site banner

Culture War Roundup for the week of July 28, 2025

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.

If you can't stay in the UK, have you looked into whether you can immigrate to the US?

I'm in the UK because I can't go to the US, at least as a doctor. If you want to know the underlying cause, it's to do with an issue with my med school. It needs a very specific form of certification, and both the Indian government and the NGO that provides it (American) have been of minimal help. I wasn't able to get the ball rolling while I was in India, and eventually decided that instead of wasting time, I might as well apply to the UK. If that hurdle is solved by the time I'm done with my current program, you bet I'm trying to leave.

Until then, I've mostly made my peace with the UK. It's far from the worst place to live!

Come to Florida

I’ll buy you the ripest of IPAs and grill you a very large ribeye

You can’t walk anywhere tho - or take the bus, so I imagine you’ll move to Boston and we’ll be reading about your hijinks as related to Massholes

That's very kind of you, and I'll see if I can take you up on that! The Florida climate should feel like home, and I'm used to handling packs of street dogs. What is an alligator but a very slow, cold-blooded and 'ornery dog?

When it comes to Boston and their brahmins, alas, I'm a lower caste than that, and it'll come down to fists and concealed carry laws.

If you get to immigrate one day, DM me, I'll take you to an off the beaten path place for brisket. And shooting.

Appreciate it. I might be doing a decently long vacation there this year, a dear friend of mine is getting married in Texas. I hope to make the most of it, and visit as much of the country as finances or time allows. I'll hit you up when I have things more set in stone!

I see. Well, I for one would welcome you to America.

Thank you. If the stars align, and I'm there, I'll buy you a beer.

As a matter of fact, I'm likely going there this December for a wedding, and unless you're in Alaska, I might still be able to!

See past discussion here.