Trump's Culture War Targets America's Museums

ThatRobGuy said:

A very good post and all valid points


But you can see how a "chip on the shoulder" can be formed, correct?

If policy proposals are going to proposed on the basis of a historical sin (that most cultures were doing), but only one culture is going to be viewed as "on the hook" for it...it's understandable that the culture in question would want to throw a counter punch. (especially with the political leverage dynamics that are at play)

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ThatRobGuy said:

I don't think it's any accident that any conversations/debates/discourse about the institution of slavery are US-centric. That's yet another counterbalance attempt aimed at the fact that we hold an outsized geo-political influence.

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ThatRobGuy said:

We have some ugly parts of our history (like almost any country), but when one particular faction seems dead set on only focusing on our "ugly parts of history", and doesn't want to discuss any of the others, and in some cases, claims that the others are "racist" to even bring up, that can be quite telling.

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ThatRobGuy said:

In a thread on here a while back, I got some serious flak on the fact that I posted about the Barbary pirates and their propensity for taking slaves (in fact, nearly triple the amount of slaves originally imported into the US), and highlighted how it was their religious dogma that made them feel justified in doing so.

Apparently that's "Un-PC" to talk about.

When everything is filtered through an "oppressed vs. oppressed modern day" lens, it does complicate certain issues.

In the case of my example, because Muslims are considered part of the "marginalized class by modern standards" it's in bad taste to bring up that they took more slaves than the US ever did, but it's perfectly acceptable to suggest that people have a moral duty to vote for <insert progressive policy here> due to the US's role in slavery

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ThatRobGuy said:

In the case of my example, because Muslims are considered part of the "marginalized class by modern standards" it's in bad taste to bring up that they took more slaves than the US ever did, but it's perfectly acceptable to suggest that people have a moral duty to vote for <insert progressive policy here> due to the US's role in slavery

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essentialsaltes said:

Trump will allegedly return to the impeachment display after the exhibit is updated in a few weeks. [That was August]

Smithsonian statement says the administration did not ask for any change or removal. [But of course the Administration has asked the Smithsonian to check all its content for bias.]

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essentialsaltes said:

White House Threatens Smithsonian funds in sweeping content review

The rhetoric from the Trump Administration on how to discuss the past is "very similar to Chinese Communist Party propaganda," he said. "Only positive stories, only positive energy, no negative energy allowed when you're talking about history."

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White House report accuses Smithsonian museum of ‘extreme political activism’​

wing2000 said:

...and Trump claims his political enemies are communists.

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essentialsaltes said:

White House report accuses Smithsonian museum of ‘extreme political activism’​

The 162-page report on the National Museum of American History marks an escalation of President Donald Trump’s criticism of the Smithsonian museums.

The report, titled “Saving America’s Story” and published Saturday, is the result of an executive order President Donald Trump signed in March 2025 demanding “improper ideology” be eliminated from Smithsonian’s museums.

The 162-page report is written by the White House’s Domestic Policy Council, led by Vince Haley, who has organized part of the administration’s scrutiny of the Smithsonian and threatened its federal funding.

The report pins much of the blame on the history museum’s director, Anthea Hartig, whom it names dozens of times. When asked for comment, Hartig referred to the Smithsonian’s statement.

Beth English, the executive director of the Organization of American Historians, where Hartig was president from 2023 to 2024, took issue with the report’s framing, adding that the museum presents a diverse and broad look at American history.

“In many ways, the report’s real complaint isn’t necessarily inaccuracy; it’s that the museum isn’t celebratory enough,” English said. “And that’s a demand for a single version of history, dressed up as a defense of balance.”

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RDKirk said:

I've told you before: The culture war is the main reason Trump was elected.

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