Artists, communist dictatorships, right-wing dictatorships

[buritobr]

Do you think that most of the artists are more tolerant to communist dictatorships than they are to right-wing dictatorships?
Do you think that there are more books, movies, songs, paintings and plays criticizing right-wing dictatorships than communist dictatorships?

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

There have been no genuine Communist dictatorships.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Most artists in general are left-wing, but I don't see what that has to do with left-wing vs. right-wing dictatorships.

George Orwell was an avowed socialist and anti-Communist.  His work reflected that.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

I think the Nazis skew the picture, given their omnipresence as a symbol of evil in almost all art.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I think the Nazis skew the picture, given their omnipresence as a symbol of evil in almost all art.

Which is somewhat strange, given their cooperation of some artistic elements in the Reich.

[Mr. Reactionary]

Most artists in general are left-wing, but I don't see what that has to do with left-wing vs. right-wing dictatorships.

George Orwell was an avowed socialist and anti-Communist.  His work reflected that.

[SNJ1985]

It's not surprising that artists are more sympathetic to communist dictatorships than right-wing dictatorships. We right-wingers tend to be hostile towards artists, since they often promote things (such as degenerate sexual practices) that are contrary to our values.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

It's not surprising that artists are more sympathetic to communist dictatorships than right-wing dictatorships. We right-wingers tend to be hostile towards artists, since they often promote things (such as degenerate sexual practices) that are contrary to our values.

lol

Hey ..., never listen to another song or look at another painting, view another film, watch another television show, go to another play - ever again.  We degenerate artists will keep those to ourselves.  [Torie]

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Nazis have to be considered an outlier, as they're a black swan of pure evil that doesn't really match up all that well with traditional fascism.

I do think artists tend to be harsher on fascist dictatorships, but there's a reason for that (beyond sympathy for communism). Fascist dictatorships tend to be based around the military and as such are more focused on crushing dissent. Artists are more directly targeted there, as opposed to populist communist dictatorships, where the targeting is more based around class.

Essentially, fascism requires you to go along to get along, and that's anathema to artists.

[SNJ1985]

It's not surprising that artists are more sympathetic to communist dictatorships than right-wing dictatorships. We right-wingers tend to be hostile towards artists, since they often promote things (such as degenerate sexual practices) that are contrary to our values.

lol

Hey prick, never listen to another song or look at another painting, view another film, watch another television show, go to another play - ever again.  We degenerate artists will keep those to ourselves.

I could easily live without those things.

[All Along The Watchtower]

I think the Nazis skew the picture, given their omnipresence as a symbol of evil in almost all art.

Which is somewhat strange, given their cooperation of some artistic elements in the Reich.

Somewhat off topic, but HOT TAKE:

Conservatives distanced themselves from fascism by saying that fascists are actually socialists and socialists and liberals are one and the same so by the transitive property, the real fascists are liberals.

Liberals and (especially) socialists distanced themselves from Communism by saying that socialism and Communism are not one and the same and by also saying that real Communism hasn't been tried yet.

In the US, at least, the former's approach has been much more successful politically than the latter's. And it doesn't help that the fascist states were defeated seven decades ago, while the Cold War lasted into the 90s - so the threat (real and/or perceived) of left-wing tyranny is literally far closer to (most) people's minds today than right-wing tyranny. Plus, the fact that the Soviet Bloc collapsed in the Reagan-Bush era certainly seemed to vindicate the Reaganites' approach in the eyes of (much of) the public, giving the Republican Party a significant post-Cold War upper hand (and I'd argue, the Right in the broader Western world - though I defer to the judgment of more knowledgeable posters here).

But alas, even as the Democratic Party incorporated their own version of Reaganism into their approach to governance (driven as much by the decline of organized labor and other bulwarks of the American Left as by actual shifts in public opinion), they also became more reliant politically on public sector unions and government in general, as well demographically-based interest groups i.e civil rights/racial minority advocacy groups, immigrant advocacy groups, women's rights/feminist advocacy groups, LGBT advocacy groups - not so good for appealing to white working class men (and women, to a lesser extent) who are already feeling alienated by the Democrats' embracing the same changes in the economy that have adversely affected working class men and women in general - not just whites! And when you combine this with 9/11 and the rise of (Sunni) Islamic jihadism, as well as other trends associated with globalization i.e. both immigrants and US citizens becoming less white as a population, people who aren't rich finding it increasingly difficult to marry, have kids, go to college, find secure, full-time work and employers who have some modicum of dignity and respect for their employees, find a place to live that is both safe and affordable, and just have a remotely decent, fulfilling life in general...well, recent political trends start to make more sense, don't they?

tl;dr this is why Donald Trump is President of the United States in Year 2017

[Santander]

It's not surprising that artists are more sympathetic to communist dictatorships than right-wing dictatorships. We right-wingers tend to be hostile towards artists, since they often promote things (such as degenerate sexual practices) that are contrary to our values.

lol

Hey prick, never listen to another song or look at another painting, view another film, watch another television show, go to another play - ever again.  We degenerate artists will keep those to ourselves.

I could easily live without those things.

While you could exist without "those things", I would argue that arts and culture are what civilize us. In many ways, they make life worth living. I don't think you could really "live" in a world without art and beauty.

I, too, often hold artists in disdain, but I believe they have a place in our society, even if I oppose most of their political positions most of the time.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

It's not surprising that artists are more sympathetic to communist dictatorships than right-wing dictatorships. We right-wingers tend to be hostile towards artists, since they often promote things (such as degenerate sexual practices) that are contrary to our values.

lol

Hey prick, never listen to another song or look at another painting, view another film, watch another television show, go to another play - ever again.  We degenerate artists will keep those to ourselves.

I could easily live without those things.

While you could exist without "those things", I would argue that arts and culture are what civilize us. In many ways, they make life worth living. I don't think you could really "live" in a world without art and beauty.

I, too, often hold artists in disdain, but I believe they have a place in our society, even if I oppose most of their political positions most of the time.

Without the arts, we might as well simply acquiesce to soulless materialism; take your pick between its Randian and Stalinist iterations.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Actually this may be a time when our old friend the Horseshoe Theory comes into play. A lot of art presenting totalitarian dictatorships use tropes borrowed from all over the world pantheon of dictators: excessive militarisation of society, omnipresent spooks rooting out dissent, leadership cults, the culling of individuality in favour of being subservient to a greater good etc.

[vanguard96]

The Sean Penn's and Danny Glover's of the arts & entertainment world are in the minority that praise leftist dictators like Chavez/Maduro and Castro well after the news of atrocities and oppression reach the West.

Generally socialism's utopian appeals along with its call for violent upheaval can attract a lot of attention on those down on their luck and struggling. Many artists and their first wave of fans come from this demographic. With the messaging it is not really a surprise. However when they gain a wider audience of adults and a broad international cross section they will run across those who hold different views. Most artists will eventually see the flaws of a predominantly socialist system in the sense of centralized planning, price fixing, nationalization. On the small scale they may still call for a decentralized form of non-capitalist cooperation in small co-ops and other similar non-financial operations but many realize unless a post-scarcity state is possible, the steps toward collectivist socialism cannot be achieved on a massive scale without bloodshed and destruction.

Those who do not see this are marginalized and hide amongst their friends waiting to bash the fascists...