Re: Homo Sovieticus Thinking

On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:42:39 -0700 (PDT), Robert Carnegie
<rja.carnegie@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I won't try to point to specific cases in science fiction, but I'd
guess it's just a matter of making the national enemy of the moment
stupid to flatter domestic public opinion, but cunning at the same
time - what a paradox - as well as giving the bad guys a reason to
infiltrate the good guys' country and abduct good guy scientists to do
weapons research under duress. And, of course, to declare that the
enemy's political system is not as good for the properity of society
as capitalism is.

A few years back I saw an exhibit at the Smithsonian of Japanese
woodcuts from the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. It was a strange
experience in a lot of ways, with the mixture of medieval Japanese
techniques, modern subject matter, high art, and blatant propaganda,
but one of the most interesting features for me was that the Russians
were represented as huge, powerful, fearsome, almost monstrous enemies
-- so that Our Boys would look even better when they kicked Russian
ass. The theme was that the Russians were big and brave and strong
and smart, and WE BEAT THEM, even though we're small (and devilishly
handsome). Go us!

Compare that with American propaganda from World War II that presented
the Japanese as vicious, buck-toothed, nearsighted little beasts
relying on treachery and sheer numbers, and it's an interesting
contrast.





--
My webpage is at http://www.watt-evans.com
The final issue of the Hugo-nominated webzine Helix
is now at http://www.helixsf.com
.

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