site banner
naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   5685 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for March 12, 2023

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.

6
Top Bottom New Old Controversial
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

I've heard the theory that OWS was basically a poorly coordinated but earnest leftist response to the Tea Party phenomenon, which gained momentum only a few months earlier. I find that somewhat more believable, although I'm admittedly rather ignorant of the whole thing. In short, many leftists were understandably irritated by the spectre of right-winger reactionary Whites successfully organizing large public protests with a populist economic message and large media attention, and were inclined to demonstrate that they are capable of the whole thing as well.

As far as I can tell, OWS was largely a flash in the pan, and petered out rather quickly, precisely because the lack of a coordinated and thought-out effort and public image, so I don't think that much endeavor was put into it.

As far as I can tell, OWS was largely a flash in the pan, and petered out rather quickly, precisely because the lack of a coordinated and thought-out effort and public image

Probably. But also probably due to a lack of any sort of institutional or elite support. The Tea Party seems to have found a way to slot in the usual GOP structure.

OWS...couldn't. Not just cause the Dems were bailing out the banks but because they were never going to be truly hostile to them whereas distrusting the government has a proud conservative legacy.

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