Trump Smithsonian “review” is something Hitler or ISIS would do
In a move that easily could have been inspired by the actions of Adolf Hitler and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Donald Trump has ordered a “review” of Smithsonian exhibits to make sure they align with his ideology and his Nationalist vision for America’s future.
News of the review was outlined in a letter sent Tuesday to Lonnie Bunch, the institution’s secretary and signed by White House senior associate Lindsey Halligan, Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley and White House Office of Management and Budget director Russ Vought. (via NBCNews.com):
“This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the president’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions,” the letter says.
It directs officials at eight museums — including the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture — to turn over information about their current exhibits and plans to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary in the next 30 days.
Within 120 days, museums “should begin implementing content corrections where necessary, replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate, and constructive descriptions across placards, wall didactics, digital displays, and other public-facing materials,” the letter said.
“Additional museums will be reviewed in Phase II,” the letter said.
The review, which the letter said will include “on-site observational visits,” is aimed at making sure the museums reflect the “unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story” and reflect the president’s executive order calling for “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”
That order, which was signed on March 27, calls for removing “improper ideology” from the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo. (Emphasis mine)
Rewriting history and reshaping culture to line up with your political ideology comes straight out of the playbooks of Adolf Hitler and ISIS.
We begin with Adolf Hitler. In an article written for Architect Magazine titled: The Invasion of Memory: Hitler’s Attempt to Rewrite the History of WWI, Despina Stratigakos (she has researched the Third Reich for years) documents how “Hitler had directly intervened to transform not only the physical landscape of Europe, but the landscape of memory itself” in order to make Germany look like the victor in the Great War.
Among naval records on the leisure-time activities of German troops stationed in occupied France was a misplaced copy of a directive from Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel. Dated Aug. 12, 1940, the document conveyed Hitler’s order to Germany’s Army High Command to destroy World War I memorials in occupied Belgium and France. The monuments, in Hitler’s eyes, served to defame the army and perpetuate hatred against the nation. Their eradication was thus necessary to restore Germany’s reputation and protect it for posterity.
Hitler’s mania for wholesale destruction is well known. He had always planned to erect his Greater Germanic Empire on the pyre of old—and, in particular, “non-Aryan”—Europe. He was obsessed with WWI and with avenging the Treaty of Versailles—the “stab in the back” he believed led to Imperial Germany’s humiliation. The June 28, 1919, treaty marking the official end of the war between France and Germany fostered resentment among right-wing Germans, who accused the German signatories of betraying their own nation.
To the frustration of war crimes prosecutors (and historians), Nazi leaders took pains to destroy or avoid creating evidence directly linking them to their crimes. (Emphasis mine)
Adolf Hitler was obsessed with his Germany First agenda. Likewise, Trump is obsessed with his “America First” agenda and the Nationalist, including Christian Nationalist, utopia he envisions — a country where “real Americans” will rule over the “Golden Age” that only he can create.
Unfortunately, Trump’s agenda requires more than merely rewriting history; it requires remolding American culture and the arts as well. Having already seized control of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts — Republican Trumpists want to rename it after Melania — Trump is seizing control of the Smithsonian Museums to change our culture to reflect his ideology.
This action involving the Smithsonian is where Trump is doing in America the same thing ISIS has done in the past in the Middle East, as we see in this November 2018 article written for the Prospect Journal:
In 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) extended its reign of terror across the Middle East and claimed cities like Fallujah, Mosul and Aleppo. Among the numerous war crimes and devastation witnessed by innocent civilians, ISIS also carried out the destruction of antiques and religious artifacts. The world watched helplessly as centuries worth of art were destroyed across Iraq. Both UNESCO and the U.S. State Department were quick to condemn the destruction of art, though they could do little to stop the violence.
Why would ISIS seek to destroy historical artifacts, and what implications does this have on the art community? First, it is vital to understand the motive behind the destruction. Bernard Haykel, professor of Near Eastern studies at Princeton University, stated that the attacks were an ISIS campaign to destroy icons that portray the worship of idols. ISIS ideology is founded as a radical subset of Sunni Islam and extends to further include extreme practices. Part of its mission was to eradicate the blasphemous depiction of Muslim icons, such as of prophets, Allah and Muhammad.
This has led to the destruction of mosques and churches, museums, ancient sites and libraries. Beyond using the destruction of art as propaganda, ISIS also benefited from looting historical sites. It has been reported that ISIS used art theft as a means of financing their missions across the Middle East. More specifically, ISIS was able to loot both museum and archaeological sites and sell artifacts on the black market for profit. Importantly, this is not the only instance when art has been illegally confiscated and sold for funds as this was also a common practice among Nazis who looted and sold art owned by Jews. Though it is nearly impossible to track the sellers and buyers of these stolen priceless artifacts, the fact remains that many timeless, irreplaceable pieces are now lost.
In 2014, ISIS controlled the area once known as Mesopotamia, from Raqqa to Baghdad and over 400 miles between the two cities. This area is often regarded as the birthplace of civilization and has been largely influenced by Sumerians, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans and Arabs. Destroying art and cultural sites in this area has been “a blow to the modern nation’s hybrid identity.” With many cultures tracing their ancestry back to the Middle East, the loss of art narrowed the scope of what could be understood as a window into the past. Essentially, the destruction of art threatens the understanding not just of heritage and culture, but also of identity and existence. Though ISIS reached its peak in 2014 and has lost control in subsequent years, the damage left behind can still be seen today. (Emphasis mine)
The parallels between Trump’s Smithsonian “review” and the actions taken by Hitler and ISIS are too similar to ignore.
In his book, 1984 — a novel that should no longer be considered a work of fiction in today’s America — George Orwell had this to say about the “Party” and its rewriting of history:
And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed — if all records told the same tale — then the lie passed into history and became truth. ‘Who controls the past,’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.’ ~ Part 1, Chapter 3
Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And that process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right. ~ Part 2, Chapter 5
Donald Trump is going to “review” the Smithsonian to make sure it reflects his “ideology” and values . . . and that’s no different than what Adolf Hitler and/or ISIS did in the past.
David Leach is the owner of the Strident Conservative and the author of The New Axis of Evil: Exposing the Bipartisan War on Liberty. He holds people of every political stripe accountable for their failure to uphold conservative values, and he promotes those values instead of political parties.
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