Last month, West made a video featuring him posing in a diamond-encrusted swastika necklace next to infamous white supremacist Nick Fuentes.
I have a good friend who is a jeweler, and loves getting an expensive custom job, which this had to be. You dont just pick up a “diamond-encrusted swastika” at Jared. I wondered what my buddy would do if he was offered such a commission.
And I realized that he’d take it, not because his politics (or musical taste) are in alignment, but I know that he would say “If he wants to pay me a ridiculous amount of money to help him make an idiot of himself in front of the entire world, who am I to deny him?”
I agree, I’d refuse it, but I can’t judge someone who is self-employed, and needs to keep the money rolling in. Traditionally, artists have had to work for wealthy patrons they havent cared for, but that’s the flip side of being an artist, and why the dream is always artistic independence.
Man, the difference is that the swastika sends a message of death. I know, I know, anything could be a message of death.
But some stupid fuck sees that stupid idiot wearing a fucking diamond encrusted swastika necklace, then he will be emboldened next time to harm some innocent person. All because, yes, because of someone willing to take the money. It’s blood money.
But it seems like if someone is going to be inspired by a diamond-encrusted swatika to commit hate crimes, they were already pretty far down that path anyway. I don’t think the jeweler who is trying feed his family is at fault.
“Hey I’m going to kill Jimmy tonight. I’ll do it with a knife if I have to, but I’d rather use this gun. It jams, though. Can you fix it for me? I’ll give you 10 grand.”
That would be knowingly directly facilitating an actual murder. The decorative swastika is NOT a weapon. That’s a big difference from facilitating an idiot who doesn’t understand that he is destroying his brand image by advocating for a hate group. The only thing he is murdering is his career.
Unless that one commission is standing between them and survival then I think we can say they’re slightly to blame. They’re a part of the problem anyway.
I have a good friend who is a jeweler, and loves getting an expensive custom job, which this had to be. You dont just pick up a “diamond-encrusted swastika” at Jared. I wondered what my buddy would do if he was offered such a commission.
And I realized that he’d take it, not because his politics (or musical taste) are in alignment, but I know that he would say “If he wants to pay me a ridiculous amount of money to help him make an idiot of himself in front of the entire world, who am I to deny him?”
The correct response to such a request is “No Nazi bullshit”
I agree, I’d refuse it, but I can’t judge someone who is self-employed, and needs to keep the money rolling in. Traditionally, artists have had to work for wealthy patrons they havent cared for, but that’s the flip side of being an artist, and why the dream is always artistic independence.
Man, the difference is that the swastika sends a message of death. I know, I know, anything could be a message of death.
But some stupid fuck sees that stupid idiot wearing a fucking diamond encrusted swastika necklace, then he will be emboldened next time to harm some innocent person. All because, yes, because of someone willing to take the money. It’s blood money.
That’s a very valid perspective, i agree.
But it seems like if someone is going to be inspired by a diamond-encrusted swatika to commit hate crimes, they were already pretty far down that path anyway. I don’t think the jeweler who is trying feed his family is at fault.
“Hey I’m going to kill Jimmy tonight. I’ll do it with a knife if I have to, but I’d rather use this gun. It jams, though. Can you fix it for me? I’ll give you 10 grand.”
That would be knowingly directly facilitating an actual murder. The decorative swastika is NOT a weapon. That’s a big difference from facilitating an idiot who doesn’t understand that he is destroying his brand image by advocating for a hate group. The only thing he is murdering is his career.
Unless that one commission is standing between them and survival then I think we can say they’re slightly to blame. They’re a part of the problem anyway.
He’s just following the custom order amirite