[spectre] Dispatches from Ukraine: Tactical Media Reflflections and Responses

[xname]

Hello Ryszard,

Thanks for your email, and for sharing your view and experience.

I'd clarify here: my childhood desire was towards the unknown, that 
which was not described, as no one was telling us what was really going 
on in Russia, all we had was the fake American dream (which included the 
commodification of female bodies) and literature from the past. I am 
also aware that I was very lucky and privileged growing up in a house 
full of any sorts of books, also having access to many libraries.

My anecdote was in response to Rasa, to highlight that there are 
multiple perspectives and modalities for cultural appropriation (and 
rejection).

I am not disputing what was better or worse, or whose childhood was 
happier. The idea was to acknowledge that also in the West some had a 
curiosity or a wish that that which was not the status quo could be 
better than the real they had to experience.

And I am not at all saying that being under Russian influence is in any 
way a good thing, I am simply saying that the game at stake is a power 
game, it is unfortunately not about anyone's freedom, or better 
interest, but profit.

I am sorry if my email was unclear and you had the impression I was 
trying to decide where to move to, it couldn't be further away from what 
I was trying to express.

Best wishes

Eleonora X, PhD.

On 2022-07-17 21:47, Ryszard Kluszczyński wrote:

> Dear Eleonora,
> 
> let me quote you:
> "During my childhood, in Milan in the 80s, I had an opposite experience 
> than yours: my country had been culturally colonised by the US (cinema 
> TV clothing etc), and they did think they were better. Most people did 
> not notice at all they were colonised, because they had been 
> brainwashed. As I happened to dislike American cinema and Disney's 
> total animation, but I did read a lot of Italian and French and Russian 
> literature and philosophy, I must say it did happen to me during my 
> childhood to wish I was in the Soviet Union instead, hoping that that 
> would be a better alternative from the dumb hypnotic imperialism that 
> had subsumed my contemporaries."
> 
> During my childhood in Poland in the 60s, I was not so happy as you in 
> the 80s. You could have decided what to read. The Soviet-Russian 
> censorships deprived me of such possibilities.
> You were happy to avoid the experioence what it really means to live in 
> the colonised country, colonised society. But it doesn't mean you 
> should not try to imagine and understand what it is really.
> Anyway you can try to realise your desire from your childhood. You can 
> move to Russia to become the resident. But resident not just visitor.
> I understand if you don't decide to do it. A French famous film actor 
> who did it once (to avoid paying taxes in France) is already back as I 
> heard.
> 
> Good luck whatever you decide to do
> 
> Ryszard
> 
> ......................................................
> Prof. Ryszard W. Kluszczynski, PhD.
> Chair of Department of New Media and Digital Culture
> University of Lodz
> 171/173 Pomorska Street
> 90-236 Lodz
> Poland
> tel  +426655133
> 
>> On 17 Jul 2022, at 18:00, xname <xname at xname.cc> wrote:
>> During my childhood, in Milan in the 80s, I had an opposite experience 
>> than yours: my country had been culturally colonised by the US (cinema 
>> TV clothing etc), and they did think they were better. Most people did 
>> not notice at all they were colonised, because they had been 
>> brainwashed. As I happened to dislike American cinema and Disney's 
>> total animation, but I did read a lot of Italian and French and 
>> Russian literature and philosophy, I must say it did happen to me 
>> during my childhood to wish I was in the Soviet Union instead, hoping 
>> that that would be a better alternative from the dumb hypnotic 
>> imperialism that had subsumed my contemporaries.

-- 

phantasmata and illusions

@oracle666
http://xname.cc
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