site banner
PaperclipPerfector  8mo ago (text post)   3469 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for March 10, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

2
Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Watering holes with similar discussion norms: DataSecretsLox, /r/theschism (slowly dying)

Blogs: I interpret 'similar to here' as trying to understand the cultural moment at least one layer of abstraction deeper than Current Thing, and making observations besides the most obvious talking points from their political perspective. AstralCodexTen (obviously), PSmith's bookshelf, Ecosophia, Scholar's Stage, EXIT podcast, Richard Hanania's Newsletter.

Thank you for your suggestions.

Watering holes with similar discussion norms: DataSecretsLox, /r/theschism (slowly dying)

Yes, I knew them and seeing the slow decay is somehow more painful that a clear cut end.

EXIT

Are you a member?

I have been for a couple months.

What is it? A PR service that helps "repair" the reputations of "cancelled" people?

The main goal is to help people build their own businesses. Side goals are things like homeschooling, homesteading, and otherwise working to raise a family outside the grasp of the state. So it's pretty much a chat group and 10-15 weekly zoom calls where people offer each other their help and expertise working towards those goals.

The idea is pretty great, and there are some pretty successful guys in the group willing to lend their expertise, but I can't say I've been too impressed so far--certainly not enough to justify the $100/month price tag. Nobody is really operating on the scale I'd like to see, and nobody seems ambitious enough.

Still, it's less of a LARP than any comparable group I can think of. These guys are acutely aware of @KulakRevolt's point that most modern-day prepping is LARPing, and any societal disaster is a lot more likely to look like a communist revolution than a zombie apocalypse.

Thank you for the insightful context. $100/month membership sounds very steep, especially if the goal is for men, as you said, to build their own businesses.

I could see the price tag being justified for those who seek a group chat that is an active, free speech haven.

It's a group chat too, moderately active and imo fairly insightful. I'd be fine with the price tag if I felt like I had ownership in the group--if it was a club, rather than a corporation, building things together--but as is it's too much for me.

Are you a member?

I wouldn't provide value to the group, nor do I think the group would provide value to me (I'm not much of a cancel target). If one of these two variables changed I'd consider giving it a shot.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!


Rules


Recommended Posts And Communities

Recommended Realtime Chats