Let’s investigate the different categories.

Art by Villains

Hitler was refused at the art academy because he couldn’t draw people. If he would be accepted, would the Holocaust have happened?

But, Hitler’s still lives I find quite nice. They should not be exhibited to honor him. But, they can be shown as proof that someone wicked doesn’t need to be bad at everything. And definitely, never destroyed.

Nazi art is grotesque and ugly. But, it should not be destroyed either. It should be kept to show what that philosophy was all about.

Picasso was a monster for many women. Write that under his name next to the art pieces.

Taliban and Anarchists

Someone who tries to hurt great art like a Van Gogh should receive jail time of 10 years at least. The only way to stop ‘idealists’ from forcing all museums and places of worship to close.

Yes, a $48M Van Gogh is less valuable than a human being. But you don’t hurt the former to publish that you are disgusted with the hurting of people, or to say that your act is nothing in comparison.

Yes, some ancient cultures made idols (allegedly). Since they have no power, it is safe to put them in a museum. Destruction is cultural genocide. Advertisement

Wicked Hero Statues

Rather than tearing them down, I would put a plaque on ‘wrong’ monuments. This was a slaveowner. This was a womanizer. This was a chain smoker?

Or, as a non-destructive symbol of a bloody dictator gone, paint his bronzes blood red.

Villain Names

Cities, parks, bridges, schools, camps, etc. should not be named after bigots. Renaming should not be a problem. It destroys nothing irreplaceable—only the illusion that someone was a great example to follow who wasn’t.

Wicked Literature

Mein Kampf is a clear example. I like the publication with a scientific text next to it explaining the deceit.

The Smurfs is subtle with Antisemitic and racist dog whistles. This brainwashing of our kids is not innocent.

All literature with evil-against-good-creatures is problematic and should (like cigarettes) carry a disclaimer. It should explain that the fight between good and evil is within each of us, generally not between people.

There is also innocent literature from wicked people. Put a note in it that the author was an Antisemite, etc.

Wicked Desecrators

Do I really need to condemn Antisemites desecrating and destructing Jewish graves, memorial monuments, or icons? I hope not.

The Bottomline

Be judgmental but not destructive. An unjust label can be replaced; an act of destruction often cannot be undone.