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The Guardian
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
The nefarious message behind the DHS ‘manifest destiny' painting: ‘four pillars of propaganda'
In Morgan Weistling's oil painting A Prayer for a New Life, a young, white pioneer couple sit inside a covered wagon, sharing a quiet moment with their swaddled newborn as prairie stretches out behind them. The work could be interpreted as a western take on the birth of Jesus; Mary and Joseph on the Oregon trail. One might imagine it decorating the oak-walled office of an oil executive in a Yellowstone spin-off show – though it is probably too schmaltzy even for that. Last week, Weistling's painting took on a darker meaning when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s official X account posted, to the artist's consternation, an image of the painting with the caption: 'Remember your Homeland's Heritage.' To some, the post seemed like authoritarian propaganda, similar to what was put out by Joseph Goebbels about Aryan motherhood in 1930s Nazi Germany. 'In case you had any doubts about the white supremacist thing,' one X user responded to the post. Others nakedly applauded its perceived subtext, a celebration of the right's vision for America, in which families of strong men and maternal women usher in a pronatalist baby boom. 'Our people. Our place,' responded Andrew Torba, CEO of Gab, a social network popular among alt-right, neo-Nazi and white nationalist users. Under Trump's second administration, the DHS has orchestrated sweeping immigration raids across the US, and Ice is reportedly detaining a record number of migrants. A scroll through the department's X account shows videos of families torn apart by immigration officers, and then this post, which seems to say: we're fine with migration and movement – so long as the families doing it are white. Experts say the benign look on the couple's faces and the presence of an innocent newborn distract from the real problem: what's not in the painting's frame. 'The main stories that are told through art of the American west tend to focus on white settlers, which omits the suppression of other populations,' said Emily C Burns, director of the Charles M Russell study for the center of art of the American west and an associate professor of art history at the University of Oklahoma. 'It's challenging when a single image of something that is incredibly complicated is placed in the foreground. What stories are lost in that?' Those stories include the US government's violent expulsion and genocide of Indigenous people to clear land for settlers, and the Black cowboys, many of them formerly enslaved or one generation removed from slavery, who went west on horseback and helped develop the country's nascent ranching industry. Also omitted are the Chinese immigrants who built the west's railroads and worked its goldmines and factories, and who, due to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, could not legally gain US citizenship. Adam Klein, associate professor at Pace University, studies how extremist movements infiltrate American media and politics. 'The [Weistling] painting isn't violent at all,' he said. 'On the surface, it's a beautiful image. But when you look at where it's coming from, with [DHS using] language like 'homeland' and 'heritage', that's really evocative of anti-immigrant sentiment.' Klein said the post brought to mind similar themes used by VDare, a far-right, anti-immigration website that launched in 1999 and suspended operations last year. VDare was named after Virginia Dare, the first child born to European settlers in the 'new world'. Since the 1800s, white supremacists have glorified her memory, though all we know of her is her birthdate and the fact that she disappeared as part of the 'lost colony' of Roanoke. Dare's image and disappearance are ripe for racist projections, including the conspiracy theory of a 'white genocide' perpetrated by non-white immigrants. In 2018, the VDare founder Peter Brimelow told the Washington Post that he chose the name 'to focus attention on the very specific cultural origins of America, at a time when mass nontraditional immigration is threatening to swamp it'. Klein also noted that the DHS's post seemed like 'an attempt to stir the pot and be divisive'. Under the leadership of Kristi Noem, the DHS has taken up Donald Trump's orders for mass deportation with militant aplomb and an all-out publicity blitz. Noem looked glamorous as she livestreamed pre-dawn Ice raids in New York and toured the southern border on horseback. Meanwhile, the department shares mugshots of migrants and reminders from Uncle Sam to 'REPORT ALL FOREIGN INVADERS.' Last month, it posted AI-rendered art hyping Alligator Alcatraz, thumbing its nose at critics horrified by the detention center's reported conditions. On a less aggressive artistic note, it also shared the late artist Thomas Kinkade's Morning Pledge, a pastoral painting showing two boys walking to their small-town schoolhouse underneath a fluttering American flag. 'Protect the Homeland,' the DHS captioned this post. Both Kinkade's perfectly manicured Americana and Weistling's 'manifest destiny' daydream belie the chaos DHS has sown through its often violent immigration crackdown. But they do align with the retrograde America Trump 2.0 desires, and is ordering US universities, museums and national parks to teach. Weistling, who did not respond to a request for comment, wrote on his website that DHS used his 2020 painting without permission. He described the work as two parents with their baby, 'depicted here praying to God for his fragile life on their perilous journey'. His style often canonizes traditional domestic roles: girls and young women cook and clean, while men ride on horseback and build things. When asked about its social media strategy, including the use of Weistling's work, a DHS spokesperson wrote via email: 'If the media needs a history lesson on the brave men and women who blazed the trails, forded the rivers, and forged this Republic from the sweat of their brow, we are happy to send them a history textbook. This administration is unapologetically proud of American history and American heritage. Get used to it.' Renee Hobbs, a professor of communication studies at the University of Rhode Island and founder of the Media Education Lab, says that she teaches her students 'the four pillars of propaganda': activating strong emotions; simplifying information and ideas; appealing to people's deepest hopes, fears and dreams; and attacking opponents. The DHS's post hits all of these pillars. 'This could be an image from a children's book,' Hobbs said. 'It's a vision of America that was sold to generations. I'm a boomer, and I read these kinds of stories as a child. Now I have a critical perspective on manifest destiny, but this taps into my memory, which can bypass critical thinking.' Those feelings, good or bad, are the whole point: 'DHS is looking for engagement, and the use of emotional imagery gets people to react, whether they love it or hate it,' Hobbs said. 'So from a PR strategy, these posts are actually working quite well.'
The Guardian
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
The nefarious message behind the DHS ‘manifest destiny' painting: ‘four pillars of propaganda'
In Morgan Weistling's oil painting A Prayer for a New Life, a young, white pioneer couple sit inside a covered wagon, sharing a quiet moment with their swaddled newborn as prairie stretches out behind them. The work could be interpreted as a western take on the birth of Jesus; Mary and Joseph on the Oregon trail. One might imagine it decorating the oak-walled office of an oil executive in a Yellowstone spin-off show – though it is likely too schmaltzy even for that. Last week, Weistling's painting took on a darker meaning when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s official X account posted, to the artist's consternation, an image of the painting with the caption: 'Remember your Homeland's Heritage.' To some, the post seemed like authoritarian propaganda, similar to what was put out by Joseph Goebbels about Aryan motherhood in 1930s Nazi Germany. 'In case you had any doubts about the white supremacist thing,' one X user responded to the post. Others nakedly applauded its perceived subtext, a celebration of the right's vision for America, in which families of strong men and maternal women usher in a pronatalist baby boom. 'Our people. Our place,' responded Andrew Torba, CEO of Gab, a social network popular among alt-right, neo-Nazi and white nationalist users. Under Trump's second administration, the DHS has orchestrated sweeping immigration raids across the US, and Ice is reportedly detaining a record number of migrants. A scroll through the department's X account shows videos of families torn apart by immigration officers, and then this post, which seems to say: we're fine with migration and movement – so long as the families doing it are white. Experts say the saccharine smiles on the couple's faces and the presence of an innocent newborn distract from the real problem: what's not in the painting's frame. 'The main stories that are told through art of the American west tend to focus on white settlers, which omits the suppression of other populations,' said Emily C Burns, director of the Charles M Russell study for the center of art of the American west and an associate professor of art history at the University of Oklahoma. 'It's challenging when a single image of something that is incredibly complicated is placed in the foreground. What stories are lost in that?' Those stories include the US government's violent expulsion and genocide of Indigenous people to clear land for settlers, and the Black cowboys, many of them formerly enslaved or one generation removed from slavery, who went west on horseback and helped develop the country's nascent ranching industry. Also omitted are the Chinese immigrants who built the west's railroads and worked its gold mines and factories, and who, due to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, could not legally gain US citizenship. Adam Klein, associate professor at Pace University, studies how extremist movements infiltrate American media and politics. 'The [Weistling] painting isn't violent at all,' he said. 'On the surface, it's a beautiful image. But when you look at where it's coming from, with [DHS using] language like 'homeland' and 'heritage', that's really evocative of anti-immigrant sentiment.' Klein said the post brought to mind similar themes used by VDare, a far-right, anti-immigration website that launched in 1999 and suspended operations last year. VDare was named after Virginia Dare, the first child born to European settlers in the 'new world'. Since the 1800s, white supremacists have glorified her memory, though all we know of her is her birthdate and the fact that she disappeared as part of the 'lost colony' of Roanoke. Dare's image and disappearance are ripe for racist projections, including the conspiracy theory of a 'white genocide' perpetrated by non-white immigrants. In 2018, VDare founder Peter Brimelow told the Washington Post that he chose the name 'to focus attention on the very specific cultural origins of America, at a time when mass nontraditional immigration is threatening to swamp it'. Klein also noted that DHS's post seemed like 'an attempt to stir the pot and be divisive'. Under the leadership of Kristi Noem, DHS has taken up Donald Trump's orders for mass deportation with militant aplomb and an all-out publicity blitz. Noem looked glamorous as she livestreamed pre-dawn Ice raids in New York and toured the southern border on horseback. Meanwhile, the department shares mugshots of migrants and reminders from Uncle Sam to 'REPORT ALL FOREIGN INVADERS.' Last month, it posted AI-rendered art hyping Alligator Alcatraz, thumbing its nose at critics horrified by the detention center's reported conditions. On a less aggressive artistic note, it also shared the late artist Thomas Kinkade's 'Morning Pledge', a pastoral painting showing two boys walking to their small-town schoolhouse underneath a fluttering American flag. 'Protect the Homeland,' DHS captioned this post. Both Kinkade's perfectly manicured Americana and Weistling's 'manifest destiny' daydream belie the chaos DHS has sown through its often violent immigration crackdown. But they do align with the retrograde America Trump 2.0 desires, and is ordering US universities, museums and national parks to teach. Weistling, who did not respond to a request for comment, wrote on his website that DHS used his 2020 painting without permission. He described the work as two parents with their baby, 'depicted here praying to God for his fragile life on their perilous journey'. His style often canonizes traditional domestic roles: girls and young women cook and clean, while men ride on horseback and build things. When asked about its social media strategy, including the use of Weistling's work, a DHS spokesperson wrote via email: 'If the media needs a history lesson on the brave men and women who blazed the trails, forded the rivers, and forged this Republic from the sweat of their brow, we are happy to send them a history textbook. This administration is unapologetically proud of American history and American heritage. Get used to it.' Renee Hobbs, a professor of communication studies at the University of Rhode Island and founder of the Media Education Lab, says that she teaches her students 'the four pillars of propaganda': activating strong emotions; simplifying information and ideas; appealing to people's deepest hopes, fears and dreams; and attacking opponents. DHS's post hits all of these pillars. 'This could be an image from a children's book,' Hobbs said. 'It's a vision of America that was sold to generations. I'm a boomer, and I read these kinds of stories as a child. Now I have a critical perspective on manifest destiny, but this taps into my memory, which can bypass critical thinking.' Those feelings, good or bad, are the whole point: 'DHS is looking for engagement, and the use of emotional imagery gets people to react, whether they love it or hate it,' Hobbs said. 'So from a PR strategy, these posts are actually working quite well.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Non-Religious Man Refuses to Lead a Prayer at His Girlfriend's Parents' House. Now, Things Are Strained
'Disrespect was definitely taken by both her parents, and the night basically derailed spectacularly from that point on,' the man recalledNEED TO KNOW A Reddit user described a tense situation at his 29-year-old girlfriend's family dinner involving a pre-meal prayer The 30-year-old man recalled his reaction after being asked by his girlfriend's dad to lead the prayer at their house He replied to the dad, ' 'I appreciate the sentiment and I thank you for it, but I believe it is disingenuous of me to lead a prayer in a faith I don't genuinely hold. And I'd hate to disrespect your beliefs 'All hell has seemingly broken loose after a man declined his girlfriend's dad's request to lead a pre-dinner prayer at their house. The 30-year-old boyfriend detailed the moment — and his reasoning for refusing to lead the prayer — on Reddit's 'Am I the A------' forum. '[My 29-year-old girlfriend and I] went to our first out of state visit to her parents' house,' the man recalled. 'This is America, we live in Chicago, and they live in a smaller town in the Midwest.' 'We both definitely came from different backgrounds. My parents were academics and religion was just never a thing we participated in,' he continued. 'We discussed it obviously, but we were all some form of atheist or agnostic, but I was raised to be very respectful of others' beliefs.' The man said that his girlfriend's parents are Christians. 'Everything was going great honestly. I had a great rapport with both of her parents, lots of laughs and good storytelling,' he recalled. 'But her dad (and I completely understand that he was trying to be nice and offer me what he understood to be a show of respect) asked me to lead prayer before dinner,' he continued. 'I kind of just stuttered in place.' After regaining his composure, the man replied to the father, ' 'I appreciate the sentiment and I thank you for it, but I believe it is disingenuous of me to lead a prayer in a faith I don't genuinely hold. And I'd hate to disrespect your beliefs. Again, thank you and I mean no disrespect.' ' The reaction from his girlfriend's parents surprised him. 'Disrespect was definitely taken by both her parents, and the night basically derailed spectacularly from that point on,' the boyfriend said. 'They were polite, but totally shut down and the mood shift was palpable.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The man said his girlfriend's siblings have made comments about the moment on social media saying he should have just 'faked it and done it.' Wondering if he made the wrong decision, he asked, 'Am I the a------ for politely declining to lead a prayer at the request of my new GF's father?' 'Not the a------,' many people replied, with many Reddit users reassuring him that he handled the situation well, all things considered. However, others said he needs to confront his girlfriend about the way her siblings are publicly shaming him on social media. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
IOL News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Mixed reviews on Angel Ndlela's new home: celebration or underwhelming reality?
'The Real Housewives of Durban' star, Angel Ndlela, is a proud new homeowner who is thoroughly enjoying this exciting chapter in her life. Image: Instagram Season 5 of "The Real Housewives of Durban" has been a rollercoaster ride of emotions, with cast members navigating complex friendships, broken boundaries and personal struggles. Amidst the drama and tension, one housewife, Angel Ndlela, is shining a light on a more positive note. Congratulations are in order as the reality star celebrates a major milestone of becoming a homeowner. On Thursday, July 17, Ndlela took to social media to share the exciting news with her fans. She posted a set of pictures of herself standing outside the stunning home, posing with a set of keys in her hands. She captioned the pictures, stating that she waited for God to make the purchase possible. 'After a sacred season of waiting, God made room. The wait was holy. The reward is home. Faith wrote this chapter, independence sealed it. 🏡🗝️✨,' she wrote. Her industry peers took to the comment section to congratulate the 30-year-old business woman. Ndlela's co-star Shorisha Naidoo commented: 'Well done, my love. Super proud of you❤️❤️❤️.' Influencer Lerato Nxumalo also congratulated Ndlela on the milestone, commenting: 'This is huge! Congratulations, you should be so proud of yourself,f beautiful 😍🥳🥂'. However, as a housewife on a reality TV show, Ndlela's new home has attracted scrutiny from viewers who expect a certain level of lavishness. With the show's focus on the wealthy lifestyle of its cast members, some viewers have criticised the reality star's home, saying it does not meet their expectations of what a 'housewife's' home should look like. 'I'm sorry but that house isn't up to "'Real Housewives' standards,' said X user @nok2lah_ Another social media user, @THendrix777, asked: 'Isn't the point of these shows to show us opulence and a disconnect from reality?' While @SihleN88853737 commented: 'Yho! I looked at Sorisha, Jojo, and Nonku's houses and then looked at Angel's house and sighed 🥴' Ndlela joined the cast of the popular reality show in 2024 and became the youngest cast member to join the group. Not only is she an established businesswoman who owns a construction company, but she is also making waves in the music industry with her latest collaboration with Funky QLA on 'Umkhuleko' (prayer). The single also features Amapiano sensations Sino Msolo, Sykes and gospel artist Khaya Mthethwa.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Hymns on Sunday, 20 July 2025
The Prayer of St Francis is a lovely peace prayer that came to be attributed to the saint around 1920, when somebody had it printed on the back of card with St Francis's picture on it. When South African songwriter Sebastian Temple adapted the words of the prayer and set them to music by in the 1960s, he kept the St Francis attribution along with his own title: Make me a channel of your peace . St Francis of Assisi - Albert Chevallier Tayler (oil on canvas, 1898) Photo: / Public Domain Artist: Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Catherine Palmer (dir), Ronald Jordan (organ) Words/Music: Charles Wesley/C H Parry Recording: Marquis Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim, and publish abroad his wonderful name; the name all-victorious of Jesus extol; his kingdom is glorious and rules over all. God ruleth on high, almighty to save; though hid from our sight, his presence we have; the great congregation his triumph shall sing, ascribing salvation to Jesus our King. "Salvation to God, who sits on the throne!" let all cry aloud, and honour the Son; the praises of Jesus the angels proclaim, fall down on their faces and worship the Lamb. Then let us adore and give him his right: all glory and power, all wisdom and might, all honour and blessing with angels above and thanks never ceasing for infinite love. Amen. Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ) Words/Music: Psalm 23 (Rous)/Bain arr Jacob Recording: Hyperion 112105 The Lord's my Shepherd; I'll not want. He makes me down to lie In pastures green; He leadeth me The quiet waters by. My soul He doth restore again; And me to walk doth make Within the paths of blessedness, E'en for His own name's sake. Yea, though I pass through shadowed vale, Yet will I fear no ill; For Thou art with me, and Thy rod And staff me comfort still. My table Thou hast furnished In presence of my foes; My head with oil Thou dost anoint, And my cup overflows. Goodness and mercy all my days Will surely follow me; And in my heart Forevermore Thy dwelling place shall be. Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey/Martin Neary (dir), Martin Baker (org) Words/Music: Anon/Temple Recording: Griffin 224018 Make me a channel of your peace Where there is hatred let me bring your love Where there is injury, your pardon Lord And where there is doubt true faith in you. Refrain: Oh, master grant that I may never seek So much to be consoled as to console To be understood as to understand To be loved as to love with all my soul. Make me a channel of your peace Where there is despair in life let me bring hope Where there is darkness only light And where there's sadness ever joy Refrain: Make me a channel of your peace It is in pardoning that we are pardoned In giving to all man that we receive In dying that we are born to eternal life. Refrain: Make me a channel of your peace Where there is hatred let me bring your love Where there is injury, your pardon Lord And where there is doubt true faith in you. Artist: Scottish Philharmonic Singers, Ian McCrorie (dir), John Langdon (organ) Words/Music: Paraphrase by William Barton/Anon Recording: Abbey 282830 O thou my soul, bless God the Lord; and all that in me is Be stirred up his holy name to magnify and bless. Bless, O my soul, the Lord thy God, and not forgetful be Of all his gracious benefits he hath bestow'd on thee. All thine iniquities who doth most graciously forgive: Who thy diseases all and pains doth heal, and thee relieve. Who doth redeem thy life, that thou to death may'st not go down; Who thee with loving-kindness doth and tender mercies crown: Who with abundance of good things doth satisfy thy mouth; So that, ev'n as the eagle's age, renewed is thy youth. Artist: Haatea Kapa Haka, David Tapene (dir) Words/Music: From Psalm 121 Recording: Private 2023 He aroha nou e Ihu Tenei ra i kitea ai Tiakina hoki matou I te roa o tenei po. Atawhaitia mai e koe Mau ano ka ora ai. Tenei matou he manene Noho waenga i te he, Nei ra tiakina iho, I o matou hoa whawhai Tino awhitia e koe, Ki ou ringa atawhai Ka pahure enei wahi Me nga ra e ora ai A ka tata ki te mate Whakakahangia e koe Tangohia ki te rangi Okioki atu ai. Amine. It is your love Lord Jesus! that we witness as you, watch over us, through this long night. Take care of us, for you are our Saviour. We are mere pilgrims who live in the midst of sin. Watch over us, from our enemies. Embrace us fully In your loving arms When time has passed And the days numbered, Nearing the time of death, Grant us strength, To be taken to heaven, For a complete rest. Amen. Artist: Viva Voce, John Rosser (dir), Michael Bell (piano) Words/Music: David Clark and Witi Ihimaera/David Hamilton Recording: NZ Hymnbook Trust 941300 Companions let us pray together, in this place affirm our faith. God who made us is here among us; we stand together in God's grace. Refrain: We are whanau, we are one, brothers, sisters of the Son. We are reaching for our freedom, the prize that Christ has won. The broken Christ stands here among us, shares our suffering and our pain; in breaking bread we find empowerment to live in aroha again. Refrain: The risen Christ brings light and laughter, celebrates the life we share; the poured out wine of Christ's self-giving inspires us to reach out and care. Refrain: Now let us sing to God who loves us and accepts us as we are; Go out from here and live that message, proclaim our oneness near and far. Refrain: Artist: Cantus Choro Words/Music: Heber/Bourgeois Recording: Move 743142 Bread of the world in mercy broken, wine of the soul in mercy shed, By whom the words of life were spoken, and in whose death our sins are dead: Look on the heart by sorrow broken; look on the tears by sinners shed; And be your feast become the token that by your grace our souls are fed. Artist: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia, John Rutter (conductor) Words/Music: /Book of Common Prayer/John Rutter Recording: Collegium CSCD 522 The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen.
