Is there a new iconoclastic coming?

At regular intervals, a flood of reports appears in the media concerning the removal of statues, paintings from museums, films and music from radio, TV and the Internet and changing names of streets, schools, buildings, associations, etc. A lot of people think it's something of this time, but nothing is less true. Humanity has been trying for centuries to rewrite history in this way, to make things clean up or, on the contrary, to clean it away.

Events and people are removed from the annals. Many hieroglyph has been scratched away in the Egyptian pyramids. Roman statues were knocked down or simply equipped with another head. The image storm had to wash away the influence of the Catholic Church. Books were burned at the stake, plays were not allowed to be performed anymore, certain music could not be listened to anymore. Yes, even certain items of clothing and hair wear were banned. Hitler wanted to rid his empire of all Entarte Art. By the way, not even a concept he developed, but taken over from the Jewish rabbi Max Nordau. Not only was much removed, but much was ignored because they did not fit in the image they found. In fact, it is only in recent years that many things about the role played by different persons and powers in World War II have become known. They often sketch a slightly different picture than the one we grew up with. Sometimes it's because things are deliberately kept secret, but also often because we knew but it was not convenient for us in the image we wanted to have and keep.

The reasons for all these removals are not always the same, but often it has to do with the desire to wash away the past and/or put oneself in the forefront or distract attention from the role one has played. Brushing away a part of history never makes it fairer or more complete. This can only be done by investigating the role of such matters, seeing cause and effect, putting things in the right perspective, a proper representation of what has happened. That can be very painful.

In some cases it is also difficult to keep distinguishing between the different elements involved. That also clearly played during the peak of the Metoo movement. To what extent can you disconnect a person from the work he did? Can you still appreciate a book, a film, certain music if you know that the creator had certain ideas, made things or statements that, according to current concepts, can't go through the bracket?

Another “iconoclastic”, cutting everything down and burying the debris deep, applying an even layer of white sauce, seems to me no solution.