Trump is literally doing cartoon dictator behavior. If I wrote a movie script and had the mega villain take over the progressive arts center, I'd be told to tone it down and not be so obvious. What is his motive? Obviously his administration wants to sow cruelty and mayhem to keep our spirits down - but why this specifically?
In the years since the Kennedy Center was established in the 1950s, it has had an incredible impact on how the American public views the arts and culture. Besides being home to the National Symphony and the Washington Opera, the Center is also a national treasure - a beacon in the night no matter what changes America goes through.
The Kennedy Center has a fully bi-partisan board, evenly split between Democratic and Republican members — this allows its programming to be broad so you get things like The Vagina Monologues, thoughtful standup comedy, and beautiful ballets from around the world.
Now Trump - who has skipped the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony all four years of his presidency, wants the reigns. He's firing the Board chairman and other members who "do not share our vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture."
For No Reason at All: A Few Words from the Holocaust Museum
When the Nazi Party assumed control in 1933, its leaders began a campaign to align German politics, society, and culture with Nazi goals. The effort became known as Gleichschaltung, the German word for “coordination” or “synchronization.”
The Nazi regime disbanded organizations of every kind. It replaced these groups with state-sponsored, Nazi professional associations, student leagues, and sports and music clubs. To qualify for membership, a person had to be a politically reliable citizen and able to prove “Aryan” ancestry. All others were excluded from these groups and increasingly from the rest of German society.
In September 1933, the Nazis created the Reich Chamber of Culture. The Chamber oversaw the production of art, music, film, theater, radio, and writing in Germany. The Nazis sought to shape and control every aspect of German society. They believed that art played a critical role in defining a society’s values. In addition, the Nazis believed art could influence a nation’s development. Several top leaders became involved in official efforts on art. They sought to identify and attack “dangerous” artworks as they struggled to define what “truly German” art looked like.
The regime attempted to clarify what “truly German art” looked like in summer 1937. The first annual Great German Art Exhibition opened in Munich at that time. Hitler reviewed selected artworks the month before it opened. He furiously ordered the removal of many examples of German avant-garde art. Goebbels witnessed this outburst and began making hasty plans for a separate exhibition. He intended to define and mock the types of art that the regime considered "degenerate." Hitler approved of the plan. The Nazis began confiscating thousands of artworks from German museums.
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On Jan. 24, two Republican congressmen wrote to the center accusing them of "subsidizing Chinese Communist Party propaganda," by presenting a five-day run of performances by the National Ballet of China.
I'm sure this won't lead to mass censorship or anything. Especially with the recent establishment of The White House Faith Office.
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