D-Nation Q&A
You have questions about the mediums and the takeaway on D-Nation. Here are the answers provided!
What does the first medium, The American Timeline, have to do with D-Nation?
The American Timeline has figures that represent the ideology of the three government systems. For example, in the 19th-century Civil War, Abraham Lincoln represented democracy as the Union represented freedom to abolish slavery in the South. Whereas Jefferson Davis and the Confederate States represent dictatorial control over the African American and keeping the slaves for their benefit.
For mediums one and two, you have Donald Trump in your work. Why do you have Donald Trump in your work despite his controversial orders as president?
Although many people may love or hate our current U.S. President, Donald Trump. However, he’s an important figure to D-Nation, and here’s why. For the first medium, The American Timeline, I discuss the 21st century being a political battle between the alt-left, the alt-right, Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, and Conservatives. Trump is mentioned because he represented freedom to America, but the alt-right has its own agenda, much similar to the alt-left. This applies the same for medium two, Political Figures.
Is the United States of America a Democracy?
No, because the U.S. is a constitutional republic. However, during important events such as the general election may consider itself a democracy because people vote for either the next president, senator, or congress member. No matter if your professor, friends, family, or even media outlets tell you that America is a democracy, it isn’t because our nation will and always be a constitutional republic.
For mediums two and three, why do you have controversial figures such as Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin?
Both Hitler and Stalin represented dictatorial figures for medium two, Political Figures, and medium three, The Three D’s of Government. This tells the story of who these figures are and the negative impact on their people. For example, Hitler and the Nazis tormented the Jews during the Holocaust, whereas Stalin tormented 20 million people in the Gulag.
Why do you have other controversial dictatorial figures in the takeaway stickers, but not Hitler?
The answer is simple: I’m not trying to be controversial and extreme at the same time. Otherwise, I would have faced heavy backlash for it. However, Hitler will remain in mediums two and three because he’s an important figure among the dictatorial figures.
Speaking of Hitler, is he the most infamous dictator in human history?
Yes, Adolf Hitler remains the most infamous dictator in human history. However, within the death toll under Hitler’s regime, he’s ranked number three with the death toll of 11 million Jews, Gypsys, the disabled, and the Gays.
If Hitler isn’t at number one as a brutal dictator, then what are numbers two and one?
Number two is Joseph Stalin, with the death toll of 20 million innocent people who died from the forced labor camp, the Gulag. While number one is Mao Zedong of Communist China, with an estimated death toll of 40 to 80 million people, during the “Great Leap Forward” and the Cultural Revolution.
Why do you have monarchial figures? Do dictatorship and dynasty share a common ground?
Figures in the monarchial system are important for D-Nation. Yes, both dictatorship and the dynastic system do share a common ground when it comes to ruling over the people and harming society. However, the difference is that the dictatorial ruling is by a radical government system. Whereas the monarchial system relies on a traditional ruling of kings and queens.
For medium three, The Three D’s of Government, why are the color palettes different for three different government systems?
It is the overall theme and representation of what the three government systems are. This also applies to the takeaway stickers.
Did you have fun making D-Nation? What are the good, the bad, and the ugly?
Yes, I did have fun making D-Nation. The greatest part of D-Nation was presenting it at the opening exhibition of Common Ground and having my family see it. The bad part is the crunch and rushing it, resulting in various mistakes such as typos and not checking the mediums and the takeaway thoroughly. The ugly part is people criticizing me for having controversial figures. I’ll admit it's controversial, but that's the purpose of what D-Nation is. If I don’t put these infamous figures in my capstone project, then what’s the point of making it? Overall, D-Nation was a fun but brutal project that I have ever made, and I hope that my project will teach young generations about the three government systems and it’s impact on society.