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Culture War Roundup for the week of May 8, 2023

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I mean, it was your example, so to backpedal when it becomes clear that the example cuts against your argument seems like poor sportsmanship, but sure.

In fairness I conveyed my point rather badly wrt Haidak; all I meant to argue is that sexual harassment procedures in universities would be meaningfully different (or indeed non-existent) absent Title IX and its administrators which it does seem like you agree with even if the changes have been for the worse.

As for the second point, when I said that the growth of women's sport was happening away, I did add that Title IX accelerated it and pushed it further than it would have gone otherwise, so it does add something in that regard. We're moving towards going in circles here, but if you include things 'actively harmful' I think the concept is worthless. If that's out of step with Graeber's intention then fair enough, but I would suggest that bullshit jobs is a terrible phrase if that's how he meant it.

Edit: to be more specific what I mean is that if his intention (though I think Graeber's book was more geared towards the private sector) was to class as bullshit jobs any government or government-required employee pursuing a goal than is held to be unwise, then I could start calling all sorts of jobs 'bullshit' just because I think they exist with a view to pursuing unwise policy.