A great post. It's wonderful to have you back sharing these with us!
I think you really lay out the difference between propaganda and art. Propaganda soothes and comforts us by telling us that things are indeed black and white. Art disturbs us and expands our minds, by forcing us to think about why a terrified Jew, faced with baying anti-semitic mobs, might use racist tactics to try to save his life. I can't recall the last piece of art that tried to challenge our comfortable (typically liberal) attitudes.
A great post. It's wonderful to have you back sharing these with us!
I think you really lay out the difference between propaganda and art. Propaganda soothes and comforts us by telling us that things are indeed black and white. Art disturbs us and expands our minds, by forcing us to think about why a terrified Jew, faced with baying anti-semitic mobs, might use racist tactics to try to save his life. I can't recall the last piece of art that tried to challenge our comfortable (typically liberal) attitudes.