Have an idea for a story? M opinions@theotherpress.ca Who can beat the straw man? » The slow death of meaningful debate in the culture war Matthew Fraser Opinions Editor Wren we like it or not, humans are social creatures. We want to fit in. We want to know that the group thinks as we do, and that in turn, our group is well established in relation to wider human culture. We want to keep outsiders out, but more importantly, we are willing to punish the “other” for being the other. At our worst, we work to exclude that other from all positions of power. For the maintenance of social cohesion, continued respect of nation states, and the propagation of intellectual dynasties, ideologies engage in a constant bloodless war. Hence, the drill sergeants in this war condition us not to see the other as a human of differing opinion, but instead, as an enemy of nefarious intention and never-ending lies. At times we rejoice in the description of the enemy as evil; from the “transphobic fascist” to the “lazy leftist out for a free lunch,” we have a garrison of discredits and attacks for the other in this war. It's clear then that we are in fact trained to be lazy. Inside every argument there resides two men: a straw man and a steel man. For those who don’t know, a straw-man argument is the act of reducing your opponent's argument to its weakest core position. The steel-man argument is to face your opponent's greatest points. To say that every leftist is too lazy to work and wants welfare to take care of them is clearly the straw man. On the other side, there lies an equally weak straw man: saying that every conservative wants borders to stop the rampaging colored caravan from entering their white nation. And here we arrive at the scourge of intellectual laziness; like a monster in the shadows, it’s easier to win arguments if we don't engage things on fair grounds. It’s been done by hardliners of every ideology. Blinding people from the truth and potential providence of their opponent's minds is a useful tactic. It is better to keep your followers tussling with straw men than to lose them wrestling with the steel man behind. Institutions which previously claimed to stand aside in the indoctrination wars now throw their weights behind champions and bend what was once free thought into recognizable tribal shapes. It is no coincidence then that the unschooled frequently flock to the church for their biblically-pushed conservatism, and that the educated rush to college classrooms for scholastic educations on proper liberal etiquette. Yet in neither place is there a steel man to be found. Many a churchgoer will never be exposed to the real and truthful theory behind the welfare system or the equality dreams of progressivism. Far too many social justice activists will hurt themselves, their cause, and those they aim to protect in their headlong sprint to reshape everything; here, the prudence and risk weighing of conservatism is thoroughly missed. The problem with intellectual laziness is the slovenly results it produces day in and day out. Lobbing “libtard” and volleying “cuckservative” degrades and drags down all. It forces many to give up one set of freedoms in favour of a battle cry to bring against their foes, regardless of whether or not they see the value in the other's dreams. You can’t deviate from the dress code thought lines of your army. It only makes sense in this battle to cajole the masses into frenzied hatred for a little red hat. The comparison of any and every right-wing entity to “literal Hitler” has driven the meaning and atrocity out of the word Nazi. It’s been so trodden to death that people no longer blink and wonder incredulously when someone has been called Hitler online. By way of laziness, we have devalued an entire war and the deaths of millions. In doing so, we have given the real racists better cover than they could have dreamed for: when everyone's being called a racist, the real ones can hide in plain sight. On the other hand, the once potent grenade of calling someone a “commie” has been cheapened to less than the worth of a soviet coin. Conservatives managed to call Barack Obama a black supremacist AND a communist in the same ¢ Pence for Coronavirus President ¢ Religion: it looks out for everyone ¢ Why are so many defending Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s flaunting of wealth? ..and more (2 xs TV Vi sr @ breath, why should we believe them about Bernie Sanders? This leads us to the final evil of intellectual laziness—that one would not know their enemies or the methods of their movements. It has been said ad infinitum that knowledge is power. This is why warfare is tied to espionage; you must know what it is you aim to conquer. Yet, fewer and fewer people can accurately describe the ideas they oppose. They can at best wave a straw man— and at worst, they point to a man long dead as their resurrected opponent. It seems that this is a war that is meant to be lost. The fighting will be long and brutal, ground will be lost and gained—but at the end no one will know for what it was they fought for. 1 am convinced that we are sucked into this battle because we want to be part of something bigger than our short lives; maybe it is part of the human predicament to strive for something significant to vanquish until one dies peacefully (or is themselves crushed). Whether or not this is true doesn't matter. We have normalized mental knuckle- dragging and reduced the art of debate to slack-jawed yelping. Finally, we have removed ourselves from the spreading of knowledge that collectively brought us past our worst days. Maybe it's necessary to slide into some worse times in order to get better. issue 21// vol 46 opinions // no. 15 Pray your way through everything to solve little >» Pence for Coronavirus President Morgan Hannah Life & Style Editor Let me start by saying that many churches do engage in great work, and donations to legitimate congregations are helpful—but today we aren’t talking about religion that feeds the poor and hands out kindness. Instead, we're talking about the ones that prey on the devout. Not always for their money—sometimes, it’s about controlling action, or inaction. There is no issue with being devout, but everyone should find the fine line between having faith that your God will help you out in times of need, and knowing when you ve gotta lead the way in solving pressing issues. That line isn’t always clear, which is why it’s important to listen to your gut and act when in dangerous situations. Act first, pray later. Speaking of dangerous situations, Mike Pence—a hardline religious conservative and well-known political figure—has been put in charge of the coronavirus task force in the US. News across every platform has been blowing up with Coronavirus this and Coronavirus that for awhile now. Hand sanitizer, face masks (which don‘ actually prevent you from contracting the virus, by the way), and toilet paper have been flying off of shelves worldwide. Fear- mongering is in the air! And guess what Pence is doing about it? Nothing! Well, not nothing. He's praying. In some cases, praying could offer great support and help—but with this emergency, not so much. This is one of those times where immediate action is required to prevent further spread of anew Religion: it looks out for everyone > In defense of religious conviction Athena Little Illustrator Reve may not be for everyone, but even people who aren‘ religious can recognize the benefits it offers. Whether by helping society in general or dealing with personal turmoil, religion helps guide through difficult points along the personal paths of many. One of the biggest benefits of religion are the moral codes and principles. Finding their faith in ancient texts and beliefs, those who are religious immediately enshrine the values to not kill, steal, or be disrespectful. With various religions making up such a massive worldwide audience, a higher sense of security and safety comes from a collective adherence to these rules. Religious people are often stigmatized as being judgmental, unaccepting, or just plain ignorant; some churches, like Westboro Baptist Church, are excessive—however, many others are willing to accept outsiders into their community. A person may be LGBTQ+ or an atheist, regardless, they could still enjoy the comforts of being included for who they are in many religious groups. Some adults say that religion is what saved them and brought them back from a dark path. Rather than committing crimes and forcing the rest of society to suffer and maintain the prison system, it is more beneficial to prevent crimes early and collectively instate positive action. Religious communities are a great example of small-scale positive action which can help suffering individuals. The whole idea of “it’s only one person” may make it seem small, but the combined numbers of those saved from a criminal lifestyle tells us otherwise. Religion also generally has strict rules against drugs and alcohol. The negative view religion has of such stimulants and depressants encourages people to cast such substances aside and live healthily without the fear of addiction looming over them. After losing a loved one, people feel a deep sense of grief. If a person is religious, they may be comforted by the idea of a life after death. With this comfort, they feel that their loved one may still be watching over them from a better place. In many cases where there is no such belief, there is little relief to be had. Lacking the support from that belief, people may have a harder time managing grief. Talking to amember of a local virus that we don't know much about yet. Bowing our heads and praying away the virus isn’t going to help anyone. It is a very unproductive response to the situation. If anyone requires proof as to why praying for the virus to go away isn’t going to work, they need not go any further than 2015, when Pence was Governor and was Illustration by Morgan Hannah religious group can lead to further help and guidance in topics that may be difficult for some people. They often have experience in helping others with issues like depression, anxiety, or inner turmoil. The religious community is one which excels at encouraging growth in others. To benefit from religion, one does not have to be religious in the same way as others. Not everyone is on board with the ideas like “praying the gay away” or believing that prayer is the biggest factor in stopping a virus. Religion is acomfort, an answer, and an experience that strives for the health, safety and happiness of everyone no matter who they are. 6C charged with overseeing Indiana’s HIV crisis. According to the Rolling Stone, “the closing of a Planned Parenthood facility and cutting funding for needle exchanges were seen as major causes of the states history's worst HIV epidemic.” During a press briefing, Pence was challenged to see if he would be part of passing legislation for a temporary needle-exchange program. He replied “I'm going to go home and pray on it.” Is this really the guy that should be handling a serious situation like the Coronavirus? He obviously fucked up his last gig and that’s something that cannot be ignored, despite the high praise US President Trump lavished Pence with. Coronavirus is currently accountable for more than 4,000 deaths and has affected over 100,000 people worldwide according to Worldometer. Over 60,000 people have recovered from the virus—however, not one of them was saved by prayer. It is nonsensical to rely on something as personal and passive as prayer for hard results. Prayer is a great way to connect with your God, find inner peace, and enrich your faith... but it won’t cure the world of a virus. Someone with an actual attack plan should be in charge of saving lives. Prayers can't be the first solution considered. Illustration by Athena Little Religious communities are a great example of small-scale positive action which can help suffering individuals.