site banner

Culture War Roundup for the week of September 18, 2023

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.

11
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

For dinner last night (at home) I had tuna carpaccio I bought from the deli with (buttered) sourdough and some iberico ham I had left in the refrigerator, gazpacho with some extra olive oil and garlic bread, steak and french fries (the latter air fried, but tossed in some Schmalz/goose fat I bought a few weeks ago and had kept, a cheese course with some brillat savarin and some excellent Cornish yarg and crackers and then an espresso and a piece of shortbread.

I’d guess that’s about 2000 calories, plus a glass of wine and a cappuccino in the morning puts me over my own sedentary maintenance (which is maybe ~1800 cals) but I went for a long run and will eat less today. To me, feasting once a day is always preferable to boring healthy food throughout the day.

That's a gorgeous meal, and within the calorie limits, but you know what the dietitians will say: too much fat! too much salt! cheese bad! not enough veggies! 😁

I made a rocket salad and some capers with the carpaccio 😂

Your argument is compelling, and furthermore I am impressed by how strongly someone who is not a guy at all can be such a Type Of Guy.

I cook for a customer with very high standards haha.

How is that one meal? that is two at best. You can't call eating a meal over multiple hours one meal. That is two meals at least.