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 -
Honestly this is the case for the vast majority of allegiances between immigrant/refugee groups and Liberalism. It is quickly forgotten by the Western Left that practically everybody from a progressive-tinged first world nation is about 5 jumps to the left socially on most issues, and that whilst the recent imports from wherever else are briefly aligned whilst it's in their financial interests to have a leg up, they are going to revert to form on social issues the second they're established.
Eh, I'm not sure it's a bad strategy to forge an alliance with the first generation and then try to assimilate the 2nd & 3rd generation who grow up on English language media.
The issue is that the most liberal migrants have 0-2 kids. They embrace the individualist culture while not having parents that help them get established in the housing market. They get their small condo in a city when they are in their 30s. The most conservative migrants have 8 kids and make due. When it comes to muslim immigrants we are selecting for religiousness at an extreme level.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
I've been waiting for a long time for the immigrant turn away from modern progressivism, preferably starting with a Hispanic/Asian coalition in California that finally sweeps away its white Democratic gerontocracy and cleans the place up, but it hasn't materialized yet.
More options
Context Copy link
This is not borne out by their voting records, which remains solidly Democratic.
True.
On one hand, you have the high income Muslims who generally try to fit into upper middle-class white society, which means accepting the whole progressive stack and becoming a MINO.
On the other hand, you have the low income Muslims who stand to directly benefit from left-wing politics via either greater government handouts or better odds of bringing family members over.
But things will change. Recently the only Muslim-majority city in America voted to ban the gay pride flag. Looking at who is coming to America and who is having kids, the future looks much more conservative socially, but much more socialist economically.
Not really.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
Which groups are you using as a proxy? Every major demographic started as a downtrodden immigrant group. Practically the only lasting pro-left successful immigrant group I can think of is the Asian diaspora, though they've been psyopped into some sort of 'despite the fact that you're the most successful and affluent demographic ever, you're victims' mix
Which groups do you have in mind here? Tammany Hall era Irish immigrants? That process took the better part of 100 years.
More options
Context Copy link
All Hispanics with the exception of Cubans, and both south and east Asians.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link