The Art of Culture War

A single gender-neutral term on the news and the internet explodes. A publisher takes a book off the shelves because the language is no longer considered appropriate, and a seemingly trifling matter almost spirals into a matter of state. A transgender influencer does an ad for a beer company, conservatives launch a boycott, and the share prices of the biggest brewery in the world crash. In the culture wars, it seems that one skirmish follows the other. And even conflicts about material things like gas heating are increasingly being made into emotionally charged issues and viewed through the lens of identity politics. Of course, there are always two sides to these kinds of clashes. But radical conservatives fuel them with a great deal of energy, and in highly dangerous ways.

Natascha Strobl looks into the great era of culture warmongering. She analyses why this strategy is so attractive to conservative and right-wing groups, and also offers some tips on how to deal with them. When does it make sense to refuse to engage? And when is it important to intervene, to prevent hateful views from becoming the norm?