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 the vitriol is borne from exasperation. A partisan saying things their tribe would have crucified people for saying 10 years ago, totally unbothered by the contradiction, is frustrating no matter what level it's declared at. Particularly if the conclusion they arrive at - if you don't like it you can leave - was one their tribe mocked mercilessly in their media for decades.
And if that were all the comment said, I would not have said anything. But if you give your argument without fighting the culture war, then throw in a "also, I personally like that this is happening", I would argue that this is not something someone else should get upset over.
Say what? It's just fighting the culture war with one element abstracted to the next level. It's not like they gave a completely non partisan and objective account of the situation and then said they were in favour of it, they gave a left wing assessment of the situation and then said they hope every republican moves to Florida. How do you come to the conclusion they weren't fighting the culture war?
Also it was specifically the last bit that upset me. Before that I thought they were just another moderate buying everything the msm sells, which is depressing, but not upsetting. Learning the op is both a proud leftist and on board with shipping people to Florida for political reasons is what aggravated me.
It doesn't need to be completely non-partisan, only reasonably so. The line in this place is that if you make a general effort to not come off as smuggling your opinions as facts, you don't get called out as a culture warrior. I think that post is reasonably non-partisan. Having a perspective isn't the same thing as being partisan, else we're down to maybe 10 people on this whole website who are allowed to post at all.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
My larger point was that's the whole Florida advertisement right now - don't like the wokes ruining your state? Come to Florida!
I was just pointing out, it may be actually a bad thing for the GOP long-term if this continues to happen.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link