Aesthetics of Power and Political Complacency

This chapter examines the dangerous normalization of Nazi symbols among influencers, probing the societal implications and the role of right-wing provocations framed as satire. It critiques the intersection of aesthetics and politics, particularly how media consumption can overshadow urgent political issues, including immigration and deportation practices. By invoking theorists like Walter Benjamin, the discussion emphasizes the necessity for active political engagement rather than passive acceptance of authoritarian narratives.

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Episode notes

All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file.

- Anti-War Movements feat. Andrew

- Aid as a Tool of War in Gaza feat. Dana El Kurd

- Mapping Border Deaths

- Dogwhistle Politics and Nazi Code Hunting

- Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #28

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Sources/Links:

Anti-War Movements feat. Andrew

Anarchist Encyclopedia by Sebastien Faure et al

https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/james-herod-the-weakness-of-a-politics-of-protest

https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/jeff-shantz-p-j-lilley-striking-against-the-work-war-machine

Aid as a Tool of War in Gaza feat. Dana El Kurd

Oxfam statement about Gaza Humanitarian Foundation - https://www.oxfamamerica.org/press/more-than-100-organizations-are-sounding-the-alarm-to-allow-lifesaving-aid-into-gaza/

Fogbow in Uganda and Sudan - https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/investigations/2025/06/16/fogbow-operations-south-sudan-raise-red-flags-aid-private-sector

Bezalel Smotrich’s “Decisive Plan” - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/may/09/israel-leaders-palestinian-territories-bezalel-smotrich-gaza-7-october

Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on dismantling UNRWA - https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/notes/unrwa-may-be-forced-stop-saving-lives-gaza-will-world-let-happen

NPR report on famine in Gaza - https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/07/25/g-s1-78968/what-does-it-take-for-a-famine-to-be-declared-in-gaza