Tuesday 27 August 2024

Mormonism in Utah - Cave of Despair (Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 1882)

 

I saw this while looking through an archive of old newspaper comics. The artist's point, a dim view of Mormonism, is clear, and the detailing makes modern political cartoons look amateurish. Though, it is interesting to see that the practice of over labelling is older than I thought.

Propaganda is a term that has been discredited by its usage in the 20th century by government's around the world, especially dictatorships, so it shouldn't be surprising that talented and experienced artists prefer to work in other less overtly political forms like illustrating character designs for gacha games, and spandex wearing Ubermensch. 

Also, a funny coincidence, the official name of Mormonism is the Latter Day Saint's (LDS) which is also the name of one of the most notorious purveyors of copyfraud (in my opinion) services on YouTube. Upload content on that platform and you'll eventually see them pop up in a e-mail about a restriction on your video.

Friday 2 August 2024

European Citizens Initiative to prevent publishers from killing games


I've been informed of an initiative to promote game preservation in the European Union. I am not an EU subject and I have what can be described charitably as a healthy contempt for representative government. 

Nevertheless I think this initiative is worthy of support. Corporations and governments most effective tools for control and expansion are to present themselves and their policies as both normal and inevitable. If you disagree with something before they send the thugs they make you feel small, isolated and strange. So, a show of popular opposition can be very usueful in rally further opposition.

I like games and hate that that the industry is actively hostile to the public almost as much as they are to their employees.

Preservation of art, media knowledge and entertainment is important. If you're in the EU and want to preserve media or just make things uncomfortable for major corporations signing couldn't hurt.

https://citizens-initiative.europa.eu/initiatives/details/2024/000007_en


Update: In addition to the 1 million valid signatures requirement each member nation has a set threshold to meet e.g. 9,870 signatures for Denmark. I was under the impression that in order to pass an EU initiative needs all these thresholds met but I'm told it needs 7 to pass though the more nations that meet or surpass that threshold the more impact it will have.

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