Thanks for the comments. Let me clarify about the terminology. What I mean is that there are two kinds of “pulling the rope harder”. As I argue here:
The appropriate mindset for political engagement is described in the book Politics Is for Power, which is summarized in this podcast. We need to move past political hobbyism and make real change. Don’t spend so much time reading and sharing things online, following the news and fomenting outrage as a pastime. Prioritize the acquisition of power over clever dunking and purity politics. See yourself as an insider and an agent of change, not an outsider. Instead of simply blaming other people and systems for problems, think first about your own ability to make productive changes in your local environment. Get to know people and build effective political organizations. Implement a long-term political vision.
A key aspect of this is that we cannot be fixated on culture wars. Complaining about the media or SJWs or video game streamers may be emotionally gratifying in the short run but it does nothing to fix the problems with our political system (and it usually doesn’t fix the problems with media and SJWs and video game streamers either). It can also drain your time and emotional energy, and it can stir up needless friction with people who agree with you on political policy but disagree on subtle cultural issues. Instead, focus on political power.
To illustrate the point, the person who came up with the idea of ‘pulling the rope sideways’, Robin Hanson, does indeed refrain from commenting on election choices and most areas of significant public policy, but has nonetheless been quite willing to state opinions on culture war topics like political correctness in academia, sexual inequality, race reparations, and so on.
I think that most people who hear ‘culture wars’ think of the purity politics and dunking and controversies, but not stuff like voting or showing up to neighborhood zoning meetings.
So even if you keep the same categorization, just change the terminology so it doesn’t conflate those who are focused on serious (albeit controversial) questions of policy and power with those who are culture warring.
Thanks for the comments. Let me clarify about the terminology. What I mean is that there are two kinds of “pulling the rope harder”. As I argue here:
To illustrate the point, the person who came up with the idea of ‘pulling the rope sideways’, Robin Hanson, does indeed refrain from commenting on election choices and most areas of significant public policy, but has nonetheless been quite willing to state opinions on culture war topics like political correctness in academia, sexual inequality, race reparations, and so on.
I think that most people who hear ‘culture wars’ think of the purity politics and dunking and controversies, but not stuff like voting or showing up to neighborhood zoning meetings.
So even if you keep the same categorization, just change the terminology so it doesn’t conflate those who are focused on serious (albeit controversial) questions of policy and power with those who are culture warring.
Fair enough; I’ve changed this to “Ideological politics” pending further changes.