site banner

Culture War Roundup for the week of February 26, 2024

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.

6
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

For example, left a bunch of his most ardent supporters who participated in J6 to democrat mercy while pardoning scammers and rappers

This has been gone over repeatedly - the moment Trump pardoned the J6 crew he would have been immediately impeached and the GOPe would help the left get rid of him. Trump may be liked by the base, but he's loathed by the establishment republicans because him getting his way means that their cushy sinecures go out the window as well.

So, Trump can only do the right thing for his supporters only if it doesn't cost him in any way? Maybe you have invested your hopes and dreams in the wrong guy then?

So, Trump can only do the right thing for his supporters only if it doesn't cost him in any way?

No, Trump was constrained and hamstrung by an administration that was diametrically opposed to his political goals. He didn't handle things perfectly, but there were actual reasons behind his actions.

Maybe you have invested your hopes and dreams in the wrong guy then?

I am not whoever you were thinking of when you came up with this line - I haven't invested any of my dreams in Trump, and my only hope for him is that he serves to damage the power elite. My wildest hope would be that he dismantles that power elite in a second term, but I'm not even sure how realistic that is.