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Statues are all about symbolism. Invading soldiers removed the statue of the Iraqi leader: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/08/toppling-saddam-husse

Statues are all about symbolism. Invading soldiers removed the statue of the Iraqi leader: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/08/toppling-saddam-hussein-statue-iraq-us-victory-myth https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/08/toppling-sadda... The statues of communist heroes are removed by law in Ukraine. Societies change and evolve with time, either endogenously or exogenously (they are invaded), and thus the symbols change. Todays hero is tomorrows zero. Clearly Thomas Jefferson is anathema to enough people in New York City to be taken down. Among the reasons they cite is that he was a slaveowner. By that benchmark they will have to take down a lot of statues and rename a number of bridges and schools. Eventually the fight will come to the pictures on cash currency. - The irony is this is published by Bari Weiss. She has a history of being a cancel culture advocate herself: https://theintercept.com/2018/03/08/the-nyts-bari-weiss-falsely-denies-her-years-of-attacks-on-the-academic-freedom-of-arab-scholars-who-criticize-israel/ https://theintercept.com/2018/03/08/the-nyts-bari-weiss-fals... And using accusatory words and ad hominem that she does not herself know the meaning of: https://twitter.com/turncoatd/status/1268691071342501888 https://twitter.com/turncoatd/status/1268691071342501888

kradeelav 5y ago
Good point with symbolism. I could be wrong, but to your last part - the sense I've gotten from her recent writing as of the last two years is she's changed her mindset regarding cancel culture (if not in whole, then a large part). not that i'd call it atonement outright, but that she's focused a lot more lately on those who've been "cancelled" and talking with them 1-on-1 and showcasing what they have to say.
nuerow 5y ago
> Statues are all about symbolism. Statues, and monuments, are way more than symbolism. Their purpose is to shape the public opinion regarding specific values and look up to the ideas that the statues and monuments represent, so that they become an ever-present reminder to everyone of what values the ruling regime wants to be adopted and followed by the populace.
krrrh 5y ago
It’s amazing that the same two links always get repeated as if they diminish an impressive career as a journalist and editor. Greenwald has done important work, but his slander against Weiss is not one of them. David French was involved at the time of the events as the head of FIRE, here’s his recounting https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/03/the-sliming-of-bari-weiss/amp/ https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/03/the-sliming-of-bari-w... French: > In fact, if you read Bari’s own writing at the time, you won’t find a call to terminate professors. Instead, you’ll find a critique of a department that she had good reason to believe had lost its way. That’s free speech. That’s an exercise of her own academic freedom. It’s not a shout-down. It’s not a threat. It’s a debate. Regardless, it’s sad that our culture today makes it so normal to attack a 37-year-old with a strong record of free speech advocacy during her actual career over something she’s accused of doing while in college. Accusations of hypocrisy require a statue of limitations.
StanislavPetrov 5y ago
>Clearly Thomas Jefferson is anathema to enough people in New York City to be taken down. Don't mistake the will of the people of New York City with the will of the bureaucrats who made this decision. For a variety of reasons they have very little, if anything, in common.
- 1cvmask 5y ago
  That's why I used enough people as opposed to more definitive words like a majority or plurality. You oftentimes only need a strong energized minority to push through many changes in the government. But what might have been a small minority in NYC calling for changes in the 1990s is clearly a bigger community now. These change advocates will go all the way to changing holidays as well.
finite_jest 5y ago
I think reducing Weiss to a cancel culture advocate is the same kind of mistake as the one puritan statue-topplers are making.

kradeelav 5y ago

Good point with symbolism. I could be wrong, but to your last part - the sense I've gotten from her recent writing as of the last two years is she's changed her mindset regarding cancel culture (if not in whole, then a large part). not that i'd call it atonement outright, but that she's focused a lot more lately on those who've been "cancelled" and talking with them 1-on-1 and showcasing what they have to say.

nuerow 5y ago

> Statues are all about symbolism. Statues, and monuments, are way more than symbolism. Their purpose is to shape the public opinion regarding specific values and look up to the ideas that the statues and monuments represent, so that they become an ever-present reminder to everyone of what values the ruling regime wants to be adopted and followed by the populace.

krrrh 5y ago

It’s amazing that the same two links always get repeated as if they diminish an impressive career as a journalist and editor. Greenwald has done important work, but his slander against Weiss is not one of them. David French was involved at the time of the events as the head of FIRE, here’s his recounting https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/03/the-sliming-of-bari-weiss/amp/ https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/03/the-sliming-of-bari-w... French: > In fact, if you read Bari’s own writing at the time, you won’t find a call to terminate professors. Instead, you’ll find a critique of a department that she had good reason to believe had lost its way. That’s free speech. That’s an exercise of her own academic freedom. It’s not a shout-down. It’s not a threat. It’s a debate. Regardless, it’s sad that our culture today makes it so normal to attack a 37-year-old with a strong record of free speech advocacy during her actual career over something she’s accused of doing while in college. Accusations of hypocrisy require a statue of limitations.

StanislavPetrov 5y ago

>Clearly Thomas Jefferson is anathema to enough people in New York City to be taken down. Don't mistake the will of the people of New York City with the will of the bureaucrats who made this decision. For a variety of reasons they have very little, if anything, in common.

1cvmask 5y ago
That's why I used enough people as opposed to more definitive words like a majority or plurality. You oftentimes only need a strong energized minority to push through many changes in the government. But what might have been a small minority in NYC calling for changes in the 1990s is clearly a bigger community now. These change advocates will go all the way to changing holidays as well.

finite_jest 5y ago

I think reducing Weiss to a cancel culture advocate is the same kind of mistake as the one puritan statue-topplers are making.