It’s interesting that this American fascism is so artless and devoid of inspiring symbols or imagery.
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Many of the people in charge know that the “vision” makes little sense and they just can’t be bothered.
Meanwhile as opposition we can write and sing songs and we will be stronger for doing it.
Let’s find some anthems.
3/3
@futurebird if we're into remixing older stuff, I feel like a "Minnesota Goddam" would kinda eat
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There are pragmatic reasons why I think they have so far avoided using imagery overtly or effectively: It’s one of the big tells that you are looking at “real fascism” for many people.
But, if you are coordinating thousands of violent men to terrorize a city having patches and songs are very powerful tools. It’s good they do not feel comfortable being so obvious.
But I think the artlessness speaks to a deeper bankruptcy in the leadership of the current US fascist movement. 2/
@futurebird Hitler aspired to higher class, jealous of the aristocracy, and hired qualified people to make art. Hugo Boss, Albert Speer, and Leni Riefenstahl were *excellent* at their craft, just moral voids.
But Trump's a slumlord who maybe aspires to 3rd-world dictator shit, like Saddam Hussein, so gilt and awards and idiots wearing MAGA hats are all he can even imagine. No class.
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Many of the people in charge know that the “vision” makes little sense and they just can’t be bothered.
Meanwhile as opposition we can write and sing songs and we will be stronger for doing it.
Let’s find some anthems.
3/3
Tangential to "let's find some anthems" we really need a good "drowning out the fascists with noise" song.
Something that basically everyone knows, is easy to remember and needs little to no musical accompaniment beyond maybe claps or something else that a crowd can get going with no preparation.
Thinking something like Bella Ciao in Italy where it's pretty easy to get a large number of people to sing along if a fascist is starting a speech
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It’s interesting that this American fascism is so artless and devoid of inspiring symbols or imagery.
ICE has no branding, no uniforms, no martial culture— their only signifiers and traditions are things the men invent themselves: such as the disgusting playing cards they leave in cars.
Sometimes the Homeland Security department posts AI generated images but there is no gloss of honor or higher calling in this work. They hide their faces.
This is notably distinct from other fascisms. 1/
@futurebird I wonder how much of it is simply because artists as a whole aren't being fooled a second time. The posters from dhs definitely have an aesthetic, albeit artificially generated. And the street brutes also have an aesthetic, it's just a pathetically cheap paramilitary one. It all makes sense in my head as a coherent whole, it's just poorly executed
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Many of the people in charge know that the “vision” makes little sense and they just can’t be bothered.
Meanwhile as opposition we can write and sing songs and we will be stronger for doing it.
Let’s find some anthems.
3/3
@futurebird This is really making me think. I'm not sure if I agree with it or not. Totally agree in re ICE
... less sure about their larger movement. The red hat and the MAGA slogan went a long way. I'm not sure the Dems have attempted that level of coherence since Obama. -
Many of the people in charge know that the “vision” makes little sense and they just can’t be bothered.
Meanwhile as opposition we can write and sing songs and we will be stronger for doing it.
Let’s find some anthems.
3/3
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@futurebird Hitler aspired to higher class, jealous of the aristocracy, and hired qualified people to make art. Hugo Boss, Albert Speer, and Leni Riefenstahl were *excellent* at their craft, just moral voids.
But Trump's a slumlord who maybe aspires to 3rd-world dictator shit, like Saddam Hussein, so gilt and awards and idiots wearing MAGA hats are all he can even imagine. No class.
I think he really wanted the Kennedy Center people to celebrate him. Instead they all walked away.
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I think he really wanted the Kennedy Center people to celebrate him. Instead they all walked away.
@futurebird Yeah, that one probably hurt him a LOT. We need to do more of that.
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Many of the people in charge know that the “vision” makes little sense and they just can’t be bothered.
Meanwhile as opposition we can write and sing songs and we will be stronger for doing it.
Let’s find some anthems.
3/3
@futurebird I'm partial to some of the old Schoolhouse Rock songs, myself.
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It’s interesting that this American fascism is so artless and devoid of inspiring symbols or imagery.
ICE has no branding, no uniforms, no martial culture— their only signifiers and traditions are things the men invent themselves: such as the disgusting playing cards they leave in cars.
Sometimes the Homeland Security department posts AI generated images but there is no gloss of honor or higher calling in this work. They hide their faces.
This is notably distinct from other fascisms. 1/
@futurebird What about the MAGA red hats?
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Many of the people in charge know that the “vision” makes little sense and they just can’t be bothered.
Meanwhile as opposition we can write and sing songs and we will be stronger for doing it.
Let’s find some anthems.
3/3
@futurebird We don't need any new ones, surely:
We Shall Not Be Moved https://balladofamerica.org/we-shall-not-be-moved/
or
We Shall Overcome https://www.britannica.com/topic/We-Shall-Overcome
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@futurebird What about the MAGA red hats?
That is branding for Trump. It’s tied to one man not to something larger.
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@futurebird I wonder how much of it is simply because artists as a whole aren't being fooled a second time. The posters from dhs definitely have an aesthetic, albeit artificially generated. And the street brutes also have an aesthetic, it's just a pathetically cheap paramilitary one. It all makes sense in my head as a coherent whole, it's just poorly executed
@futurebird or maybe they just prefer generated art as part of the anti-humanness. Yeah, that makes sense
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Tangential to "let's find some anthems" we really need a good "drowning out the fascists with noise" song.
Something that basically everyone knows, is easy to remember and needs little to no musical accompaniment beyond maybe claps or something else that a crowd can get going with no preparation.
Thinking something like Bella Ciao in Italy where it's pretty easy to get a large number of people to sing along if a fascist is starting a speech
I first thought that when I was at Coney Island on Mermaid Parade day a few years back and there were some fash with a sound system talking about people being immoral and God will smite them and whatever bullshit they've been obsessed with the most lately.
There were so many other people there though that if someone got a song going it would have fully drowned out anything they had to say with no need for amplification while also being a joyous "fuck off" rather than an angry one
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It’s interesting that this American fascism is so artless and devoid of inspiring symbols or imagery.
ICE has no branding, no uniforms, no martial culture— their only signifiers and traditions are things the men invent themselves: such as the disgusting playing cards they leave in cars.
Sometimes the Homeland Security department posts AI generated images but there is no gloss of honor or higher calling in this work. They hide their faces.
This is notably distinct from other fascisms. 1/
@futurebird The playing cards are from Vietnam era atrocities, stuff they learned from their racist parents and grandparents.
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It’s interesting that this American fascism is so artless and devoid of inspiring symbols or imagery.
ICE has no branding, no uniforms, no martial culture— their only signifiers and traditions are things the men invent themselves: such as the disgusting playing cards they leave in cars.
Sometimes the Homeland Security department posts AI generated images but there is no gloss of honor or higher calling in this work. They hide their faces.
This is notably distinct from other fascisms. 1/
They're trying, but not very hard (yet).
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I think he really wanted the Kennedy Center people to celebrate him. Instead they all walked away.
Isnt one of the things the trumpists are mad about is how virtually every artist hates their guts.
I think the only chunk of culture creators that liked them are the podcasters and 4chan.
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And here's Peter Dinklage reciting a poem by Amanda Gorman...
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fauxmoi/comments/1qszw3d/peter_dinklage_recites_poem_for_renee_good_who/
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It’s interesting that this American fascism is so artless and devoid of inspiring symbols or imagery.
ICE has no branding, no uniforms, no martial culture— their only signifiers and traditions are things the men invent themselves: such as the disgusting playing cards they leave in cars.
Sometimes the Homeland Security department posts AI generated images but there is no gloss of honor or higher calling in this work. They hide their faces.
This is notably distinct from other fascisms. 1/
@futurebird Simple. They didn't have Armani suits in COD.
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It’s interesting that this American fascism is so artless and devoid of inspiring symbols or imagery.
ICE has no branding, no uniforms, no martial culture— their only signifiers and traditions are things the men invent themselves: such as the disgusting playing cards they leave in cars.
Sometimes the Homeland Security department posts AI generated images but there is no gloss of honor or higher calling in this work. They hide their faces.
This is notably distinct from other fascisms. 1/
@futurebird I think it's because it's a more nihilistic form of fascism with little purpose or vision for a future. It's a death cult first and foremost. I saw this video recently talking about a particular piece of propaganda they released that I think is insightful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7WqVx9x89s
