Don’t cancel Russian culture

Spectator World ^ | March 17th, 2022 | Elle Gyges

[shadowlands1960]

There’s all the difference in the world between Putin and Tchaikovsky

In the three weeks since Vladimir Putin launched his shocking invasion of Ukraine, the West has surprised the world with the severity of the economic sanctions it’s imposed. No one has been more surprised than Putin himself, who believed the West too soft and his own nation’s oil too crucial to the global economy.

How the West can further support Ukraine — while also avoiding the not-insignificant risk of a nuclear war — is a complex question. It will not be answered, however, by indulging in ugly prejudices or shunning Russian culture writ large.

Since the war began, vandals have targeted businesses that are Russian-themed or owned by Russian expatriates. War often empowers blunt and craven acts in support of nationalist causes, so these acts of destruction are far from surprising. Yet this senseless anti-Russian sentiment has even made its way into some of the world’s great concert halls and opera houses.

[shadowlands1960]

Beauty

[FlipWilson]

But what would become of virtue signaling?

[HighSierra5]

Tchaikovsky was great. It’s some of my favorite Christmas music. Ya didn’t think I had any culture. Didjya?

[Skywise]

I’m so old I remember when the left and the media attacked the GOP and President “Hitler” W Bush for trying to cancel France for not supporting the Iraq war and saying “If you’re not with us, you’re against us”.

I especially liked it when the left said “Only a sith deals in absolutes”

[chajin]

Pyotr Tchaikovsky is not Putin.
Johannes Brahms is not Hitler.
Akira Ifukube is not Hirohito.
Giacomo Puccini is not Mussolini.
Tan Dun is not Xi.
Romeo Cascarino is not Hillary Clinton.

Tyrants make war. Composers make music. We have to rid the world of tyrants so the composers can make their music, and the musicians can perform it.

[Sirius Lee]

I keep encouraging the haters of all things russian to burn their copies of The Gulag Archipelago just to see if they can achieve peak stupidity, but it turns out that the virtue signaling Karens tend to have nothing by Solzhenitsyn, nor books of any kind, by anybody, which explains a lot.

[BiglyCommentary]

I have seen the Bolshoi perform live several times. Certain Cinemarks would also broadcast live performances. Theater is usually filled with Russian women.

[Savage Beast]

Cancel Russian culture???

Does anyone think I'm going to cancel Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Turgenev, Tchaikovsky, Prokofieff, the Bolshoi, Stravinsky, Pushkin, Gorky, Mussorgsky, Gogol, Chekhov, Lermontov, Sholokhov, Boris Pasternak, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Rimsky-Korsakov, Khachaturian, Chagall, Kandinsky???

Not to mention the Heroes of Stalingrad and Leningrad! Or ALL the Heroes who defended Russia from the Nazi's and withstood the horrors of the Nazi assault!

Or of greatest importance, a Hero whose greatness is unsurpassed anywhere and at any time: STANISLAV PETROV!

When Winston Churchill chose the first four notes of Beethoven's Symphony V as the Allies' battle cry against the Nazis, it was a stroke of genius. It separated the magnificence of German culture from the hideous evil of Hitler and the Nazis.

[chajin]

it turns out that the virtue signaling Karens tend to have nothing by Solzhenitsyn, nor books of any kind

I still have my copy of Doctor Trivago by Tolstoyevsky, a fascinating romance novel about how the Reds and Whites both made hotel reservations during the Revolution.

[SamAdams76]

When Winston Churchill chose the first four notes of Beethoven's Symphony V as the Allies' battle cry against the Nazis, it was a stroke of genius. It separated the magnificence of German culture from the hideous evil of Hitler and the Nazis.

That was actually rather brilliant. I'm sure it infuriated Hitler and the top Nazis to no end.

[CodeToad]

Well, damn, I guess you will be drinking that fancy Michelob beer from now on.

[goodnesswins]

I saw the Bolshoi live Once...will never forget it...Baryishkinov’s performance defied gravity!

[bk1000]

“ In the three weeks since Vladimir Putin launched his shocking invasion of Ukraine, the West has surprised the world with the severity of the economic sanctions it’s imposed. ”

The sanctions are what is shocking to me. American politicians are caught with their hands in the cookie jar up to their elbows and the media is in full spin mode. Russia’s “invasion” of Ukraine’s bio weapons labs is no worse than US “intervention” in Iraq over their “weapons of mass destruction”. Knowing what we know about the deep state, and all the US politicians’ children “employed” by Ukrainian energy companies, one would be remiss in supporting Ukraine through this. We should stay out and let Russia expose the corruption.

[oblomov]

In Graham Greene’s memoirs, he wrote of an incident (possibly apocryphal) about a dachshund being publicly stoned to death in England during WWI. Same type of lunacy.

[DannyTN]

We can uncancel Russia after they leave Ukraine and pay reparations.

Until then

CANCEL
CANCEL
CANCEL

[Forward the Light Brigade]

America’s way of war! Cancel things, pour booze down the drain and call people names. But don’t risk any lives!!! Our Boys (and Girls) or the lives of the enemy civilians (even if they are armed). Our way excels at losing wars against less well armed 3rd worlders. Russian way is kill, kill and kill. Blow up everything until the enemy says uncle. Not nice. But they drink the booze of the enemy not pour it away for the cameras.