Although it’s a nice artistic rendering, I think the focus was poorly chosen here. The resurgence of fascism is not originating with poor or “hillbilly”-stereotyped folks (even if it’s certainly true they’re targeted for recruitment by the folks who are directly promoting those beliefs). Since fascism directly benefits the kind of people you’d see attending MAGA billionaire events more than it benefits the misguided grandkids of WWII soldiers, I have trouble seeing a point in focusing on the bottom of their power hierarchy. Among the most dangerous folks embracing fascism are tech billionaires (not just from the US, but globally) who buy into the whole Dark Enlightenment brand of right wing accelerationism, for example, but obviously they’re not the only ones.
The only meaningful, constructive reasons I can think of to turn attention towards less powerful people in the pro-authoritarian hierarchy is to either directly stand in the way of any harms they’re committing or-- ideally-- for someone they think of as close to them to try to reach them-- to help them see reason.
I read the comic as metaphorical for the state of the world in general, not a literal attack on low-income, undereducated individuals.
We fought the nazis less than 100 years ago. We lost loved ones in the fight against tyranny. We brought that victory, and that trauma, home with us. But in the decades since, the number of people who lived and fought in those times is dwindling. All that we are left with today are the symbols of that time. Yes, there are plenty of us that know the history, that have heard the stories. But there are also plenty of us that have only seen the sleek, manicured projection of the ‘bad guys from Indiana Jones’ through the Hollywood lens. And some of that trauma has been passed down too.
I feel like this comic is more about forgetting our own history.
Sure, I agree it’s not likely an intentional attack on such people. I do think for what it is, it’s nicely done (as I tried to acknowledge earlier). :) Maybe there are more political cartoons/caricatures out there that go after the most powerful people involved. I can’t see those running in most major newspapers these days, though.
Although it’s a nice artistic rendering, I think the focus was poorly chosen here. The resurgence of fascism is not originating with poor or “hillbilly”-stereotyped folks (even if it’s certainly true they’re targeted for recruitment by the folks who are directly promoting those beliefs). Since fascism directly benefits the kind of people you’d see attending MAGA billionaire events more than it benefits the misguided grandkids of WWII soldiers, I have trouble seeing a point in focusing on the bottom of their power hierarchy. Among the most dangerous folks embracing fascism are tech billionaires (not just from the US, but globally) who buy into the whole Dark Enlightenment brand of right wing accelerationism, for example, but obviously they’re not the only ones.
The only meaningful, constructive reasons I can think of to turn attention towards less powerful people in the pro-authoritarian hierarchy is to either directly stand in the way of any harms they’re committing or-- ideally-- for someone they think of as close to them to try to reach them-- to help them see reason.
I read the comic as metaphorical for the state of the world in general, not a literal attack on low-income, undereducated individuals.
We fought the nazis less than 100 years ago. We lost loved ones in the fight against tyranny. We brought that victory, and that trauma, home with us. But in the decades since, the number of people who lived and fought in those times is dwindling. All that we are left with today are the symbols of that time. Yes, there are plenty of us that know the history, that have heard the stories. But there are also plenty of us that have only seen the sleek, manicured projection of the ‘bad guys from Indiana Jones’ through the Hollywood lens. And some of that trauma has been passed down too.
I feel like this comic is more about forgetting our own history.
Sure, I agree it’s not likely an intentional attack on such people. I do think for what it is, it’s nicely done (as I tried to acknowledge earlier). :) Maybe there are more political cartoons/caricatures out there that go after the most powerful people involved. I can’t see those running in most major newspapers these days, though.