Culture Warriors category archive
Birth of a Nation 0
Thom discusses the origins of today’s Republican Party.
Aside:
Would that I were as optimistic as he.
Chaos Agents 0
The Arizona Republic’s Elvira Diaz explains.
Our Own Tower of Babel 0
In a fascinating discussion, David interviews Jonathan Haidt about what led to our becoming a society of stupid (hint: “social” media isn’t).
Read Haidt’s article.
(Missing word found.)
Suffer the Children 0
. . . and again we are reminded that that phrase is not scripture, but, rather, Republican policy.
Ragged Individualism 0
University of South Florida Professor Murad Antia notes that, the United States had 12.5 times more deaths from COVID-19 than did Japan as a percentage of population. Indeed, he notes that Florida, with a population about one-fifth Japan’s, had more deaths than Japan.
He looks at some of the cultural issues which he suggests contributed to this. Here’s a snippet:
Here, on the other hand, we have a lot more freedom to do as we like, with dire consequences sometimes. Americans seem to favor individual rights over collective rights. In times of collective crises like World War II, collective rights have taken precedence, but only temporarily. In a nation where “rugged individualism” is infused in its DNA, individual rights eventually take precedence. We witness it in debates over gun control, education, climate change and health care.
(Broken tag fixed.)
A Notion of Immigrants Meets the Court that Eschews Precedent 0
The writer of a letter to the editor of the Roanoke Times poses an inquiry.
Courting Disaster, Reprise 0
Jesse Robison, writing at the Idaho State Journal, considers the proposed? pending? Supreme Court decision the abrogating women’s rights to abortions. He notes several arguments against that decision, but I think this gets to the heart of the matter:
It’s all about barefoot and pregnant, folks.
Follow the link for his other observations.
The Fascists’ Formula 0
Afterthought:
No, that’s not an understatement.
Fascism is knocking on America’s door, and far too many among us are willing to open that door.
American Establishmentarianism 0
An Oklahoma state legislator wants to establish the church.
I think it’s safe to say that, when Michael in Norfolk refers to “Christofascists,” he is not indulging in hyperbole.
News item via Juanita Jean.
“White Fright” 0
Rebecca Watson looks at the long and inseemly history of the theory now referred to as the “Great Replacement” in American history, immigration policy, and culture and how these beliefs feed into right-wing violence, such as the recent mass shooting in Buffalo.
Transcript here.
The Fetishists 0
In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tony Norman tries to understand (some) Americans’ fascination with projectile-propelling portable phalli.
No excerpt or summary can do this article justice. Just go read the whole thing.
Buffaloed on the Disinformation Superhighway 0
The SPLC dissects the misdirection play. Here’s how the article begins; follow the link for the evidence.
In the wake of the Buffalo, New York, mass shooting, veteran disinformation posters on Twitter such as male supremacist Mike Cernovich and Malaysia-based RT (formerly Russia Today) contributor Ian Miles Cheong led a campaign to suggest that the terrorist harbored a left-wing ideology . . . .