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 -
But doesn't that happen in cycles? The national economy starts to grow, then it revs up and year upon year everyone is getting richer, and it looks like the good times will never stop.
Until they do, and you are plunged into a recession. The Great Depression was like that, and so was Celtic Tiger Ireland where we were being assured that this time for sure, we had broken the old cycles, and Ireland was now going to be modern and self-sufficient and not at the mercy of outside forces anymore, and it would never stop. Then 2008 happened, and the housing bubble burst (exploded, more like) and suddenly people were taking the emigration boat and planes once more as the national economy stagnated.
The recession does not undo all the growth since the last recession. Even the Great Depression, the very rough picture was that each year of it wiped out 1 year of normal growth.
No, but recessions knock out "our economy is going to grow forever and ever and never again will there be a crash".
There is always a crash. There is always a boom.
I am not sure who in this conversation said "there will never be a down year" but anyone who said that was wrong.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link