This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.
Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.
We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:
-
Shaming.
-
Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.
-
Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.
-
Recruiting for a cause.
-
Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.
In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:
-
Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.
-
Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.
-
Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.
-
Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.
On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
In general, far right allegations of Jewish control of America are highly exaggerated. While Jews are unsurprisingly overrepresented in every important industry, most powerful figures in finance, law, tech, politics, consumer goods, energy, even journalism aren’t Jewish. The only industry that can really be described as primarily Jewish at the most senior levels was Hollywood, and even that’s changing with streaming, the most powerful man in the business is Reed Hastings now, and he’s an old school WASP of impeccable Boston Brahmin pedigree.
How are Jews responsible for the conclusion of WW2?
Sweden operates in a global economy, plugged-in worldwide telecommunications and global media. Sweden only dubs children shows. 86% of the Swedish population speaks English. They get American media, which sometimes means Jewish-influenced media.
Aside from that, I don't disagree that Europeans might just go that way no matter what.
Perhaps the natural, inescapable conclusion of European civilization is some kind of glorious fiery, but mostly peaceful protest.
I disagree with this guy. If Israel can't defend themselves from what he calls 'the third world' (Israel is not located in subsaharian Africa), then why should anybody else defend them? Why do they need our money?
Let these Israelis figure out a way to survive without begging, without running intense propaganda campaigns on Westerners. Get creative for once. Idk, offer some training, weapons and land to disillusioned Western youth similarly to ISIS?
Let's see an Israeli Roterham before we talk about Israel being the bulwark of the West. At least Israel has walls all around it.
It is happening. The dirty secret is that many West Bank settlers are people with minimal Jewish ancestry or just plain converts, often from unexpected places.
It is not official policy, but you want to make it one, you want Israeli government official outreach program to promote and evangelize Judaism and offer Israeli citizenship (with free sand and rock) to prospective converts?
Program racially limited to whites (I presume that by "Western" you mean White) to avoid recruits like this?
Well, if you want to make Middle Eastern situation more heated and volatile, this will work.
I really don't care about the ethnic make-up or the future of Israel as a country.
Israel doesn't seem to mind taking American money from non-Jews, so why would the would-be settlers need to be converts?
No, I think limiting the offers to people within a certain measure of competence would do roughly the same job. There are also plenty of low-quality White people that they probably would not want on their side.
But the West Bank does not seem to be where the civilians are actually fighting back. This appears to me to be explicitly displacing civilians and stealing land, not 'fighting back against Hamas terrorism' or whatever thinnest veneer of justification Israelis claim for their bombing of Gaza.
There may be strategic justifications for that that I ignore, but again, this is all pretty removed from what that edgy guy writes about Israel being a prototype for Europe's ongoing invasions. Quite the contrary, Israel does not appear to be under invasion, it seems to be the one invading and expanding (in the West Bank at least).
You should. If Israel fails, Israelis will flee and settle in your country. I presume you are not very fond of Jews and are not eager to welcome Jewish refugees.
Some Israelis do mind a lot.
Because it would nullify the whole point of Israel (national home and place of refuge for Jews)
People with "measure of competence" (living in developed countries OFC) have more options and opportunities than ever before. What could Israel offer them? Why would competent person want to live in trailer in the desert among people who really do not want him there?
Anyway, Israel is not lacking people with guns, Israel is not afraid of being overrun by mighty Arab armies.
Israel is afraid of being declared racist, fascist and white supremacist country and sanctioned like old South Africa. To avoid this, Israel needs to gain hearts and minds of people (elite human capital OFC, the masses will follow) in the Western countries and needs advocates, propagandists and tiktok influencers.
edit: more links added
Old South Africa probably could have made it had they oppressed women harder. It fell because differing fertility rates by race turned the dominant minority into a small minority, international pressure was mostly an excuse.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link