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 -
These people died. Their grandsons pioneer no longer, the land has been settled and the continent tamed. Whoever today carries the qualities that make them most like the Americans of three hundred years ago, is not likely to carry them because they have inherited them through an unbroken patrilineal chain of heritage extending to Mayflower.
Yes, the continent was tamed. Why does that mean I have to allow millions of Indians and Mexicans and Chinamen to live in it?
I disagree completely. While the circumstances of their lives were obviously different, their posterity inherits from them their mannerisms, attitudes, proclivities, and ways of life. You can stray from your heritage, but you can't escape it.
Also, Jamestown was the beginning of America, not Plymouth Rock.
It's not up to just your decision. The question I'd suggest you ask instead would sound more like "how do I get people who don't want to bother proving the purity of their blood to vote/fight for me?".
If true, a birth certificate would not be required to see it. In the best scenario (a person with completely unmixed 1776 heritage), they carry the potential for those qualities that might have blossomed in similar circumstances. You might notice that circumstances are not the same. And what I think of potential men can be summarized like so.
That it is in your, as you put it earlier today, ethnic interest to claim the suffrage in USA as solely yours is not cohering with the arguments you put up. If America must belong to the descendants of the founding fathers because of the heritage rights, make your point so. When you bring vibes about pioneerhood and the American spirit into it, it exposes that there are a great many Indians with more American spirit than you.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link