How should we handle the right wing's bogus "culture war"?

[Pushed To The Left]

Oh, it's real on the right-wing side. They are declaring war on those who support civil liberties and civil rights, painting them as extremists who want to "break down the culture". As somebody who is very socially liberal and supports civil liberties and rights, I don't remember ever having a desire to break down society, and I don't believe others who feel the way I do desire that either. This is the main reason I believe that most of this "culture war" is a bunch of divisive fiction. How should we handle these "culture warriors"?

[Vexatious Ape]

1. There is no culture war.

It's just another right wing straw-man meme.

[More Than A Feeling]

2. It's a far broader war than just civil liberties/civil rights

It's an identity war. Other groups of people, by virtue of their very existence, make the culture warrior feel as though their self-image is called into question and undermined. They then have to take out their insecurity on everyone else, but they can't explain why except that they have this ill-defined but deeply held belief that the world ought to work the way they think it should. It's all quite irrational.

The way to win this war is to, one, have them meet members of the heretofore marginalized groups, so that they can become friends and see that different people aren't so bad, after all. The second way to win is the same way as winning the battle on racism, with political correctness. Making it socially unacceptable to slur gays/feminists/etc through clear disapproval whenever someone does that. Most important, though, is time. Each succeeding generation is more tolerant than the one preceding it. Within my lifetime (I'm in my twenties) I believe I will see the death of the last politically influential homophobe, and the repeal of the last gay marriage ban.

In summary, it makes sense for the Christianists and other culture warriors to be worried about culture wars. After all, they are losing.

[KT2000]

3. We must define their culture

as it really is - every time the subject comes up.
Of course it is divisive fiction but it has worked for them.

[dchill]

4. Other

Send more troops!
:)

[WinstonSmith4740]

5. Hell, yes!

We need to take it to them. I really, really believe that the reason we're in the mess we're in is that we allowed the right wing to define the terms for years. In an attempt to show how tolerant we were, instead of fighting back at their gross exaggerations, we said, "well you may have a point."

We have to get up in their faces, bigtime. Of course, when we do, they immediately start whining about how mean we are. Fuck 'em. Take the damn gloves off. Call it bullshit when they start throwing it. Hit them with the facts. Speaking truth to power is never easy, but it is worth it.:rant:

[Guaranteed]

6. Call them on it. Ask them why they're trying to divide the country-

especially in the middle of the war on terror.

We all need to hang together in these troubled times...

[tularetom]

7. The culture war is over - it ended during Vietnam

and the hippies won. All this culture war bullshit is a way for pipsqueaks like bill o'falafel to sell their crappy books to dumbass losers. If they want to make it another culture war, let 'em, the former hippies will win again. There's too much assimilation of the "counterculture" into the popular culture to turn back now and a bunch of freaky preachers and big mouth pundits hyperventilating about sex, nudity, "queers" and abortion, are fighting a losing battle, literally preaching to an ever diminishing choir.

[some guy]

8. Constitution vs Bible

one must choose which to support. Those who choose the Bible over the Constitution are haters of the US, and essentially traitors, as they would seek to undermine and replace the Constitution with Biblical law.

Force them by discussion to admit which side they truly are on.

[Sparkly]

9. I voted "there is no culture war"

fwiw.

[shintao]

10. Repugs are lil children

If you study Repugs, you can see how insecure they are out of the womb, so vulnerable to criticism, so arrogant in their ignorance. I really feel sorry for Hannity types, they come so easily to tears, they need their Jesus nailed to a cross so he doesn't get away from public places, wars afar so they can sleep securely at night. Shame, shame.

[newyawker99]

15. Hi shintao!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[NMDemDist2]

17. welcome to DU shintao

:hi:

PS Love the nick!

[zbdent]

11. Isn't it amazing that the people who are in the "culture of death"

(according to the righties, us) let the "culture of life" people live?

And they're the ones who historically advocate having as many guns as you can possibly acquire ...

[benEzra]

12. I think you underestimate pro-gun sentiment among Dems...

And they're the ones who historically advocate having as many guns as you can possibly acquire ...

I think you underestimate pro-gun sentiment among Dems. Only about half of gun owners are repubs--and Sarah Brady AND the head of the Brady Campaign are both repubs.

The Democratic party has been historically pro-gun-owner, and the 1988-2004 flirtation with the ban-more-guns thing is an abberation that seems to have died a well-deserved death after '04. John F. Kennedy was an NRA life member and owned an AR-15, as I recall.

There are a LOT of gun owners here on DU: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1689245

[zbdent]

18. I said "historically" - not ALL

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. We all go to the Nativity Story, dressed as our favorite wise man.

[rapallos]

14. Laugh At Them

Laugh at them and work on issues. That is what America told us. I wonder if anyone learned. Haven't seen much.

Dems are divided into three camps.

Those that obsess over Bush
Those that obsess over anyone that isn't far left
And those that are fighting the 2008 election.

[newyawker99]

16. Hi rapallos!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Odin2005]

19. Emphasize ECONOMIC issues.

Have socially liberal democrats run in socially liberal areas and have socially conservative Democrats (like Jon Tester) run in socially conservative areas, then have all those canidates push a populist economic message.