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 -
So define Trump as criminal. Then it makes it not lawfare. It’s not unprecedented because we defined Trump as a criminal. Despite the fact we spied on his campaign, invented a fake RussiaGate impeachment, used the Logan Act to target senior officials while in office (which every administration has broken), have a half dozen cases everywhere, changed statute of limitations so we could put him in court on rape (though the accused doesn’t even know what year it happened). But since we defined him as a criminal it’s not lawfare and we aren’t targeting a politician because we defined him as a criminal. It’s not unprecedented him being the first POTUS and 40% chance of being next POTUS because he’s not that he’s just a criminal. And of course all these cases are novel legal theories never used against anyone before. And then we are going to try this case with the current POTUS sons former business partner as judge. And of course instead of filing the cases earlier we are filing them during the election process.
But if it turns out, in the least surprising political development of the decade, that Donald Trump is a criminal, then he should be treated like any other criminal.
Funny how "drain the swamp" and "lock her up" became "you're not allowed to enforce the law on me because I'm a politician".
When asked about the possibility of another Trump presidency, Pelosi commanded the reporter “Don’t even think of that.”
“Don’t think of the world being on fire,” she continued, adding “It cannot happen, or we will not be the United States of America.”
So yes Trumps rhetoric is just normal politics as Pelosi is senior in the government. Calling for the breakup of America if Trump wins.
Trump is completely allowed to say things like that, and does so regularly.
You'll note that Pelosi is not intimidating witnesses in a criminal trial.
And Trump was not intimidating witnesses either. It was political speech. The trial is well politics. I just want a level playing field.
Well, that's the whole contention. I don't agree.
Who do you think he was threatening to come after?
Violently - no one. Trump has no history of violence. Politically yea the right wants to dismantle the lawfare people so sure shut down the fbi etc because there just a partisan institution now.
I never suggested he was threatening violence. In fact I specifically said the opposite. That's not material - it doesn't become legal or acceptable to threaten retaliation against witnesses just because that retaliation is non-violent.
So I ask again - who was he directing that threat towards, if not the witnesses?
A general we are fighting for our side against our enemies political rallying cry.
If we are going to punish someone for that then Maxine Waters needs years. Everybody does it in politics though in her case it’s led directly to violence.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
Exactly. They didn’t break precedence and launch 100 investigations into Clinton.
Cosy uniparty stuff. I turn a blind eye to your corruption, you turn a blind eye to mine. Not interested.
I consider this naive. You don’t understanding how many quasi legal decisions every POTUS makes. And of course Clinton and Barack are both rich now. Probably both richer than Bush.
You seem to be totally fine with this system of corruption as long as Trump gets to cash in too.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link