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 -
Kristi Noem is out as DHS Secretary
Noem is the first Cabinet Secretary to shuffle out of Trump's second admin. Notably, the first Trump admin set records for modern cabinet turnover, and of course Trump is looking to beat those numbers.
Noem faced a number of controversies during her tenure, most of which we argued about at some point, from ICE tactics to ad campaigns given sweetheart deals. Recently she was grilled on a $143mm contract given no-bid to a firm recently created by people tied to the secretary; and allegations she was schtupping her second in command Lewandowski.
Trump says he's appointing her to some kind of sinecure at some new international organization he's creating next weekend.
Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin will replace her. I have to admit, if you had asked me who Markwayne Mullin was, I would have bet $1000 he was a black kid who played defensive line in the SEC, what kind of name is Markwayne anyway?
So what does this tell us about the state of the Trump administration? Turnover is generally bad, but I don't really see why Trump is firing her at this time. I suppose that "When we talk about fraud, we just mean that it should be HERITAGE AMERICANS stealing from the treasury, not Somalis..." is a tough sell? Does this indicate, along with Bovino's ouster, that ICE enforcement is going to take a step back, or change tactics? Combined with the war in Iran, which now will likely last until September according to the Pentagon, does Noem's firing indicate a reshuffling of priorities away from purging immigration domestically and towards classic neocon internationalism
Dogs across the country are very satisfied with this result.
Strikes me as GenX Jimbob, personally, but YMMV.
Seems to be, and I say this with love because I'm rural white lower-class myself, rural white lower-class naming:
So instead of calling him "Mark (first name) Wayne (middle name)" or "Wayne (first name) Mark (middle name)", Mom called him "MarkWayne" (or the idiot registrar filling out the birth certificate did). I can see Mom not wanting to choose between which brother would be the first name, but come on now. Either "Mark Wayne" or "Wayne Mark". If the official name on his birth cert was put down as "Markwayne" then okay, he's stuck with it if he hasn't chosen to change it himself.
EDIT: Apparently he is also Cherokee (excuse me coughing into my fist here) so yeah. Lizzie Warren is not the only "great-grandma was a Cherokee princess!" out there 😁 Feck's sake, look at this guy's photo. I was betting on "Mullin is kinda Irish, he could be one of our own", I was not thinking "Ah yes, clearly an Indigenous descendant".
At least that has a requirement- enrolled citizens have to prove direct descent from at least one person on the Dawes Roll. He's probably about 1/16 or 1/32 Cherokee 'officially', though yeah features are much more Irish/American mutt.
I just thought it was funny to see the picture of him sitting with other Indian members and they both look like 'yeah, native blood there' and he's clearly "ah shure me great-grand da was from Fermanagh". He probably does have the 1/32nd background from his probable heritage, but good gosh, it's taking full advantage of the system.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link