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 -
It’s my understanding that they moved them to a place they could be housed, because MV is just a little island and doesn’t have facilities to host a bunch of families who have no shelter.
They seemed to react kindly to the people, I didn’t really see anything of this “couldnt stand to see brown people” stuff.
The few reports I heard people brought them food, clothes, set up medical treatment areas, and brought a soccer ball and set up game tables, to hang out and pass the time, etc.
They have thousands of newly empty summer homes and hotels.com is eager to help me compare the 1026 different hotel options. MV has a population of almost 90k. The idea that they can't settle 50 people is absurd.
They had them escorted off the island by the military within 36 hours. It's easy to put on a smile for a couple hours for a photo shoot. Why not welcome them to settle there and enhance the vibrancy of the community?
The immigrants appear to have been told that they were going to boston.
Immigrants typically like to go to big cities where the economy runs a bit hotter than towns of 100k people.
Maybe you should find a few of the immigrants who wanted to stay in MV before deploring how they weren't allowed to stay there.
More options
Context Copy link
You’re probably right, I’m giving the rich folks at MV too much credit
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link