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PaperclipPerfector  3mo ago (text post)   25588 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of August 18, 2025

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Long term, a truce. For a long time we had free speech because everyone understood that policing speech was a double-edged sword - even if it works for you today, it’s going to cut your head off tomorrow.

When everyone understands this, then you’re safe because nobody seriously demands loyalty tests because everyone understands how that ends. All of this came about because the woke thought they were able to escape that and win permanent victory.

MAD requires demonstrating that you are actually willing to fire off your nukes.

(Note also that Trump isn’t demanding a loyalty test. There is no requirement that universities be Trumpist, only that they not openly discriminate against white, Jewish and Asian students. Which seems fair to me.)

Note also that Trump isn’t demanding a loyalty test

He actually is demanding a loyalty test - but for loyalty to Israel rather than the USA.

Note also that Trump isn’t demanding a loyalty test. There is no requirement that universities be Trumpist

The Trump administration has explicitly been angling for commissars DEI for conservatives View Point Diversity Ensurers to supervise the ideological composition of faculty.

But AFAIK that's not what this is. I have complicated feelings about that and will happily discuss another time, but that's not what this is.

I don't know that you can separate them.

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