Ed Helms

And before we go further, I kind of want to I think it'd be cool to actually read a definition of culture war because Wikipedia sums it up quite nicely. So a culture war is a form of cultural conflict.

a metaphorical war between different social groups who struggle to politically impose their own ideology, moral beliefs, humane virtues, religious practices, et cetera, upon mainstream society or upon the other. In political usage, the term culture war is a metaphor for hot button politics about values and ideologies realized with

a metaphorical war between different social groups who struggle to politically impose their own ideology, moral beliefs, humane virtues, religious practices, et cetera, upon mainstream society or upon the other. In political usage, the term culture war is a metaphor for hot button politics about values and ideologies realized with

Intentionally adversarial social narratives meant to provoke political polarization among the mainstream of society over economic matters of public policy and of consumption. So one of the really interesting things about culture wars and prohibition is a perfect example of this is how laws get passed and with very little actual support from the general public.

Intentionally adversarial social narratives meant to provoke political polarization among the mainstream of society over economic matters of public policy and of consumption. So one of the really interesting things about culture wars and prohibition is a perfect example of this is how laws get passed and with very little actual support from the general public.

So in the early 20th century, we had organizations like the Women's Christian Temperance Union and the Anti-Saloon League, and they made a lot of noise, and they also preyed upon a lot of broader cultural fears associating alcohol and drunkenness with immigrants and big cities and crime.

So in the early 20th century, we had organizations like the Women's Christian Temperance Union and the Anti-Saloon League, and they made a lot of noise, and they also preyed upon a lot of broader cultural fears associating alcohol and drunkenness with immigrants and big cities and crime.

Temperance, on the other hand, was portrayed as an expression of the sort of pure and lily-white, lovely, small-town, old-fashioned American values. But even so, Broadly speaking, the general population did not support a national ban on alcohol at all. And yet it passed. So this is where I'm getting back to where you were starting to jump to in the beginning.

Temperance, on the other hand, was portrayed as an expression of the sort of pure and lily-white, lovely, small-town, old-fashioned American values. But even so, Broadly speaking, the general population did not support a national ban on alcohol at all. And yet it passed. So this is where I'm getting back to where you were starting to jump to in the beginning.

You often talk about a famous Princeton study that demonstrates this phenomenon. Tell us about that study and some of its real world implications in contemporary policy.

You often talk about a famous Princeton study that demonstrates this phenomenon. Tell us about that study and some of its real world implications in contemporary policy.

It's literally the opposite of what we all think. And it's the opposite of how we think our government was structured to work. Yeah, right. It's nuts.

It's literally the opposite of what we all think. And it's the opposite of how we think our government was structured to work. Yeah, right. It's nuts.

What are some contemporary policy examples of this, of how this is taking effect? Yeah, I think there's a lot, actually. And some of them are very, you know, very hot. It's arguably every policy. I mean, it really is.

What are some contemporary policy examples of this, of how this is taking effect? Yeah, I think there's a lot, actually. And some of them are very, you know, very hot. It's arguably every policy. I mean, it really is.

And it is so interesting that so much of what we hear surrounding these issues is triggering. Right. And that's intentional. It's just trying to get emotional responses out of us because. That clouds our judgment and also like creating more polarization and adversarial dispositions among the general population makes it easier to control the general population.

And it is so interesting that so much of what we hear surrounding these issues is triggering. Right. And that's intentional. It's just trying to get emotional responses out of us because. That clouds our judgment and also like creating more polarization and adversarial dispositions among the general population makes it easier to control the general population.

This is so insane. This was all under like official government activity. They built a apartment in San Francisco that had a glass mirror where he could sit there and watch. And then they would drug these customers. And he was just sort of taking notes and God knows what else behind this double mirror. And this was all in the name of science.

This is so insane. This was all under like official government activity. They built a apartment in San Francisco that had a glass mirror where he could sit there and watch. And then they would drug these customers. And he was just sort of taking notes and God knows what else behind this double mirror. And this was all in the name of science.

If it allows me to go hella-skiing, then yeah, I'm hella on board.