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Culture War Roundup for the week of September 21, 2026

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No, the very real, and not at all supposed hoax, was that Trump called white supremacists "very fine people" by saying there are some on both sides of the Charlottesville controversy. You're trying to rewrite history.

The point I'm making is independent of the truth-of-the-matter of what Trump actually said about Charlottesville. The point is that the way the narrative played out shows that there is no united right-wing movement equivalent to that on the left. If there were, you would've found that the dominant right-wing narrative was one of the following:

  • President Trump actually does secretly support us; he just can't come out and say it just yet. But I have contacts on the inside who know what Trump really thinks. Trust the plan, eyes on the prize.
  • How dare President Trump say that there were "very fine people" on the pro-statue-removal side? We call upon President Trump to unequivocally condemn all the subversive anarchist elements bent on destroying our proud heritage and civilization.
  • We are disappointed that President Trump has not full-throatedly endorsed our movement. We will not support him until he does.

(In fact, a handful of people did say this, but they were relegated to the fringe on the right.)

contributions to science, art, philosophy, or culture generally, which is what comes to my mind when someone brings up "creating things"

Where are the right-wing institutions for these things? All academic faculties (with the possible exception of economics) are left-dominated. Same with art museums and film festivals. Maybe if you're right-leaning you'd denounce such things as "not real art" - maybe so, but then, who is preserving the "classical" cultural heritage? Where are the right-wing symphony orchestras and Shakespearean theater companies?

The right and left polices the “far” right wing (no one wants to be called a crypto Nazi) thereby prioritizing moderation as opposed to purity. The far left is tolerated and thus more and more results in purity spirals.

Have you considered that the establishment/conventional right just doesn’t agree with aryan race warriors rather than being intimidated into moderation?

You don’t need to be an aryan race warrior before the race establishment right gets upset.

I have, but they have dissuaded me from believing that by adopting the same cancellation tactics they've spent a decade decrying.

The point I'm making is independent of the truth-of-the-matter of what Trump actually said about Charlottesville.

I don't think you should get to say things that are flatly untrue as you making your broader point.

Where are the right-wing institutions for these things? All academic faculties (with the possible exception of economics) are left-dominated.

And what are they doing with that domination? They might be holding on to science by the skin of their teeth, but there has been no worthwhile contribution to any of the other fields for years if not decades.

And what are they doing with that domination? They might be holding on to science by the skin of their teeth, but there has been no worthwhile contribution to any of the other fields for years if not decades.

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make by saying this. That conservatives are so inept that they can't create their own institutions despite the existing liberal ones not doing anything worthwhile for decades? Seems like low-hanging fruit if you ask me.

Two points: First at a minimum, it's the same point you are trying to make. How is not being able to achieve anything worthwhile while holding these institutions any less inept. Thus any criticism kf conservatives of thisnsort is hollow.

Second, I think holding the institutions gives you an advantage. It's a lot easier to do something while holding them the it is to start them from scratch. As an example just look at the utter failure to offer a relevant alternative to Twitter after Musk bought it, despite all the huffing and puffing, and all the media coordinating to try to move people to other networks. If you are holding all the institutions, and achieving nothing, you are more inept.

I don't think you should get to say things that are flatly untrue as you making your broader point.

I wasn't intending to make any claim with the word "supposed" about the underlying truth of the supposition, only that there are some people who are supposing. If that word is unclear, you can substitute "alleged" or "claimed".