The Cancellation Of Russian Culture

First Things ^ | March 14, 2022 | Gary Saul Morson

[C19fan]

In the medieval era, when a thinker successfully claimed divine revelation, he placed his words beyond dispute. Only the hopelessly benighted or demonically inspired could doubt him. In recent decades, the claim of “science” achieves a similar result. Politicians maintain they “just follow the science” while supportive mass media platforms banish questioners as enemies of science. Pseudoscience never had it so good.

[C19fan]

I never seen such anti-Russian feelings, especially from the elites who claim to be so open minded. This would include my experience growing up in the 70s and 80s. People at a fundamental level knew the Cold War was against an ideology not a people and their culture. People knew one was not supporting the Soviet Union by admiring Avant Garde Soviet art, music composed by Prokfiev, or watching the massive adaptation of "War and Peace". I never thought I would see the day when institutions and individuals would call for boycotting Russian artists or firing them for not signing a modern day version of a loyalty oath, not performing the works of Russian composers whether Pre-Soviet or Soviet, and refuse to read Russian novels. But alas, what we are seeing is just the latest manifestation of totalitarian Wokeness. I made this comment before, I'll give you my Rachmaninoff when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

[SpeedyInTexas]

You mean the Russian culture of wanted to invade their neighbors?

Why do most of Russia’s neighbors want to join NATO? WHY? WHY? WHY?

[Thunder90]

Once Biden signs the treaty the Left will hold Russia love ins as “repentance”. Yet, Putin (or one of his cronies) will still be in power and the US will have eaten a poop sandwich.

[LastDayz]

Welcome to the party, pal. It’s world wide.

[Navy Patriot]

People at a fundamental level knew the Cold War was against an ideology not a people and their culture.

Bingo!

Now Official America IS that Ideology and Legacy America has been Cancelled.

[HollyB]

Intertwining Russian culture with Russian govt/military is ridiculous. It started with the Vodka and I knew exactly where it would lead. I was in shock and am in shock by the behavior. The people of Russia should not suffer. Shock is not the right word. Disgusted is better.

[Jim Noble]

Yeah, but you know, this "cancellation" is kind of feminine, you know, like getting a restraining order.

Mechanized armies are in the field. The response of banning Russian cats from a cat show shows a misperception of what is happening.

Or, for a more concrete example, some poor bastard went over there to "fight the Russians". They gave him an AK, he walked up to a Russian BMP and started shooting. Dead on the spot.

Force on force, or make a deal. You can't "cancel" an army.

[Sirius Lee]

Pretty ironic that the cancel Karens are cancelling Shostikovich who was himself denounced and cancelled by Stalin and barely avoided the fate of several of his musical colleagues and friends who were executed.

[Sans-Culotte]

You mean the Russian culture of wanted to invade their neighbors? Why do most of Russia’s neighbors want to join NATO? WHY? WHY? WHY?

No, as even a cursory read of the article would have made clear.

[CodeJockey]

All this must be very difficult for Marxists BLM and Antifa.

They can’t figure out side what side they should be on.

[pburgh01]

Enamorization of Russia Culture is primarily a hobby of women and homosexual men. I never found it particularly interesting or meaningful. A few composers and navel gazing authors, sprinkled in with bad food and lousy 80’s rock music. Russia could disappear tomorrow and their culture would be forgotten in 2 generations.

[cgbg]

The current times remind of the Spanish Inquisition.

They switched from victim class to victim class—and hoped nobody noticed that they could be next.

[cgbg]

You can take my Shostakovich string quartets from my cold dead hands....

[dfwgator]

What you don’t like Hardbass?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOlUU8l8j5M

[DannyTN]

I just cancelled Olga who contacted me on a dating site and wants to leave Russia permanently.

Okay, I didn’t completely cancel her. I just told her she had to get to America on her own before I’d be interested. And I wouldn’t send money or personal information to help her do that.

So yeah cancelled Not Guilty Ogla.

[kiryandil]

The Russian people are freeing themselves of the psychopathic dictatorial Western TechnoOligarchs.

We'll be envious in a few short years, on the wrong side of the TechnoCurtain.

[Truthsearcher]

There is certainly a portion of the left who have taken this way too far. Because finally they have the white villain that they have be fantasizing about in Hollywood movies for the last 30 years.

Hollywood movies have been mostly featuring white supremacist neonazi villains while in reality the people America has been fighting against have been Middle Eastern, North Africa, etc. Even when Trump started to warn about China the left’s kneejerk reaction is to accuse him of anti-asian racism.

So finally the left has a villain that they can dehumanize to their hearts content without having to have guilty conscious about potential racism. So they are going all in on this.

To the point they are going way overboard. We can hate what Putin is doing without hating all Russian people and all Russian culture.

[Angelino97]

Intertwining Russian culture with Russian govt/military is ridiculous. It started with the Vodka and I knew exactly where it would lead.

Happens every war. I remember during the Iraq War, when French Fries were renamed Freedom Fries, because France wasn't sufficiently onboard as an ally.

[cgbg]

Yup—we are already seeing signs of brainwashed Freepers howling during the two minutes of hate....

[sauropod]

Bkmk