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Culture War Roundup for the week of November 17, 2025

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lmao at the idea you expect anyone to believe this at all. Can you actually explain the legitimate military purpose behind what happened to Hind Rajab

Sure, of course. Civilians regularly get killed in the fog of war. It's not totally clear what happened, but I do know that if it were official Israeli policy to target non-combatants, there would be no Arabs left alive in or around Gaza.

Anyway, let me make sure I understand your argument.

(1) Sarah Hurwitz is a very pro-Israel writer.

(2) this individual has equated Israeli activities with Nazi genocide

(3) moreover, Israeli forces have killed Palestinian Arab non-combatants

(4) moreover, there are members of the Israeli government who have advocated for clearing Palestinian Arabs out of Gaza.

(5) therefore, it is clear that Israel is engaged in a Nazi-style genocide with the goal of securing more space for Jews.

Do I understand your argument correctly?

Russia has claimed that they don't deserve any sanctions for what is happening in Ukraine with direct comparison to Israel. China has come out and said that what Israel is doing is bad. All over the world, countless nations have come together and outright stated that what Israel is doing is monstrous. Official IDF photos now show them with their faces censored and hidden, because there are credible threats to prosecute them for warcrimes whenever they leave their ethnostate.

I certainly concede that many people and groups have bought into the fantasy that Israel is engaged in serious wrongdoing. So what?

The idea that the entire world is just possessed by irrational jew hatred for no reason

Sadly, there are very good reasons: To virtue signal; to deflect attention from actual wrongdoing; to find a scapegoat.

Let me ask you this: Of all the countries in the world, do you believe that Israel is the very worst behaved in terms of war crimes?

I thought that Nazi germany needed to be destroyed because what they were doing was unconscionable, not because I have an irrational hatred of bratwurst and oktoberfest.

Serious question: Were you an adult in the 1940s? If so, where were you living at the time?

Sure, of course. Civilians regularly get killed in the fog of war.

This was not a case of the fog of war - the IDF waited for the ambulances to arrive before they killed the 5 year old girl who had been crying while surrounded by her dead family and murdered the medical workers.

I do know that if it were official Israeli policy to target non-combatants, there would be no Arabs left alive in or around Gaza.

The official Israeli policy is, to the best of my knowledge, to make sure that they don't simply wipe them out and exterminate them directly because the international pressure that would bring down on them would be too severe. Wiping out the Palestinian christian communities would also cause some problems with the Christian Zionists currently paying for their lifestyles and military defence to boot.

Do I understand your argument correctly?

No, not at all. Sarah Hurwitz' responses are given as an illustrative example of how zionists discuss these issues due to her prominent position in US politics. When somebody who is actively supporting the IDF and Israel's actions makes statements like these it isn't really possible to claim that they're some jew hater with an irrational hatred of Israel. She's just one example, but there are countless statements by people like Smotrich, Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir and other members of the Israeli government on the same topic. As I said, official statements and interviews with members of the Israeli government make it clear that they, internally, believe that what they are doing is on the same level as what Hitler did to the jews in Germany. While this wouldn't be compelling by itself (maybe they're all just larpers), when you combine that with the incredibly well documented evidence of their actions in Gaza it actually does form a viable argument - they are producing mountains of corpses, reducing cities to a moonscape, torturing lambs, tearing down olive trees, starving people, etc. One example I've brought up on this site before is the growing number of IDF soldiers who are killing themselves because they can't live with what they've done - that they can't bear to look at meat anymore because it reminds them of all the Palestinian corpses they crushed under a bulldozer. When giving speeches at the funerals of IDF soldiers, their compatriots frequently mention how much they enjoyed killing civilians and blowing up houses. IDF soldiers post on social media about how they're wearing the lingerie of female Palestinians after driving them from their homes - the mountain of evidence is so voluminous that it beggars belief.

I certainly concede that many people and groups have bought into the fantasy that Israel is engaged in serious wrongdoing. So what?

Leaving aside the non-fantastical nature of Israel's wrongdoing, this is actually a serious problem. If everyone in your community suddenly started accusing you of being a pedophile and posting pictures of you behaving inappropriately with children, along with you giving speeches about how the age of consent is just a polite fiction, even if you weren't actually a pedophile you would have some explaining to do. Why, exactly, do all these people believe what they do?

Sadly, there are very good reasons: To virtue signal; to deflect attention from actual wrongdoing; to find a scapegoat.

Why the fuck would China need to virtue signal? Why the fuck would Thailand need to virtue signal? Why would Malaysia need to virtue signal? I can already tell you from my direct personal experience that my distaste for Israel stems from the videos of their actions and speeches that I've seen, and not because I need to virtue signal or find a scapegoat (as I have previously attested I'm an extremely cool and good-looking sex-haver with no need to deflect attention). I just can't take this claim seriously when it applies to so many people all over the world. Are you aware of how widely loathed and detested Israel and their actions are across the globe?

Let me ask you this: Of all the countries in the world, do you believe that Israel is the very worst behaved in terms of war crimes?

Historically? No, I think there were definitely worse regimes in the past. The Athenians were pretty nasty to the Melians, Alexander was nasty to the Thebans, etc. In the modern day, right now? I think it depends on how you attribute blame - the only other contender I can see in the present moment is the USA, but that is in part because they're also culpable for what Israel is doing. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has produced far fewer civilian casualties and far fewer warcrimes (which is one of the reasons I find it so laughable that they would need a scapegoat).

Serious question: Were you an adult in the 1940s? If so, where were you living at the time?

No, I'm basing this on the education I received during history class.

This was not a case of the fog of war -

Can you summarize the best evidence for this please?

The official Israeli policy is, to the best of my knowledge, to make sure that they don't simply wipe them out and exterminate them directly because the international pressure that would bring down on them would be too severe.

Can you summarize the best evidence for this conclusion as well?

As I said, official statements and interviews with members of the Israeli government make it clear that they, internally, believe that what they are doing is on the same level as what Hitler did to the jews in Germany.

Can you please provide 3 specific examples of this?

they are producing mountains of corpses, reducing cities to a moonscape, torturing lambs, tearing down olive trees, starving people, etc.

What is the evidence that the IDF is "torturing lambs" and "tearing down olive trees" in Gaza?

As far as the other things go (producing corpses, demolishing buildings, and starving people) would you agree that this is also consistent with a Hamas that is hiding behind civilians and deliberately intercepting food aid?

Why the fuck would China need to virtue signal? Why the fuck would Thailand need to virtue signal? Why would Malaysia need to virtue signal?

To deflect attention from their own wrongdoing. Duh.

Historically? No

No, I'm asking about the last 10 years. Is it your position, that in terms of war crimes, human rights abuses, and the like, Israel is the very worst country in the world over the last 10 years. Very simple question.

Can you summarize the best evidence for this please?

We have the audio of the call, a crime-scene investigation, etc. Wikipedia actually has a pretty good article on the topic - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Hind_Rajab

Can you summarize the best evidence for this conclusion as well?

https://www.ft.com/content/8885c13c-eada-4bf8-b896-f7a242ade641

“We bring in aid because there is no choice,” he said on Monday, according to reports in Israeli media. “Nobody will let us cause 2mn civilians to die of hunger, even though it might be justified and moral, until our hostages are returned.”

“What can we do?” he added. “We live today in a certain reality, we need international legitimacy for this war.”

Can you please provide 3 specific examples of this?

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-idf-general-likens-military-control-of-west-bank-to-nazi-germany/ Pressed on whether he saw specific similarities with Nazi Germany, Levin said: “Of course. It hurts, it’s not nice, but that’s the reality. It’s better to deal with it, even if it is hard, than to ignore it.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/deputy-idf-chief-israeli-societal-trends-akin-to-pre-holocaust-europe/ “If there is something that frightens me in the memory of the Holocaust, it is identifying horrifying processes that occurred in Europe…70, 80 and 90 years ago and finding evidence of their existence here in our midst, today, in 2016,” Golan said.

https://www.parapraxismagazine.com/articles/ide-fixe “As Hitler, may his name be erased, once said: ‘I cannot live in this world if there is one Jew left in it,’ we could not live in this land if even one such Islamo-Nazi remains in Gaza, and not before we return to Gaza and turn it into Hebrew Gaza.”

What is the evidence that the IDF is "torturing lambs" and "tearing down olive trees" in Gaza?

Direct video evidence. You can quibble that it is the settlers rather than the IDF, but I feel like it is perfectly reasonable to associate the IDF and the settlers.

https://israelpalestinenews.org/settlers-torture-lambs-in-the-west-bank/

https://mondoweiss.net/2025/08/israel-wanted-to-punish-a-palestinian-village-so-it-destroyed-10000-of-its-olive-trees/

You're not going to convince anyone that this stuff is just coming from irrational hatred of jews when we can watch them doing this shit in HD.

As far as the other things go (producing corpses, demolishing buildings, and starving people) would you agree that this is also consistent with a Hamas that is hiding behind civilians and deliberately intercepting food aid?

Not to the scale that Israel has done, and not when viewed in combination with the quotes I've provided above (and countless others I have not). You don't get to say "Oh we had to kill all the children because they were Hamas" when you have previously said that all of them need to be dead so Gaza can become Hebrew Gaza.

To deflect attention from their own wrongdoing. Duh.

Please provide an example of the wrongdoing that China, Russia or Thailand has done which comes close to what Israel is currently doing in Gaza. Before you bring up the Uyghurs, please make sure to post an example of what Uyghur cities look like now and place it side by side with photos of the Gazan moonscape.

No, I'm asking about the last 10 years. Is it your position, that in terms of war crimes, human rights abuses, and the like, Israel is the very worst country in the world over the last 10 years. Very simple question.

It isn't that simple at all - was Isis a country? Were the Israeli weapons they were caught with stolen or officially supplied? But if we leave them aside, I went and had a look at a list of war crimes over the past 10 years to refresh my memory and I can't see anything that compares to what Israel has done.

We have the audio of the call, a crime-scene investigation, etc. Wikipedia actually has a pretty good article on the topic - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Hind_Rajab

Well what exactly in the evidence shows that this is not a "fog of war" incident?

whether he saw specific similarities with Nazi Germany, Levin said: “Of course. It hurts, it’s not nice, but that’s the reality. It’s better to deal with it, even if it is hard, than to ignore it.”

If there is something that frightens me in the memory of the Holocaust, it is identifying horrifying processes that occurred in Europe…70, 80 and 90 years ago and finding evidence of their existence here in our midst, today, in 2016,” Golan said.

As Hitler, may his name be erased, once said: ‘I cannot live in this world if there is one Jew left in it,’ we could not live in this land if even one such Islamo-Nazi remains in Gaza, and not before we return to Gaza and turn it into Hebrew Gaza.

Ok, let me see if I understand your argument now:

  1. Some number of prominent Israelis have drawn parallels between Israel and the Nazis.

  2. One former member of the Israeli parliament has called for the complete removal of non-Jews from Gaza.

  3. Therefore, the Israeli government internally, believes that what they are doing is on the same level as what Hitler did to the jews in Germany.

Do I have you correctly?

Also, if I could find a few current or former members of the US Congress who publicly characterized or advocated for US Policy in some respect, would you agree that according to your logic, it follows that this is an accurate characterization of US policy?

You can quibble that it is the settlers rather than the IDF, but I feel like it is perfectly reasonable to associate the IDF and the settlers.

Why exactly? Seriously, why do you hold that it's reasonable to make such an association? Is it just a feeling, or is there a specific argument?

Not to the scale that Israel has done

Well do you agree that Hamas uses human shields? Also, do you happen to know what percentage of those killed by the IDF in Gaza were civilians?

when you have previously said that all of them need to be dead so Gaza can become Hebrew Gaz

So you believe that former MK Feiglin's statements represent the official policy of the Israeli government?

Please provide an example of the wrongdoing that China, Russia or Thailand has done which comes close to what Israel is currently doing in Gaza

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xinjiang_internment_camps

Given that Israel's behavior in Gaza has been exemplary for a nation at war, this is an easy comparison to make.

But if we leave them aside, I went and had a look at a list of war crimes over the past 10 years to refresh my memory and I can't see anything that compares to what Israel has done

Ok, just so we are clear, your position is that in terms of war crimes; human rights abuses; and the like, in terms of activities over the past 10 years, Israel is the very worst country in the entire world (limiting the comparison to countries recognized in some fashion by the United Nations).

Do I have you right?

Well what exactly in the evidence shows that this is not a "fog of war" incident?

If you think that there is any way in which that incident could be described as due to the fog of war you are not a serious person attempting to have a meaningful conversation. I'm not going to bother responding to the rest of your points until you can explain to me exactly how the "fog of war" could explain what happened to Hind Rajab, because you're either too stupid to engage in a conversation like this or arguing in bad faith.

If you think that there is any way in which that incident could be described as due to the fog of war you are not a serious person attempting to have a meaningful conversation

I would have to disagree. In wars, civilians get killed all the time by armies that are scrupulously following the rules of war.

I asked you to summarize the best evidence in support of your position and you used the "thick book" tactic. i.e. you linked to a lengthy article and, upon polite request, refused to point out where in this article the supposed evidence in support of your position is.

We both know the reason for this: In fact there is no evidence in the article which supports your position.

I'm not going to bother responding to the rest of your points

Since you won't answer my questions, I will answer them for you:

  1. Do I have you correctly?

Answer: Yes, in your view, the stated views of the most radical Israelis can be and must be exaggerated and then imputed to the government as a whole.

2, Also, if I could find a few current or former members of the US Congress who publicly characterized or advocated for US Policy in some respect, would you agree that according to your logic, it follows that this is an accurate characterization of US policy?

Answer: Probably you won't concede that, because you have one standard for Israel and another standard for countries you don't hate. With Israel, the statement of a former member of parliament, one who is condemned widely in Israeli society, can still be imputed to the entire current government. With other countries, not so much.

  1. Why exactly? Seriously, why do you hold that it's reasonable to make such an association? Is it just a feeling, or is there a specific argument?

Answer: It's just a feeling based on your hatred of Israel. With no other country would you take the actions of a few random citizens and insist that their behavior represents government policy.

  1. Well do you agree that Hamas uses human shields?

Answer: No you won't, even though the evidence is overwhelming that they do so as a matter of their own policy. Because to do so would be to concede the likelihood that civilian deaths in Gaza are not due to genocidal intent on the part of Israel but rather the misbehavior of Hamas.

  1. So you believe that former MK Feiglin's statements represent the official policy of the Israeli government?

Answer: Yes, because you believe that with Israel the statements of all current and former parliament members, no matter how widely condemned, can be imputed to the government as a whole.

  1. Ok, just so we are clear, your position is that in terms of war crimes; human rights abuses; and the like, in terms of activities over the past 10 years, Israel is the very worst country in the entire world (limiting the comparison to countries recognized in some fashion by the United Nations).

Answer: Yes, that's what you believe but you are reluctant to say it because deep down you know it makes you look ridiculous to make such a claim.