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Culture War Roundup for the week of January 19, 2026

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Posting the Trumpian Letter to the Norwegian PM by itself doesn't qualify for a top-level alone. That would be no different than a Twitter repost which means you have to attach something to it. There may be other interesting things about the letter -- brevity, audacity, grammar -- but the wider context of threatening to invade Greenland does seem the most obvious place to go with a discussion.

I don't think you're expected to take anything as a given, but frequent contributors likely work through permutations and move on. Trump is one of the following: expert negotiator deal-maker, intentionally trolls for attention, or he candidly finds himself writing impromptu letters with no self-awareness of what they mean. Possibly one or all of these apply to the Trumpian antics on offer any given day. A Trumpian Letter to the Norwegian PM that opens with a mention of the Nobel prize in the midst of a peak Trump cycle is barely unexpected. I can only throw up my hands, yet again humbled by my own mundanity, and accept this force of nature for what it is. Just as I would accept a failed harvest, a bird pooping on my head, or any other act of God. The context of his actions are almost aways more novel and interesting than the routine.

You probably already know the one and only solution. More people should present their perspectives on stuff they are interested in. I sometimes notice the lack of perspectives or a topic and, if it looks like a slow week, I might do something about it. Top-levels have to meet a threshold they do not need to beat the next guy or even be long. Consider this an endorsement from the common man.