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Culture War Roundup for the week of May 8, 2023

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Aw, man. Look, the world would be a better place without a lot of people. We would have more resources if we rounded up the disabled, the elderly, everyone below the bottom quartile of IQ, and all crime-causers, and executed them all. That obviously doesn't make it the right thing to do. I want to live in a society that takes care of me (and others) even if I develop a mental illness through no fault of my own.

I agree that we are at times a bit too sympathetic to troublemakers but you're about 100x too extreme in the opposite direction.

you're about 100x too extreme in the opposite direction.

I understand that, and I have no illusions that my very hardline position will be implemented. I’m anchoring the right end of the distribution of possible positions, and I recognize that the real future approach will ideally be somewhere in between mine and what we have now.

I recognize that the real future approach will ideally be somewhere in between mine and what we have now.

Wait I'm confused. Are you advocating for a position more extreme than what you actually believe in an attempt to manipulate society (or this forum?) towards achieving/supporting a middle ground?

What I meant by this is that it’s also possible that the future approach will be even farther left than what we have now. That the current regime not only persists but grows even stronger and more secure in its moral/legal hegemony. Compared to that outcome, I’d be happy with a compromise position located somewhere in the general direction of my position.

Societies need to value the sanctity of life above almost anything else or we will simply become evil. You are basically advocating for a super-holocaust. Even if it were initially justified it would create a society of super-nazis that would deserve to live much less than their victims did.