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🇺🇸 Fiat justitia ruat caelum

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OracleOutlook


								

								

								
								
								

								
							
					
 
				


				
🇺🇸 Fiat justitia ruat caelum

				
				
				

				

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					joined 2022 September 05 01:56:25 UTC
				


				
					

					
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				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Many states would get income tax if data centers were actually employing people locally, many cities get sales tax if sales were made in the city, etc.


The point is that money is being made in ways that don't really benefit the people closest to it.  The incentives are all wrong.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


That statement will not be taken kindly in polite society.




That is a fairly recent phenomenon.  20 years ago you'd be free to say something like that about homosexuality without any problems or logical contradictions detected.  It's actually historically odd that we are able to suppress those kind of statements now for homosexuality and I don't know if it will last.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
The problem is party X is impacted - by electrical infrastructure upgrades whose costs are often spread throughout the community, by construction blocking traffic and making noise, by the eyesore on the way to work.  There are concerns about water usage, which might not be based on facts but the impression a lot of party X has is that their water pressure could decrease and there's nothing they can do about it.


And in return they get.... maybe five janitorial jobs while the bulk of the "new jobs" go to people on the coasts.  And a construction crew who will likely be lead by people out of town and will hire less-skilled local labor for two years before trapezing away with those paychecks.


And the taxes, how do they tax the data centers?  If a data center in Ohio is responsible for a billion of dollars of sales made in California, who gets that tax money?  What is the tax revenue of a data center after its built?


Maybe someone would be ok with these problems if they felt like they were contributing to a better future, if they thought everyone was benefiting in some way.  But if they honestly believe these things are making everything worse, they are not worth the sacrifice.


Consider the possibility that people in small towns have a pride.  Being the home of a GM factory was a source of positive identity and worth some sacrifices for the greater good.  Being the home of a world-destroying machine mind is not.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I mean, if it came up in a conversation and I was BFFs enough or rude enough...


It's a moot point for me because my personal beliefs is that it is indeed immoral to be immodest and to tempt others to unchastity.  But I don't see a contradiction between "I think it's disgusting and don't like people who engage in the practice, but I don't find it immoral and it's fine for people in my society to engage in this practice."


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


Maybe the same is true the gender-flipped way around as well, but I genuinely don't see that happen.




It's called a Dad bod.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Women might be able to recognize that different people have different preferences.  HereAndGone might not have a moral objection to fanservice in anime, which is indicated by "it's fine."  But she and other women can dislike it.  Some people might really like eating oysters and that's fine, no moral objection to eating oysters.  But don't expect me to be comfortable sitting at a table with people slurping them down.


I don't know why people here see a contradiction here.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
The phenomenon I seek to explain is:


Why "It's fine" for a guy to like fanservice.


Why "You shouldn't expect a woman to just sit there and not complain about it."


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
That doesn't mean a woman likes it.  A thing might make a woman behave temporarily in a way you like but that does not mean that she is content and happy, nor does she like the thing that triggered the change.


Or is everyone interpreting "turned off" as literal sexual arousal and not the general "I hate this and want to turn my head from this, not look at it, feel disgusted by this" way?


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for July 26, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I think Catholics see this differently.  At least, "God promised not to end the world in a flood." is the reason I got when I asked my priests, parents, and Catholic school teachers how that reconciles with the Second Coming.  Which isn't exactly high authority but I never saw a reason to second guess it.


Meanwhile Catholic mystic tradition has lots of visionaries warning of coming chastisements if we don't mend our ways and pray harder.


Are we not all sinners?  When Jesus returns, will He not judge us by our sins?  There is no specific trigger condition to the eschaton but there is a reason for it - "Behold, I make all things new."   The reason for the eschaton is the problem of sin.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Maybe this is generalizing, but I suspect that the vast majority of women in committed relationships are turned off by their men showing sexual interest in other women.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Fullmetal Alchemist had some really cool ideas.  The story begins with a difficult problem and as the plot continues the problem seems to get more and more impossible and maybe not as important as some other things, but then main characters get out of the problem at the very end.  The way they get out of the problem seems "correct" in hindsight but was also very cathartic and hard to guess ahead of time.  There's one big magic system that everyone uses differently, along with some competent muggles who make things interesting.


I wouldn't write it off based on a blurb.  I persist in recommending it, if only because it's fairly short for a shonen and you can probably figure out if you like it or not by the 5th episode or so.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
The sub-genre you seem to like most is called Shonen.  Some recommendations are here: https://gamerant.com/best-shonen-anime-to-watch/


Personally I highly recommend Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood.  I thought it had a fairly conservative message all around, but not obnoxiously so.  I mean, it does follow the law of conservation at least, (haha).


Dragonball Z had a lot of sexual stuff in it, but it might have gone over your head if you were a child.  There were dramatic nosebleeds, an old man who was a pervert, etc.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for July 26, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
It is pretty well accepted across most forms of Christianity that at some point this world will end.  I'm not sure what tradition you are pulling from where God will not destroy the world as it exists today and make a new Heaven and new Earth.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for August 2, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
It's not really an alternate reality, it's a world of platonic ideals.  I don't think making it a nuclear waste dump would be a good idea, what is the platonic ideal of radioactive uranium?


Anyway, the book is the equivalent of lying on the beach doing nothing but just enjoying the sun, the sounds, the ocean spray, the languid have-nothing-important-to-do-ness.  If that's not your thing I can't make it your thing.  Honestly you could take away the tiny plot that exists and the book would still be as popular.


Either you love the main character or you don't.  The book tries to make you feel pity for him but also envy him because you don't feel love and appreciation the same way he does. He's having the time of his life with statues, careful observations, and his little expeditions.  You pity him for his ignorance and you envy him for his innocence.  It's a narrow emotional space but Clarke inhabits it well.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for August 2, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
The only argument that sounded half plausible was this one:


    

  1. Donated organs are rare so there will be lots of people who don't get them.
    2. 

  2. People who receive organs need to maintain a mix of anti-rejection drugs and regular doctor check-ins.
    3. 

  3. People who have not received the Covid vax are less likely to listen to doctors, less likely to take the anti-rejection drugs, etc.
    4. 

  4. Therefore, people who have not received the Covid vax should be further down on the recipient list from those with a proven track record of doing what their doctors say without backtalk.
    5. 



I think it's a false equivalence because maybe your primary doctor actually didn't recommend the Covid vaccine because of a contraindication or something, but you're highly unlikely to have a doctor not recommend needed anti-rejection drugs.  But that's the argument that seems most logical.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for July 26, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
It rules out a flood.  No comment on other means of destruction.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of July 27, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Epilogue: 15 years later she falls for an American soldier occupying West Germany.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of July 27, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I think there is a good story to be told about the decade leading up to the Nazis gaining power.  The communist and fascist paramilitary groups fighting it out makes for decent and very topical drama.  Maybe throw in a romance, make it The West Side story but with Red Front Fighters' League and Brownshirts.  I'm not a filmmaker by any means but I think there are a lot of depths to delve in this setting which has been largely ignored.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of July 20, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
The same Vance who prays two decades of the rosary of the day and said, "But I always kind of liked that Pope Francis would just throw these bombs out there in the media.  Because it would force a conversation... he was kind of a genius at that."


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for July 26, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Meanwhile the biggest argument against the Catholic Church is why hasn't God smitten us all yet?  It's inexplicable.  Maybe we have just barely enough rosarys/day to keep it at bay for now.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of July 20, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Men still have strong ties to women - we are your mothers, your sisters, your wives.  We are necessary to the continuation of the species.  We are still economically and socially useful, as a gender.


I don't think we've given as much thought as it deserves to the concept of a group that is just useless.  A group of people who do not reproduce, have weak friendships and no family ties.  What happens to them when they retire and leave the workforce?  I think there is something significant here that people need to pay attention to, because it's going to be a big shift in the coming decades.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of July 20, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Simple enough solution - which grandparent do you get along with more?


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of July 20, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
If you have the young enforcing the laws, the young paying the taxes, the young doing everything, what power do the old people have?  The power of the state?  But the state is powered by the young.


Eventually there wont be enough to go around.  When that happens, force comes out and the young have a monopoly on force.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of July 20, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
The Odyssey makes for a bunch of great stories - tricking the cyclopes, the danger posed by lotus eating, having to pick between a rock and a hard place scylla and charybdis.  There are important truths in there which can be edited and revamped for kids and teens to enjoy and learn from.


The problem is when you put it all together it is a jumbled mess that leaves you wondering what the point all is, if you're a modern person with modern sensibilities.  Classicists like to study them because they provide a glimpse of what ancient people valued - how different these biologically similar people were! It's hard to believe that Odysseus didn't really seem to care that all his crew died.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			
			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of July 20, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
There is a very simple solution - decrease the extra care elderly people receive.  It seems unpalatable now, because who wants to let grandma develop bed sores and die?  But the proportion of old people who do not have descendants will increase, and the people who are working and paying taxes will not have strong emotional ties to the childless old people.  I can see Social Security and Medicare being gutted in favor of people caring for their own elderly relatives themselves.


Alternative solutions are to increase working years through outbreaks in medicine - retirement age is 100 if the median life expectancy reaches 110.  Or automation/robotics gets to the point where 90% of jobs are taking care of the young and old (the remaining 10% being managing the robots).