• MrMakabar@slrpnk.net
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      13 days ago

      It is a generally accepted show of wealth, which is a big part of his brand. Decent countries do not tend to do that. For public projects there are creative ways of making something look good, but you need creative artists for that. The issue is that artists very often struggle for a bit, which means they have some tendency to be critical of asshole governments. So dictators tend to fall back to copying old art with more gold and in bigger. Some also do new foreign artists in big.

      For private style it is beneficial to be seen as being rich in a corrupt dictatorship. As in people believe that a rich person has contacts with the right people, which can make their life miserable. That is why they might not ask for a bribe or similar.

        • Enkrod@feddit.org
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          12 days ago

          I do not understand this comment.

          Are you saying decent countries gilt everything as a show of wealth?

          • glimse@lemmy.world
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            12 days ago

            I’m saying it’s only some wealthy people who are into it and they exist everywhere, it’s not a US thing.

            Plus…historically, plenty of countries did exactly that. Famously. Statues, furniture, rooms. It’s not like Trump is the originator

            If anywhere could claim it as their aesthetic nowadays, it’d be the UAE.

            • M137@lemmy.world
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              12 days ago

              It’s so odd how much you didn’t understand what they ment. They talked about countries, as in the government’s and people who rule not using gold for stuff like statues etc. in decent countries.

              They never said they only ment the US, they never said it was about anything other than the countries (like some people).

              I seriously don’t understand how you’re so confused about very clear words, it’s extremely weird.

      • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz
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        12 days ago

        It’s not a very good show of wealth since it’s not even real gold. Just brass, or gold-plated nickel.

        The size is a dead giveaway. Real gold tends to have daintier appearance because less is more. No one would waste 24k gold on something so unseemly.

        This is beyond ostentatious. Gaudiness is tacky. Real wealth can afford better taste.

        Trump is the cheapest rich person I’ve ever seen.

          • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz
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            12 days ago

            It looks like it’s posing awkwardly for a photo, thinking that bending the knee like that will look cute but not realizing how contrived and cringy it actually looks. Nothing natural about it.

            By contrast, the stone horse looks like it’s mid-trot. Looks genuinely candid.

            Trump has no class.

    • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz
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      12 days ago

      Let’s be honest, it’s likely just gold-colored brass.

      Maybe a micron-thick electroplating but honestly he’s probably too cheap even for that.