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 -
My guess is that the JFK files confirm that Oswald did it (or at least that the deep state genuinely thought he did) but the investigation into Oswald's background and history pulls in hard-to-declassify material about Cold War era espionage.
Of course, releasing JFK files which confirm that Oswald did it is a political loser for this (or any other) administration because none of the people looking forward to the files being released will believe that they are seeing the real files.
To me the most parsimonious explanation is that there are details that are relatively probable but highly embarrassing to the federal government. For example, if Oswald did indeed start shooting, but that it was an accidental discharge from a Secret Service agent (possibly still alive) which blew Kennedy's head off and killed him.
More options
Context Copy link
I find it kind of a weird idea to suppose there was a conspiracy capable of murdering a president and getting away with it but incapable of getting rid of the paper trail when given six decades to do so. If there is evidence for conspiracy in the JFK files, it will be entirely deniable circumstantial evidence, something like "this report was filed weekly except this one time in October 1963."
I've long suspected that the problem is that the files hold some still relevant procedural detail that the US doesn't want people knowing (my theory: just how long JFK was "dead" before the announcement was made - in his case they officially continued life saving measures for awhile despite clear futility, likely to allow for succession planning related stuff).
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
You're probably right.
I figure that Oswald likely did pull the trigger, but did so as part of a wider conspiracy/plot for which Jack Ruby was tying up loose ends.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link