site banner

Culture War Roundup for the week of November 14, 2022

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.

12
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Can anyone explain Duncan Hunter to me? American greed running an episode on him right now. Seems like he spent $60k of campaign money on personal expenses but was an early maga supporter. I know McConnel has made a ton of money off connections. Pelosi’s husbands trading. Obama had Rezko. Hunter got 630k a year from some Ukranian oligarch for a no show job. How can I not see this as a deep state job? He probably violated an actual law. But seems like a lot of people break laws but if your a Maga supporter a small technical violation makes you an episode of American greed but SBF gets glowing articles in the NYT.

Edit: I like Pelosi and McConnell. Realize their is going to be some corruption. And I’ve had a rum or two while watching this but really $60k gets you a labeled as a monster.

GOP launched their congressional investigation into Joe Biden today. Nail him to the fucking cross. Treat them how they have treated us.

Hunter was indicted in 2018, i.e., by the Trump Administration, and ended up pleading guilty and resigning from office. And why you think it was a "small technical violation" is unclear. He apparently used campaign donations to buy stuff for women he had affairs with. He also admitted to stealing $150,000 in his plea deal, not $60,000. And BTW, his 11 month sentence was well below the guideline recommendation for the agreed upon offense level, and was imposed by a Clinton appointee. This is your poster child for unfair treatment?

I don’t think it would be punished by a team establishment player.

It regularly has been.