Elon Musk asked a question on his Twitter platform shortly after taking over its control, paraphrased as I remember: “What about culture wars?” His intention was perhaps to get some good discussion going between Right and Left, an admirable goal perhaps within a democracy, however I’ve seen very few fact based debates on this platform. Talking points and conspiracy theory are the basis for most viewpoints presented by the Right. So the absurdity of debate is quickly realized, if one attempts it. So much for actual freedom of speech, having an actual debate of substance.
But what all who follow American politics today realize is that the Republican Party is almost entirely issue free. The reactionary mindset of the multitudes is mostly focused on winning the culture wars. Due to the unpopularity of the actual issues for which they truly stand for, they find cultural animosity their bread and butter to entice their base supporters to go to the polls. The sophistication level of a consumer of right wing media enables some very nonsensical information to readily be digested and regurgitated as actual news. It seems to keep the Republican Party alive, although the health may not be what it once was. It seems doubtful to me that it can be sustained for long term. I have sensed some urgency in the last decade on the Right.
And one must realize that conspiracy theory is the blood that flows through the right, not only now but for many decades, if not longer. So one never knows what is actually believed or only deceitfully passed on for political gain as “fact.” And the reinforcement of glib talking points to the masses are still the arrows within their political quivers. And all their soldiers have the same quiver.
In any case, I would like to address the question here. The term “culture war” to me implies a struggle between two cultural worldviews for dominance. It implies that idealistically one cultural view is superior, in one’s perception, over another view.
One might look back at an earlier American “culture war” led at the time by Jefferson Davis and his southern culture against a northern culture opposed generally against slavery. As the historian and author Paul Escott writes of Davis’s South: “Its leaders belonged to a class of proud, aggressive, and quarrelsome aristocrats who put their interests first while preaching a myth of social equality. The subsistence farmers who heard the myth, for their part, could be equally assertive in defense of their independence and honor.”
The “culture war” which became the Civil War, had its cultural differences certainly, but economic class differences reigned supreme. And this dynamic is unfortunately still very apparent in today’s own “culture war.”
The irrational belligerence toward America's trajectory of multiculturalism, as in the laws of civilization’s inherent evolution, the fear of loss of white privilege, fear of loss of “independence and honor,” all are at the root of today’s “culture wars.” Expanding democracy is their threat. Expanding equality is their fear.
For those of us not tossed and turned by the cultural war washing machine, must make an effort to allow the demographic tides to turn in a democratic manner without the fearful Right causing unpleasant havoc to try and stop the unstoppable, and to use authoritarian government to force a “culture,” from the distant past down the throats of all Americans. An evolving multicultural America that’s accepted, is a more democratic America.
“Culture expands the reason.” — Caroline Bauer (1807-1877), German actress.
It may be expected which idea of an “ideal culture” would be from a white immigrant, growing up in apartheid from South Africa. Hence it’s unlikely that an honest discussion would ever happen on Twitter, or would be allowed to happen on our “culture war” disagreements along the breadth of the American political spectrum.
Control is what is at stake. And Twitter under billionaire Musk will not give up its control, and will favor one viewpoint over others. This is quite obvious by now. As a private company it’s their right. But one must be aware of what the ultimate message to the masses is engineered to be.
“Culture war” give and take is only wasting resources needed to address actual problems of the majority, “we the people of the United States.” A “win” or “loss” may mean little in the real world. But if taxes on the wealthy can be maintained low, the government can be squeezed smaller, regulations can be eliminated through means of a culture war smoke screen strategy we will continue to see it.
9th Posting, February 12, 2023