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 -
I wonder where these retarded 'youth criminal diversion programs' originate from.
People watch The Shawshank redemption and then Dangerous Minds and then set off to make a difference (TM).
This completely unironically. The United States federal unauthorized computer access law, considered one of the dumbest and most ham-fisted, tyrannical, and unjust in the world, comes from stupid congressmen who watched a 1983 movie called WarGames where a teenager launches some nuclear weapons through internet hacking.
The median American congressmen is just a TV from 1989 playing all of its programs on repeat strapped to a middle aged or elderly locomotion appendix. This is no reasoning with the TV, there is no updating the TV. Thence derives American stupidities like racial justice („Mohammed ali” is a HERO in 1989 United States), patriotic narcissism (the UNITED STATES is the MOST FREE and RICH nation on the Earth in 1989), „Epstein” hysteria (teen pregnancy is a CRISIS in 1989 United States), alcohol rules („BLOOD BORDERS” are MURDERING our CHILDREN in 1989 United States), drug hysteria (your brain will turn into a fried egg), and so on.
Once these boomers are gone, I think these silly views will fade away. Americans will be free of the spell of late 20th century Hollywood, and they will have to come to terms with the mediocrity of what remains of their country, and all of its insane contradictions.
I wasn't even completely joking like a ton of views on these topics in broader society are likely the product of a couple famous pieces of media, some garbled social media posts and a high school civics lesson
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link