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Culture War Roundup for the week of September 4, 2023

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If you've ever stood on a beach as the tide is coming in, you may notice the water level doesn't continuously get higher. A wave comes in, then it goes back out. Over time the waves come in higher and higher, but each wave goes out. Every time someone has predicted peak woke, it's turned out to just be a wave going out for a very short period.

The way that ripples spread in ponds supports your conclusion. The topography of watersheds is somewhat analogous as well. The way that prisms refract light makes me think of immigration, too. Perhaps the strongest argument in favor of your point is snail shells.

However, one could just as easily argue the opposite point by making reference to the waxing and waning of the moon, the patterning of warts on toads, the Nitrogen cycle, bees, cracked glass, or the formation of snowflakes.