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 -
What even is the point of a trial (or a defense at a trial) aside from generating the biggest male ICK heard around the world?
What difference does it concretely make to be convicted of having been insane while killing your kids vs not really that insane for somebody who killed their kids?
Do the caretakers of her paraplegic body have a more favorable skin color or?
Wouldn't that mean you just need to get a different one or do you still have to make him testify if you paid for it?
At Resnick's level of prestige he gets to investigate, charge, and ask them if they want his conclusions (with a potential need to get someone else). It's absolutely possible he's gone senile or decided to collect one last case or get some money for his grandkids. It's more likely that he's involved because it's a big case and he found what he found.
In a more normal case you are just as likely to have the witnesses conclusion change the defense's tack as to keep rolling the dice on witnesses until you get what you want.
And yes it's not clear if this is doing that much for Clancy, perhaps her defense sees a way out here, but realistically she's just likely to end up in a different kind of facility (with women's prison probably being better than the psychiatric hospital). Perhaps its safety concerns as she might get murdered in prison. Perhaps its just a desire to clear her name.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link