Yeah, thanks Pedinska. I’d hate to think that the Almighty is laughing at me specifically these days, but I nevertheless believe it’s wiser to make jokes than to prognosticate in the time I have left. Hope things are well with you also in these interesting times.
An abstract silhouette of Mussolini in a helmet, with his chin up, and this slogan in all caps above it, was stenciled on half-collapsed walls all over Italy in 1943. That’s how I remember it from old picture books, anyway. I suppose I could Google it to confirm the details.
The Nazis had a similarly pitiable slogan painted on bombed-out buildings toward the end of the war: Unsere Mauern brechen, unsere Herzen nicht! (Our walls (may) break, our hearts (will) not!)
I had a framed copy of the Mussolini stencil on my desk at work for several years, with the slogan altered to credere, obeddire, lavorare (believe, obey, work.) I also changed the nameplate on my desk to Winston Smith. Amazingly, given that I worked in a university library, no one ever noticed.
Hello WT. I hope you are doing as well as possible in these insane times. It heartens me to see you are still out here writing.
Yeah, thanks Pedinska. I’d hate to think that the Almighty is laughing at me specifically these days, but I nevertheless believe it’s wiser to make jokes than to prognosticate in the time I have left. Hope things are well with you also in these interesting times.
Believe, Obey, Fight?
I might say it echoes.
And, what Pedinska said.
An abstract silhouette of Mussolini in a helmet, with his chin up, and this slogan in all caps above it, was stenciled on half-collapsed walls all over Italy in 1943. That’s how I remember it from old picture books, anyway. I suppose I could Google it to confirm the details.
The Nazis had a similarly pitiable slogan painted on bombed-out buildings toward the end of the war: Unsere Mauern brechen, unsere Herzen nicht! (Our walls (may) break, our hearts (will) not!)
I had a framed copy of the Mussolini stencil on my desk at work for several years, with the slogan altered to credere, obeddire, lavorare (believe, obey, work.) I also changed the nameplate on my desk to Winston Smith. Amazingly, given that I worked in a university library, no one ever noticed.