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Why do people engage in culture war though? I mean in some cases it is necessary like literal wars or a group actively holding hostile views against another and opposes thier rights on the basis of prejudice. But much of the discourse I have seen is more about attacking the group and pulling down even normal members of the group ignoring that they are not some genocidal murderers. Even though they bear some responsibilities for their own group or country it ignores that normal people often avoid conflict rather than holding the same prejudiced beliefs themselves.
I don't really think culture war is the solution, because whether one side is right or wrong it ultimately makes a breeding ground for hatred and nobody here will be listening to the facts and work upon a solution. It is sort of like our race, color, wealth, institutions etc .. all make up our identity of who we are. Any attack on these are an attack on the person belonging to that said group (and I am not talking about criticism of the group). Will anyone sit to think about thier position? Of course not because human nature is reactionary and much of out actions are governed by feelings. It would be unrealistic to expect the person being attacked to be reasonable, especially if it is actively hostile. But it will lead to a never ending war with each other without any solutions.
I think honestly it’s a bit of narcissism. Not that having an opinion on culture issues is wrong or bad, but if you’re “waging war” about it, it’s in some form or other about the human desire to get their own way and if possible to force it on other people.
Why would it matter to a person living in California what people in Idaho think about trans issues? Why do they care? It doesn’t affect them that conservative Baptists don’t want their kids to be trans. They lose no rights in California. Why would someone in Idaho care that Californians want their kids to be trans? It’s about control and the prevention of control. I want everyone to agree with me, therefore I wage culture wars and try to get the power to force everyone to agree with me.
It's a form of self-expression, to make the world a bit more compatible with your values, and/or to find similar people. Lazy activism is what substack posters, internet commenters, and other "culture warriors" (like me, I guess) do.
Why so nasty? Some of it is certainly hatred, sadism, and grifting for attention. But also, the world is a cruel place, so some cruelty is required to protect yourself and those you love; it’s hard to express kindness without appearing weak and cringe, especially in politics. Still, at the end of the day it is self-expression, and it influences the world by its appearance not intention; so I can’t escape the feeling nastiness should be minimized to what’s necessary, under evidence that is constantly rechecked.
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