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 -
I think it's really interesting just how much republicans have changed that there's a middle aged man having lots of children and sex outside of marriage and there's almost no response whatsoever from the right. Like the bible is pretty clear about it too as far as I'm aware
Is this a sign that the religious right is meaningfully dead for such an unabashed and open sinner to have clear and direct connections to the Republican president? Or is it a sign that the many of the religious are simply opportunists who wield religion as a weapon against outsiders as many atheists tend to claim?
The president himself is not really an example on those matters
More options
Context Copy link
Sex? They're IVF babies.
And Trump himself put the kibosh on the pro-life folks going after IVF -- he personally stepped in to the Alabama drama over it and talked about how they are making the most beautiful babies - the best babies.
I'm happy to share my impotent response from last year, here in Alabama. Not 100% against the practice, but it still sets off alarms for me.
/images/17448680462132971.webp
Because not too many folks (least of all Trump) “believes that life begins at conception” in the sense you do.
While abortion was the issue; this difference might have been ignored. With that done, the pro-life movement can’t rely on it to paper over fundamental differences.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
At the end of the day, you only get to choose which lizardmen rule over you, don't you?
Hobbits can’t be ruled by hobbits, only as hobbits.
I don't even have anything against that, I'm just asking why are all the elves so much into Eyes Wide Shut orgies, and reproduction via Brave New World horrors?
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
I found that Musk's fixer is a Mormon to be one of the piece's more surprising details. Jokes about sisterwives aside, I thought that the ethical obstacles would be far too strong on that one.
More options
Context Copy link
Has been for approaching decades. The religious right was a dying force during the Bush 2 administration, and was regularly losing culture war fights during and before that.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link