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Culture War Roundup for the week of August 18, 2025

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Interesting example given that conservatism is generally the one associated with denying evolution. And hey wait then, did you just show there was something about your own group you were accidently blind to?

  • -12

"My own group"? LOL. When this all started I was an atheist libertarian. I'm still a atheist, and in some ways a libertarian -- but I demand my libertarianism pays off in liberty for me and mine, rather than simply being beliefs which require that I let others harm me. Heck, if you think Trump himself is a religious conservative you're way off base. This motley alliance of people who are seeing Trump beat on the institutions and being OK with it was put together, not by the religious right nor by Trump nor even by J.D. Vance. It was put together by the left itself, who has been throwing everyone who disagrees with them into a political pit with various derogatory labels for well over a decade now.

You've been carefully ignoring all the examples of this that have been presented, instead demanding we ignore all that and continue to give them the maximum benefit of the principles they do not hold and did not grant to us. And when that seemed a little much you retreated to the position of invincible ignorance, that we cannot know that we are right and they are wrong, so we shouldn't treat them as if they are wrong. But ignoring those things doesn't make them go away, and a universal argument against knowledge is just sophistry.

"My own group"? LOL. When this all started I was an atheist libertarian

You don't think there's religious people who don't believe in evolution that are on your side of the left-wing/right-wing divide?

I agree with your general proposition that political alliances can not be split so easily to begin with and to blame you for the beliefs and actions of the religious evolution denier would be silly, but I also believe that of the many groups and factions that compose "the left".

You've been carefully ignoring all the examples of this that have been presented, instead demanding we ignore all that and continue to give them the maximum benefit of the principles they do not hold and did not grant to us.

Likewise I have been presented with tons of examples from leftists about conservative institutions and powerful elites censoring and oppressing people. Heck some examples are ironic, like a school that tried to ban Harry Potter due to depictions of witchcraft back in the 90s. That's of course a funny example, but there's plenty that aren't so funny.

The FCC's rules against "indecency" prohibiting even swearing. The radio stations that banned the Dixie chicks for opposing the Iraq war. Even now the director of the United States Office of Management and Budget has expressly said he wants to ban pornography through back door methods.

"We came up with an idea on pornography, to make it so that porn companies bear the liability for underage use, as opposed to the person who visits the website. We've got a number of states that are passing this, and the porn company then says 'you know what, I'm not doing business in state', which, of course, is entirely what we want," he continues. "We would have a national ban on pornography if we could."

So I have evidence from both sides, strong evidence of both sides. Both of them yelling "we didn't start the fire" as they both throw Molotovs.

Good news, you can know you didn't start the fire if you don't throw molotovs and side with principled free speech organizations like FIRE.

  • -11

Heck some examples are ironic, like a school that tried to ban Harry Potter due to depictions of witchcraft back in the 90s. That's of course a funny example, but there's plenty that aren't so funny.

And the fact that they had to go back 30 years for an example doesn't give you pause? Was the person sending you this even alive when it happened?

That's a funny example and something I knew from growing up as a fan of the books, not something I was sent. I live in a red rural area and remember stories of parents having freakouts about Harry Potter and Pokemon and stuff from some of the other children. One of my friends i would let play Pokemon on my Gameboy since he couldn't at home.

But yes I realize that's long ago, so I gave you a current example of something happening right now as we speak by a high level Trump executive.

But also if we're going about who started it, wouldn't the older examples be better? I don't think it matters who started it, but that seems like the proper thing to be focusing in on if it does matter.

  • -10

But yes I realize that's long ago, so I gave you a current example of something happening right now as we speak by a high level Trump executive.

I've lost count of how many times I asked you how what Trump did violates any of the principles you supposedly hold, and how many times you ignored the question.

But also if we're going about who started it, wouldn't the older examples be better?

Sure. So back then I was pro-Rowling, and helped the left as much as I could. Then the left went full-censor, and now Trump is in power and cutting their funding for practices that are illegal in the left's own framework. How am I the one that started it, and not them?

I've lost count of how many times I asked you how what Trump did violates any of the principles you supposedly hold, and how many times you ignored the question.

Ok so what do you feel about a member of the Trump admin saying on video that he desires to ban pornography across the entire nation?

Sure. So back then I was pro-Rowling, and helped the left as much as I could. Then the left went full-censor, and now Trump is in power and cutting their funding for practices that are illegal in the left's own framework. How am I the one that started it, and not them?

So you carve out that you aren't a hive-mind in conservative or leftist groups and aren't responsible for the censorious behavior of others in them, but don't carve out the same thing for "them"? There are plenty of examples of powerful institutional censorship from conservatives both now and in the past, you can go check on FIRE or CATO or Reason for instances of now and pick up a history book on religion vs science for an incredibly easy view of the past censorship efforts.

Ok so what do you feel about a member of the Trump admin saying on video that he desires to ban pornography across the entire nation?

I'm happy to discuss this, but you can't expect me to answer another your questions, if you've been dodging mine for half a dozen posts.

but don't carve out the same thing for "them"?

Who told you that? I'm perfectly willing to do so, if I can see that they actively thought for free speech during progressive dominance the same way I thought for it during the last gasps of conservatism. You'll notice I never criticized FIRE, but if you're going to tell me they're in any way representative of academia writ large... well, that would just be a lie, simple as.