What would you consider a major "culture war" battleground?

[d4m10n]

Pretty much the question on the tin, interpreted (in good faith) as you see fit.

ETA: In terms of time frame, I'm thinking near term like maybe current month ±5 years.

ETA2: Thinking about doing a related poll here in a bit, after I get a number of (serious) replies.

ETA3: I'd be especially interested to see if there are any responses which are not about identity politics in particular.

 

[theprestige]

Trans rights in public policy, and trans affirming care for minors.

DEI.

The place of minor-attracted persons in society.

 

[sir drinks-a-lot]

Are you asking for specific issues in the culture wars?

If so, here are a few off the top of my head:

- Should LGBT issues be taught in schools? Which ones and at what age?

- Immigration: how much and under what conditions? What about illegal immigrants?

- DEI hiring practices and affirmative action (good or bad?)

- Broken windows policing and other related policing issues

- Harm reduction approaches and drug legalization

ETA: maybe abortion and gun rights would count as culture war issues as well

 

[d4m10n]

The place of minor-attracted persons in society.

This one comes as something of a surprise.

I've heard of MAPs advocacy but I've yet to see those folks gain any traction in the mainstream.

 

[theprestige]

This one comes as something of a surprise.

I've heard of MAPs advocacy but I've yet to see those folks gain any traction in the mainstream.

When making predictions, I feel like it's good to include at least one long shot.

 

[Roger Ramjets]

When making predictions, I feel like it's good to include at least one long shot.

In good faith?

 

[d4m10n]

- Should LGBT issues be taught in schools? Which ones and at what age?

One might argue that you're lumping several battlefields together here.

For example, which legal rights ought to be extended to Ls, Gs, Bs, & Ts are at least two separate issues, even after we group the three identities based on sexual orientation together. Same thing if you swap out "legal rights" for something about school curricula.

 

[theprestige]

In good faith?

I don't know what this means.

All of my predictions in this thread are predictions I believe in.

What are your predictions?

 

[d4m10n]

What are your predictions?

This is a good question. My predictions are that we'll see more of the same (e.g. sex/gender/race and other identity-based ideas) but quite probably we won't put MAPs on the map. They haven't really been allowed to march in pride parades for decades now.

Also...I predict that abortion (along with alleged abortifacients) will be the major issue in the near term.

 

[bruto]

I think since the culture war is essentially about the idea that conservative religious ideas should rule society and conservative religious principles be forced on everyone, the range is pretty large.

I expect the biggest battlegrounds to come will be with regard to women's rights and LGBT&c rights. Most of the culture war is one of identity not only in the fundamental, existential issue of what a person should or should not be but who owns them and who has the right to invade their bodies and minds. But because minds are involved, it goes beyond identity into the question of what knowledge is permitted, what books may be read, ideas expressed, words spoken, and even facts permitted.

 

[d4m10n]

I think since the culture war is essentially about the idea that conservative religious ideas should rule society and conservative religious principles be forced on everyone, the range is pretty large.

Speaking as a confirmed centrist, you spelled progressive wrong.

Almost all of the issues listed above started being issues when progressives decided that the status quo cannot stand.

Conservatives have to choose their battles, but they get to choose only from the list of things that progressives have put up for reform.

 

[angrysoba]

Some that have already been mentioned with trans and DEI probably being the most prominent.

Although related to both, how about:

• Media representation (movies, TV shows, adverts, whether anyone can play a character of a group to which they do not belong).
• Should media (movies, books, songs) be censored if they feature insensitive depictions: characters in black face; cringe comedy involving third-rail topics (It's Always Sunny in the Peep Show Fawlty Office), songs that contain the f-word. No, not that f-word, the other f-word. Books for children that don't sufficiently empower female readers in the way that they should, etc...

Also,

• land acknowledgments
• pronoun declaration
• comedy

 

[jt512]

Critical Social Justice ideology, which explains:

• DEI
• Gender ideology
• Support for Hamas terrorists over Israel
• And more

 

[Mojo]

In good faith?

To be fair, he doesn't say which side he thinks might be advocating it.

 

[Mojo]

Perhaps it'll be saying how great it would be to be nice to people for a change.

 

[bruto]

Speaking as a confirmed centrist, you spelled progressive wrong.

I don't quite get where you're coming from. Are you really implying that allowing choice is equivalent to limiting it? That seeking a secular state is morally equivalent to seeking a sectarian one?

Almost all of the issues listed above started being issues when progressives decided that the status quo cannot stand.

Conservatives have to choose their battles, but they get to choose only from the list of things that progressives have put up for reform.

Of course if nobody is agitating for change, then nobody needs to agitate against it. Maybe we have a different idea of what "progressive" means, as well as "conservative," but sure, gay rights were not an issue until the status quo of suppression, bigotry, and oppression was addressed by progressives.

Once upon a time conservatives wanted the status quo to remain. Now what passes for a conservative wants not just to stop where we are, but to return to the status quo ante. The fight in the culture war is not over how things might be, but how things are right now.

So I suppose the mistake is partly mine, for using the word "conservative" as those who identify as such tend to use it, when what they are is reactionary. But the radical right wing has co-opted the term, so, being the liberal that I am, I will follow the trend of allowing people to choose their terms and their pronouns, and honor their self-description as "conservatives" even though they're something else under the dress.

Roe V. Wade stood as a constitutional principle for 50 years. The repeal of that was not about something progressives had just put up for reform. That's reactionary ultraconservatives turning back the clock by 50 years. But why go back only 50 years? According to some, slavery wasn't all that bad. Injustice Thomas has suggested he wants to go after the Griswold, Loving and Obergefell decisions next. Whether that actually happens, even mentioning it reveals the mentality of a radical reactionary.

It's only been a little over 20 years since civil unions and gay marriage were established, but there will eventually come a time when efforts to reverse them can also not be called "conservative" with a straight face.

Conservatives are like street vendors who quote you a price 10 times too much and blame you for not compromising at 5 times too much.

 

[Venom]

transgenderism
crime and punishment
general crisis of liberal values

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Education
Excessive wealth
Healthcare
Migration
Unions
Two Tier legal system

The secret of "culture war issue" is that you have some people asking for change, reactionaries with lots of access and resources pushing extremely hard against, and the vast majority being fine with the change but made to feel like it's wrong.

 

[Donal]

Which sect of convservative Christianity gets to rule. Because when centrists help the right-wingers run down every ounce of progress human civilization has made the last 300 years or so and the centrists get marched off to the camps as a thanks, the right-wingers will need to fight among themselves for control.

 

[d4m10n]

I don't quite get where you're coming from. Are you really implying that allowing choice is equivalent to limiting it? That seeking a secular state is morally equivalent to seeking a sectarian one?

No, I'm really implying that the progressives decide which cultural aspects or artifacts or institutions need to be changed or eliminated and the conservatives decide which of those they care to defend.

Maybe we have a different idea of what "progressive" means, as well as "conservative," but sure, gay rights were not an issue until the status quo of suppression, bigotry, and oppression was addressed by progressives.

Even "gay rights" is a bit vague for my purposes here. There were a number of specific gay rights campaigns, such as the campaign for marriage equality and the campaign to replace DADT with open service in the military. Today those battles are over (progressives won) and we've moved on to new LGBT-related battlefields.

Once upon a time conservatives wanted the status quo to remain. Now what passes for a conservative wants not just to stop where we are, but to return to the status quo ante. The fight in the culture war is not over how things might be, but how things are right now.

On any given issue, there will be some conservatives who defend the status quo and others who'd prefer to go back to 1963 or even 1863.

Roe V. Wade stood as a constitutional principle for 50 years. The repeal of that was not about something progressives had just put up for reform.

You may not remember when progressives started agitating for the idea that women ought to control their own reproductive capacities, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen in living memory. Moreover, conservative opposition to Roe has been with us ever since the 70s.

Injustice Thomas has suggested he wants to go after the Griswold, Loving and Obergefell decisions next. Whether that actually happens, even mentioning it reveals the mentality of a radical reactionary.

Would you care to make a prediction about whether those cases will once again become cultural battlegrounds in the near term?