Culture Warriors category archive
“But No Other Answer Fits the Facts” 0
Nika Kabiri explores what persons fall for and hold on to conspiracy theories. She identifies three factors:
- First, conspiratorial thinking may have psychological roots that need to be addressed first. Recent research from Emory University suggests people prone to conspiratorial ideation have low social self-esteem and exhibit signs of narcissism, among other traits. . . .
- Second, underneath all conspiracy theories are coherent ideologies, a master world-view in which conspiracies are normative (rather than unusual). This worldview is so compelling that a believer can espouse two inconsistent conspiracy theories at the same time, as long as each aligns with this underlying ideology. . . .
- Third, all people resist new evidence that challenges their beliefs to varying degrees. Confirmation bias leads all of us to do online research using keyword searches that are bound to serve up what we want to see. . .
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Follow the link for a more detailed discussion of each, as well as her thoughts on how to combat conspiratorial thinking.
Disunited States 0
Werner Herzog’s Bear mulls over Republicans’ “culture war” strategy, first wielded with effectiveness by Richard Nixon, and the implications of said strategy. Here’s a bit; the entire article is well-worth the three or four minutes it will take for you to read it (emphasis added).
“We’re the Victims Here” 0
David discusses what’s behind the right-wing notion of “cancel culture.”
A Notion of Immigrants 0
At the Des Moines Register, an immigrant from Viet Nam who came here at the age of nine muses on her American experience. Here’s a bit:
“Turn a Blind Eye” 0
The Des Moines Register’s Rekha Basu excoriates a proposed bill in the Iowa state legislature designed to protect bigots and racists from having their sensitive ‘ittle fee-fees hurt.
No excerpt or summary–just read her article.
Freedom of Screech 0
The Orlando Sentinel’s Scott Maxwell finds Florida legislators’ attempt to bend Twitter and Facebook to their will to be–er–somewhat problematical. Here’s a tiny bit of his article; follow the link for the rest.
They want to force social media companies to leave untouched any post any politician ever shares — no matter how vile or false.
One legislator described the bill as a dream come true for “Nazis and child molesters and pedophiles.” Then he voted for it.
Culture?
0
David’s guest contends that there is such a thing as “cancel culture,” but it’s not what the right is portraying it as. It is a nuanced discussion worth a listen in the current environment. From the description:
Dan Kovalik, labor and human rights attorney and author of the book “Cancel This Book: The Progressive Case Against Cancel Culture,” joins David to discuss the book and cancel culture.
The Anachronism 0
I find Prince Harry and Meghan Markel’s stories of how they were treated credible. After all, it was English settlers who fostered America’s original sin of chattel slavery and created the myth of white racial superiority so as to ease their consciences (and line their wallets).
What most strikes me, though, is the downright petty nastiness of the treatment they received. Even bigots are capable of being polite.
I’m a Southern Boy. I have known in my lifetime many bigots who are capable of politeness. It doesn’t make them any less bigoted, but at least they were able to dress up their bigotry in Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes.
Also, I don’t get Americans’ fascination with the British royal family. Nor that of PBS viewers with soap operas set in Edwardian England. Grump, grump, grump.
