ww2 propaganda cartoons

[Seth8530]

well i found this one and found it extremly funny.:p

[Kpt. Kozloff]

Oh, this one... Sad isn't it? Donald Duck with Hackenkreuz on his arm.

[joea]

Originally Posted by Kpt. Kozloff

Oh, this one... Sad isn't it? Donald Duck with Hackenkreuz on his arm.

It's meant to be a parody! Donald is dreaming he is in "Nutsi" (Nazi-land) and meant to mock the Nazis. In other words propaganda just like the song. If you bothered to watch the whole cartoon you'd see he walks up back in the good old USA and hugs his little model of the Statue of Liberty. :rotfl:

[Kpt. Kozloff]

Originally Posted by joea

It's meant to be a parody! Donald is dreaming he is in "Nutsi" (Nazi-land) and meant to mock the Nazis. In other words propaganda just like the song. If you bothered to watch the whole cartoon you'd see he walks up back in the good old USA and hugs his little model of the Statue of Liberty. :rotfl:

What i meant was, using Donald Duck as a propaganda tool. I agree, the whole cartoon is very funny, it's the purpose it serves that's sad.

[TteFAboB]

Propaganda is needed in times of war. Without counter-propaganda, people may fall for the enemy's propaganda.

Kpt. Kozloff, you were spared from Nazism and Communism thanks to your grandfather's (or father) efforts. Unless you are a Nazi-Communist yourself, there's no need to be afraid to be gratefull for their work instead of demeaning their resistance against the urge to import seductive Nazi ideas to Britain and signing a peace-treaty with Hitler.

There's no doubt WW2 was a terrible sad experience for many. But have you observed that there never was any Donald Duck in Nazi Germany?

The purpose of propaganda is sad. The purpose of defeating Nazism is not. If the cartoon contributed to defeat Nazism in its way or even as a mere attempt with no practical results, is it sad afterall? Only now that we are free to considering things sad instead of being forced to praise the State, the Government, the Leader or face the consequences, and not have to use propaganda anymore.

[Kpt. Kozloff]

I was born and raised in a communist country. Luckily i lived to see it's end and moved abroad. I know the power of it's regime's indoctrination and propaganda, first hand. Please do not patronize me because i know how it is when red big brother is looking over your shoulder every god damn time. I lived through that. As well as my grandfathers who were WW2 heroes. They never discussed the war with their grandchildren. Why? War is not for kids! I learned about their WW2 experiences years later.
My point is that propaganda in this case went too far. In my humble opinion, indoctrination of the children (cartoons are meant for children right?) is the lowest you can go, no matter what's the cause. And sometimes may have totally opposite effects, like extreme nationalism or xenophobia.

[fred8615]

Originally Posted by Kpt. Kozloff

My point is that propaganda in this case went too far. In my humble opinion, indoctrination of the children (cartoons are meant for children right?) is the lowest you can go, no matter what's the cause. And sometimes may have totally opposite effects, like extreme nationalism or xenophobia.

Back in those days, cartoons were for adults, not just kids like most are today.

[StdDev]

Originally Posted by fred8615

Back in those days, cartoons were for adults, not just kids like most are today.

ABSOLUTELY!!!!
This cartoon was most likely shown as a "short" before the main feature at movie theaters in USA.
There are still examples of "adult" cartoons existing.. I can remember an old Bugs Bunny episode where Bugs ends up doing an impersonation of Joseph Stalin.. what kid would get that?

[TteFAboB]

Originally Posted by Kpt. Kozloff

My point is that propaganda in this case went too far.

I'm not Big Brother, I'm not here to "patronize" you, judge you or question you.

I'm not an Alien either. I also know the effects of indoctrination. I grew up as an indoctrinated child, repeating the mantras instilled by the educational system. My teachers followed the method of a Marxist who proclaimed that children should be taught politics at an early age while their minds were still not capable of offering resistance. Stealing candy from a kid. Unfortunately for them, while they could make me believe in lies, they could not touch my mind. They could fool me, but they never managed to take away my love for the truth.

My point is not to question your opinion. You can think whatever you want and find the lowest point of the universe. The fact is anti-nazism propaganda ended with the end of WW2. It was a reaction, not a long-term pre-planned project to create a new society. It's war, it's hell, it's sad and it's not for kids, but it wasn't Donald Duck who started it.

The fact is that at this date Nazism was seducing many American intellectuals and even "celebrities", together with Eugenics and other forms of social engineering. It may have reached kids aswell: "Daddy, if the Nazism state is the best why don't we become Nazis?", "Mommy, I'm a Nazi because Mr. Garrison said they're the best". With the context in mind, there is no alternative, you either fight and resist or you perish. What is sad is the perishing of the German people, their fall for Nazism. What would be sad is the falling of the American people to Nazism. We resisted it and we are to blame for resisting it?

Either way, as the two posters above me, I'm not sure that these cartoons are only meant for kids or even meant at them. My grandfathers weren't WW2 heroes, but they watched alot of cartoons. At the date of this cartoon, television didn't existed, so it could only be watched at the theatres. Did Americans forced their children to the theatres? Did Americans created the Donald Ducklerist Youth? Did we gave them military training? If this cartoon is taking things too far, how far is the Hitlerist Youth?

[joea]

Originally Posted by Kpt. Kozloff

What i meant was, using Donald Duck as a propaganda tool. I agree, the whole cartoon is very funny, it's the purpose it serves that's sad.

No problem mate, you would not believe how many people think this was somehow meant to be a pro-Nazi (mentioning Walt Disney's anti-semitism) film. Really, folks here are up on history but you'd be shocked how many haven't a clue!!!

[Kpt. Kozloff]

I agree with you gents on the counter-propaganda issue. No differences here.
I've done some research on that particular cartoon only to find that indeed it was a so called "short". Thus it might have been watched mostly by adults. Although W. Disney withdrew it from the general circuit for a reason, and i think it was:
1) Misinterpretation as pro Nazi, or
2) Indoctrination of children (the one i'm arguing).
It just shows from how different socio-political backgrounds we all come from. I go pretty much paranoid when i see politics "crawling into a kids' sandpool". And because of where i come from and how i was brought up, i'm being so very serious about it, maybe even too much. It's taken a long time for me to adapt to western culture and lifestyle, and i believe it's a continuous process. Nevertheless i firmly believe that implementing political mechanisms on children is no go area in general. This cartoon is only an example of how a tool could be potentially misused because there's no evidence of it's impact. And indoctrination doesn't need to be understood while implemented.
Surely i wouldn't allow my children to watch it until they learned their history lesson properly.
But in the end it's just an opinion that has no intention of persuading anyone. And it's great that we can all share them on this forum. For that ability i am greatful to all those people that made it possible and are continuing their effort.
Thank you all for your posts.
God bless.