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 -
Why not both?
The left has, generally, been actually pretty good about canceling their own. This is partially because infighting is part of the culture, but also because the machine is stronger the more blood is fed to it. Plus some actual principle, honestly.
Cesar's cancellation has been extremely swift and well-coordinated. I'm sorry, but I don't see this behavior as demonstrably different from MLK. Cesar may be lower on the racial victim hierarchy, but I think erasing him is extremely convenient right now.
The evidence here is a lot stronger (especially from a left-wing perspective) than MLK’s “totally real rumors in J. Edgar Hoover’s burn book”
More options
Context Copy link
Occam's razor.
I'm rather skeptical of this. Can you point to three instances in which (1) the Left has cancelled someone; and (2) doing so was a genuine and significant setback for the Left?
I don't think it makes much of a difference. Probably 95% of Americans have no idea who he was or what he stood for. I myself had completely forgotten him until now and I went to college in an agricultural area in the American West during the boycott grapes era.
My primary memory of Cesar Chavez is the "Ricky Martin Does Not Sell Out His Latin Heritage" bit from MadTV.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link