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Culture War Roundup for the week of January 26, 2026

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But discourse about government isn’t child-like behavior.

I, at least in this thread, am not really discussing government behavior. Government is blunt instrument and this is a problem that requires a scalpel. I have no desire to put a loaded gun on the government's table for use in restricting speech.

Go around kicking SUVs is child like behavior.

Absolutely, Pretti/Anti-ICE movement acts like a child, deliberately attempting to toe the provocation line and claim injustice when they get punch back. WhiningCoil's argument is that we should should ignore it to teach the left a lesson. I think this idea can be applied to other behavior as well, that he might really hate. Like Kirk's mean-girl like behavior.

It is a meta-argument around people trying to abuse the rules-as-written but wanting to avoid the natural consequences of people recognizing that as defection and responding/punishing it.

You described both actions as child like. I’m saying as a society we’ve decided one is child like (ie kicking cars and spitting on people) and the other (political speech) is not child like. So you have a category error.

So you have a category error.

That assumes I agree with your framing of how society has decided these or that society is even right. I don't recognize your authority to define that framing. Considering a section of society definitely reacted to the later as a "Well he FAFO-ed" or "I don't think his death was great but maybe he should have been less of a hateful ass". (real IRL conversations with real IRL leftists) I'd contest that society really has decided as your framing is correct.