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Culture War Roundup for the week of March 13, 2023

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If you think I am playing dumb and lying, I am confused about the tone of conversation your response has. Why would you want someone who you think is playing games to respond to you?

I suppose if the true goal is numbers, your proposition would work. But I consider fertility to include "successfully raising children into adulthood so they have more children". If people are having kids, but their children are dying early due to poor health standards and abuse, is that raising the fertility?

I suppose if the true goal is numbers, your proposition would work. But I consider fertility to include "successfully raising children into adulthood so they have more children". If people are having kids, but their children are dying early due to poor health standards and abuse, is that raising the fertility?

The most extreme far right of social conservatives seem to want to return the world to about 1919. (The year before the nineteenth amendment.) In that year child mortality was about 180/thousand, compared to today's 7/thousand. (Let's assume that this is 100% the fault of economic and social institutions, rather than medical technology.) At that same year the fertility rate was 3.3 compared to today's 1.8. The math definitely works out in favor of 1919.

Of course, the "sweet spot" seems to be during the baby boom in the 1950s, when the fertility was also about 3.3 and the child mortality was 30/thousand.

If you think I am playing dumb and lying, I am confused about the tone of conversation your response has. Why would you want someone who you think is playing games to respond to you?

Why should I be an asshole unless I'm entirely sure you're picking a fight? Even if I were sure. It costs nothing to be civil on a semi-anonymous internet forum.

Do you think telling me you think I am playing dumb and lying about my beliefs to be civil?

Do you think telling me you think I am playing dumb and lying about my beliefs to be civil?

Yes, I believe I phrased my doubts civilly.

In other conversations, you seem not to separate the content of a belief from whether it's being argued fairly. Elsewhere, you say:

I am making it all about myself because I am a woman, and every generalized comment about women is therefore directed at me. When you say men are funnier than women, you are also saying you are funnier than me, for no other reason than because of your body. The "big deal" of you holding that opinion is that I find it's a rather illogical and mean one,

So, in your view, the opinion "Men are funnier than women" cannot be held or argued without it being an insult. I do not see it that way. I also do not see "Men are immoral" as an insult. And unless I'm grossly misunderstanding the rules, neither does The Motte. You would be closer to the bone accusing lack of charity, but you'll find I did respond to your arguments as you stated them, while leaving that I doubted your good faith as a sidenote disclosure.