Comments on: The Worship of Villains

By: linds

linds — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:48:20 +0000

I think the modern phenomenon of tyranny owes a lot to the cult of personality 20th century totalitarians and their champions managed to foster – the Mao/Stalin/Hitler/etc worship really isn’t surprising in that respect.
As for Genghis Khan… on the one hand, of course he committed horrible atrocities in his time. On the other, he was very much a product of his time, and his brutality to maintain power was no more horrific than that used by the legitimate emperors of China or other empires in that period, so perhaps the Houston museum isn’t insane to step back and try and take a more nuanced look at him as a leader, especially considering he’s been demonized for most of history.
In fact, I think the answer to your first question might be found in the Houston museum’s approach. We don’t learn much by demonizing historical figures, and especially if we refuse to acknowledge any good that came of their rule, we blind ourselves to the dangers of the cult of personality and how it operates.

By: DMD

DMD — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:06:04 +0000

I’ve always been a fan of these shirts: http://www.thoseshirts.com/noche.html

By: philosopher

philosopher — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 02:17:52 +0000

has anyone done a Genghis Khan-face version of the Che shirts? that’d be great.

By: Eric Seymour

Eric Seymour — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 18:46:42 +0000

Oops. Karl must have written his comment just as I started reading this post.

By: Eric Seymour

Eric Seymour — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 18:45:04 +0000

Of course, the problem with the Che shirts is they aren’t worn ironically. And there you have a summary of the screwed-up, ill-informed world view of young hipsters: GWB is not just an unpopular President, but a monster, and Che Guevara is a cool guy.

By: Karl

Karl — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 18:31:26 +0000

I hope that the irony would be in the idea that someone decided to compare Bush with Genghis Khan, Che Guevara, Lenin, Stalin, and Mao (and not just in the fact that the person wearing the Bush shirt does not actually like Bush, and is trying to communicate the opposite).

By: balta1701

balta1701 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 20:20:46 +0000

Suddenly I have a brilliant idea for a business venture…George W. Bush t shirts…worn ironically…

By: Alan K. Henderson

Alan K. Henderson — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:46:25 +0000

Marxist figures are idolized because a lot of people have real faith that Marxism holds a key (or *the* key, to actual Marxists as opposed to sympathizers) to lifting up the material well-being of the masses. Such folks also do not realize what natural chain of events follow when a utopian sect achieves absolute power through armed force.
Marxism turns the definition of theft on its head: commerce is theft, stealing the means and fruits of commerce by armed force is liberation. Marxism promises a dictatorship-of-the-proletariat phase that will eventually evolve into 100% communal sharing. We don’t need Lord Acton, Orwell, or Coolio that people who achieve this kind of power – and are willing to kill for it – aren’t exactly humanitarians. People who get their jollies taking everyone’s stuff like to keep it for themselves.
The infatuation with Marxists is also blind to their inherent totalitarianism, the logical conclusion of a philosophy that seeks to impose utopia by force. Utopia by definition abolishes social strife, and that can’t happen in a pluralistic society; everyone has to be on board with the same utopian goal. Marxist governments thus seek jurisdiction over everyone’s thought lives.

By: Beau Goldly

Beau Goldly — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:06:29 +0000

Cool. Now I’ll have a logo’d t-shirt to hang next to my Pilate hoody. And an idea for my next tatoo… if I can find space.