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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!

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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.

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slothlikesamwise

Subway Wizard 🔮

0 followers follows 1 user
joined 2022 September 05 00:13:13 UTC

User ID: 288

slothlikesamwise

Subway Wizard 🔮

0 followers follows 1 user joined 2022 September 05 00:13:13 UTC

No bio...

User ID: 288

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Culture War Roundup for the week of October 28, 2024

slothlikesamwise Subway Wizard 🔮 8mo ago

There has been some movement around if "Creativity" , a white separatist/nationalist movement, can be classed as a religion. Which generated a few tests that haven't made it to SCOTUS.

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Culture War Roundup for the week of August 5, 2024

slothlikesamwise Subway Wizard 🔮 11mo ago

Because people get assault and malicious wounding charges for pepper spray.

It is a lot lower bar than people think it is.

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Culture War Roundup for the week of August 5, 2024

slothlikesamwise Subway Wizard 🔮 11mo ago

Cowed in what way? The protests happening in the first place is an expression of power.

Lots more people know each other's names now.

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Culture War Roundup for the week of August 5, 2024

slothlikesamwise Subway Wizard 🔮 11mo ago

I think just genuinely has a very different idea about what democracy means

Rule by the demos versus rule by the democrats versus rule by demographics.

Would not all be affixed the same grammar?

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Culture War Roundup for the week of August 5, 2024

slothlikesamwise Subway Wizard 🔮 11mo ago

I'd like to correct your intuition and say that you're going to face charges for pepper spray as well.

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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 22, 2024

slothlikesamwise Subway Wizard 🔮 11mo ago

So what they say about any generic Republican?

I mean this time they are actually probably true, but the people it would be aimed at have the nerve burned out already.

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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 22, 2024

slothlikesamwise Subway Wizard 🔮 11mo ago

Which denomination?

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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 22, 2024

slothlikesamwise Subway Wizard 🔮 11mo ago

Not just the fact that reddit and facebook ate most hobby forums?

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