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It says Hitler-Stalin-Pakt 2.0
This is the (German) name of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, or to be more precise, the additional protocol specifying the partition of Poland.
Sure I get the reference. Do you think it is a reference to the proposed peace plan for Ukraine that cedes areas occupied by Russia to the Russians? So that Ukraine is Poland in this example? Specifically what is the connection to Molotov-Ribbentrop? I'm against confusing these complex issues more than they already are.
Trump creates chaos in political discourse by confusing people using false comparisons. I dont think doing the same dance with a different outfit actually changes anything, inaccuracy in abstraction leads to authoritarianism, full stop. Being inaccurate against the guys we dont like is not progress, it is stuck in the mud of the past. Political art should educate and stimulate real reflection on the part of the viewer. If it confuses an issue I dont think its art, I think its propaganda. Personally, I am not for propaganda, even if it is for causes I believe in and work toward. And different people have different views toward that, lots of people I work with consider themselves "propagandists," clinging to the word Lenin used in the early 1900's. I'm not even against Lenin's definition of the word, since Bolshevik demands were reflective of actual political conditions, and Lenin was explicit on how and why Bolshevik messaging was composed and to whom it was directed. It wasn't propaganda like we think of it now.
But now, after decades of developed critical theory and reflection of the 20th century i think we have to have a higher standard. Naming two contemporary villains after two historic villains (that people dont understand anyway) isnt educating, it is confusing. It is agitating but where does that agitation lead? If it changes nothing then it means nothing.
It's satire. Satire is meant to be hyperbolic. No comparison of current events with past events can ever be fully accurate.
The message is fairly straightforward. Trump's peace negotations with Putin are exclusively for splitting Ukraine up between the US and Russia. Not necessarily in the sense of occupation (for the US parts) but in terms of exploiting Ukraine's resources for the sole benefit of Russia and the US. That's it.
The connection is two powerful countries splitting up a third one to its detriment. What other well-known historic German event could this be compared with except Molotov-Ribbentrop?
Right, but I criticize on the basis that its not clear what abstraction is even being used to make the comparison. A common method of propaganda that confuses is comparing two things but not establishing a basis for the comparison. It is an empty signifier, to be filled with whatever political meaning one chooses.
I see it all the time, among political allies and opponents. I've never seen it deliver a greater degree of understanding or engagement. I think we use abstraction unconsciously so much, so seamlessly in our conception of meaning, that we can't tell if an abstraction is faulty or valid. Our brains just go "sure seems right" and we go along with it, but dont consider in what ways the abstraction is faulty or valid. Art has a way of revealing hidden connections or meanings, propaganda has a way of obscuring.
I appreciate other posters helping me to recognize the connection between Poland in Molotov-Ribbentrop and Ukraine in our current day. But I still dont see the connection being made here and I dont like obscurative or vibe-based political messaging.
Any artist knows that you can't just depict a feminine form and call it art. There is like 10000 years of history in that depiction, and it is taken very seriously, referenced very carefully. Why can't a similar level of care be taken when considering a political subject? I think I might be a little obstinate on this point, but I'm really just trying to engage with the subject from my own perspective