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PaperclipPerfector  1d ago (text post)   1905 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for October 25, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Anyone following the new logo for the Atlanta Falcons saga?

The memes are hilarious.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/oct/22/atlanta-falcons-throwback-logo-nazi-germany-comparisons-memes

If they think that's fascist, just wait until they see the United Farmworkers flag.

They have a slogan in Spanish, so it's ok.

Not to mention the ceremonial mace of the US House of Representatives.

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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.


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