site banner
PaperclipPerfector  4d ago (text post)   15705 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of July 27, 2026

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.

3
Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

you were sneering at

I wasn't sneering at all and meant everything I said very earnestly. Please consider that I mean what I say and with the best wishes for Europe and the right when you read the following:

but an argument that there is no conspiracy, and this is just an issue with the local government

What on earth are you talking about? "The local government?" The "local" government" is the sovereign government of Spain, a country currently managed by left-wing politicians who deliberately supported what is happening. "Bumbling around randomly"? Doesn't have the characteristics of a "single ideology"? What on earth are you talking about?

I know that power in practice is far more complicated than just, "the local government," that Spain is often at the mercy of larger and more powerful sovereign organizations, but come on.

was written and read by people at the tops of government and corporate power, which may not involve "Jew Power" but definitely has something to say about replacing the native European population

Yes, the people "at the tops of government and corporate power" who want to replace the population of Spain are in fact involved in running the government of Spain! Good grief. Why do you need a conspiracy at all to explain anything at all? It's not a secret, there are powerful politicians putting their names and faces to what is happening, smiling.

Having written all that, I can kind of squint and imagine that what you're saying is that the center of this Open Borders cult is not in Spain. So it's much more than just a Spanish problem. But that still doesn't really address my point: It is also a Spanish problem! The Spanish people actually have significant power to stop this. And they will squander that power if they chase conspiracy theories about the Americans and the Jews. You can fire the Prime Minister and you can impeach the Judges but you can't just sit around waiting for the fall of Rome.

What on earth are you talking about? "The local government?" The "local" government" is the sovereign government of Spai

Yes, as opposed to larger political entities like the European Union.

currently managed by left-wing politicians who deliberately supported what is happening. "Bumbling around randomly"? Doesn't have the characteristics of a "single ideology"? What on earth are you talking about?

Does have all the overarching characteristics of a single ideology (I may have accidently a word). You know how Spain "is managed by left-wing politicians who deliberately supported what is happening"? Turns out it's not just Spain, but every single western country. Even ones putting on a show of being "right wing". That's why it's "overarching". I don't think that's a difficult concept to understand.

Good grief. Why do you need a conspiracy at all to explain anything at all?

Because everyone is calling me a conspiracy theorist when I complain about it?

Having written all that, I can kind of squint and imagine that what you're saying is that the center of this Open Borders cult is not in Spain. So it's much more than just a Spanish problem. But that still doesn't really address my point: It is also a Spanish problem!

Sure, I don't disagree with that at all.

The Spanish people actually have significant power to stop this. And they will squander that power if they chase conspiracy theories about the Americans and the Jews. You can fire the Prime Minister and you can impeach the Judges but you can't just sit around waiting for the fall of Rome.

Look, I agree that trying to do something is better than whinging about the powers that be, but I think it's dishonest to deny that there are, in fact powers that be, that will put significant resources into preventing any of this happening. If the Spanish people organize, the entire media apparatus will immediately call them Nazis, dig for any and all dirt that can be dug out, and promote anyone who opposes you. The EU will compel social media companies to throttle your, especially leading up to elections. If by any chance you do win, and start implementing stricter immigration policy, and especially if you start impeaching judges, you will get the Poland-Hungary treatment, and your country can kiss all that sweet EU cash goodbye, and will be fined on top of that.

Again, I don't like whinging any more than you do, but we should not pretend that the challenge is limited to local national politics.

I don't really disagree with any of this per se, and we're more or less on the same side with respect to the threat of migration. There are definitely larger matters at play than just the politics of the government of Spain. But conspiracy theories about the Israelis and the Americans -- and that's what they are, totally unsupported conspiracy theories -- will waste the efforts of the European and Spanish right. It feels like watching Lee prepare for Pickett's Charge, it's totally all wrong, it's going to fail disastrously. And the fantasy itself that America is behind it all will sap what political will remains, because it's a message that says there's little to be done except to keep watching the TV and hope for the best. This is in fact what I think the major problem is: Europe is losing the will to power, and will accept any fantasy that explains why it's correct for them to have done so.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!


Rules


Recommended Posts And Communities

Recommended Realtime Chats