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.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
I think that's easier said that done. A huge percentage of people are some combination of lazy, incompetent, and cowardly and would flake / screw things up.
Through the internet, I guess. A certain percentage of people have a lot of time on their hands. And a certain percentage of people are very good at recognizing faces. An American who shows up and starts living in a small town in some other country is going to arouse some level of suspicion.
Sure, but, at the same time, people have managed to do that part successfully many, many times. Particularly in countries with barely-functioning law enforcement like South Africa (or, apparently, the Bay Area). It doesn't mean it's foolproof, and the number of networks capable of pulling that off for political purposes rather than organized crime (who move people around for various illegal purposes and get away with it all the time) has thankfully greatly decreased, but it's not impossible.
Oddly enough the articles I can find on Daniel San Diego's arrest, even newer ones, have exactly zero details of how the authorities found him, which makes me guess they picked him up with some Edward Snowden stuff. Could be wrong and they're just refusing to give details though.
Yeah, but you also underestimate just how backwards some parts of the world are, and how often you find random mzungus who've settled down there. I'm talking regions of people who barely know that the internet exists, if they even do. That does shrink over time, it may be gone in a couple decades, but for now there are still places you can go. The danger would be that if you got tracked to the country or general region, it would presumably cause an old-media sensation there and get into local rumour mills that there's an American murderer on the loose.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link