SJ a political non-starter" - as much as I personally think most SJ stuff is a distraction, it's a major plank for Democrats, so you're just saying they should unilaterally disarm (i.e. abandon all the things they stand for). Sure, it's nice to dream your opponents will abandon all the goals you don't like and focus on the things you care about.

if the Republicans had the re-institution of Jim Crow as a platform plank, would you not insist they abandon it?

if the Republicans had the re-institution of Jim Crow as a platform plank, would you not insist they abandon it?

I can't insist they do anything, but it would make me even less likely to vote Republican. Do you think everything that can be categorized under the umbrella of "SJ" is equivalent to reinstituting Jim Crow laws? The way people use SJ here seems to refer to liberalism, writ large. "Criminalize leftism" is literally a position I know at least one poster explicitly advocates (and many others clearly would endorse) but it's dumb to suggest that liberals would seriously consider this proposal. A more appropriate analogy would be me "insisting" the Republicans abandon social conservatism. As a liberal I might like that, but it's dumb to think it's a serious proposition.

Do you think everything that can be categorized under the umbrella of "SJ" is equivalent to reinstituting Jim Crow laws?

No analogy is perfect, but it's a pretty close one.

So, again, if the Republicans were pushing re-institution of Jim Crow, would you argue that the Democrats should compromise and work with them? How about if they were pushing for something worse, like slavery or mass "eugenic" culling of the population?

So, again, if the Republicans were pushing re-institution of Jim Crow, would you argue that the Democrats should compromise and work with them? How about if they were pushing for something worse, like slavery or mass "eugenic" culling of the population?

Yes, but compromise and work together means defining what can be negotiated and what can't. Of course each side is going to have red lines, and if the Republicans were seriously proposing reinstituting slavery, I would hope the Democrats would not compromise on that. If you want to define certain things you think the Republicans should not compromise on, fine. If your certain things are literally "everything Democrats want," then expect them to do the same.

Also, however much I dislike the current DEI regime and trans ideology, I do not think they are equivalent to reinstituting slavery or mass eugenic culling. Come on. You might as well ask "What if they were proposing we make worship of the Aztec gods a state religion and practice mass human sacrifice on the National Mall?" You're resorting to argumentum ad absurdum.

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