People who shut their eyes to reality simply invite their own destruction, and anyone who insists on remaining in a state of innocence long after that innocence is dead turns himself into a monster. — James Baldwin
(CNN): “If it walks, talks like a conservative, can it be a Dem?”
“The new Democrats, say analysts, are likely to force the party to shift more toward center, or else butt heads with more liberal congressional leaders.”
Great picture, but it’s important to remember that Rumsfeld helped to murder our sons and daughters for a lot more than food. His net worth is somewhere north of $200 million dollars, so he leaves office not a beggar, but a well-compensated fool (or should I say tool… of the moneyed class).
I doubt the aggregate net worth of every American KIA in Iraq would come anywhere close to touching Rumsfeld’s fortune.
Or the “net worth” of all the civilian Iraqi women and men, and children… 655,000 and counting, if we are to speak of human beings’ “worth” in such grotesquely capitalistic terms.
Yes Julian, I agree. My remark was directed toward Rumsfeld’s wealth as being far greater than a beggars, not at placing an actual value on the many lives lost in Iraq.
I understand your point, though believe it to be misdirected.
I don’t care for this type of cartoon, and ‘m surprised to find it here.
Stereotyping the homeless and poor is just as cruel as other stock stereotypes we should be evolving from. Sadly, it works for many– with so many of us just a paycheck away from our own humiliation.
I looked at a sample of Mr. Fish’s cartoons. He seems to be an exceptionally gifted political cartoon satirist as well as an awesome artist.
I see a number of things in the above representation:
1- The obvious fact that Rumsfeld has been sacked, fired, laid off.
2- The satirical comparison of Rumsfeld with the blue collar workers who are losing their jobs .
3- The same jobless young people may choose to join the military as a result.
4- The symbolic connection between blue collar workers and soldiers. Both are expendable.
5- The contrast between “murder” and “bless” in his sign. It evokes disturbing emotions because of the hypocrisy of word manipulation to influence people to acquiesce in the commission of crimes.
6- I am assuming that is Mr. Fish’s name on Rumsfeld’s cap. I know nothing about Mr. Fish, but could he be identifying with the working class? Or maybe he is just a “nerd” genius trying to find his way in this mess?
7- The neighborhood background is deserted of any people and looks run-down. The emptying of America of the Middle Class?
8- Soldiers continue to be expendable for the most worthless reasons.
9- The ease with which power intoxicates and corrupts and the obscenity of using the most valuable (soldiers and human beings) to achieve the basest ends (food representing personal motives).
10- Ultimately, Rumsfeld is as expendable as anyone else. We just have to learn to think that the working class and soldiers are just as valuable as the politicians and advocate for their rights constantly by NOT sending them to war and by NOT making it easy for corporations to abuse them.
I think satire is a creative way of addressing political and social problems.
I hope that the American people will begin to act like the “free thinking” people they have always claimes they were (in areas beyond the Second Amendment and no government interference) and be compassionate towards everyone: the poor, the soldiers, the criminals, the enemy, the individual and not the business.
conq:
Unrelated but important:
(CNN): “If it walks, talks like a conservative, can it be a Dem?”
“The new Democrats, say analysts, are likely to force the party to shift more toward center, or else butt heads with more liberal congressional leaders.”
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/10/new.dems/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
Center? How much more center-right can you fucking get? What will the Republicans then become? Full fledged fascists?
11 November 2006, 4:31 amCharles Pollard:
Great picture, but it’s important to remember that Rumsfeld helped to murder our sons and daughters for a lot more than food. His net worth is somewhere north of $200 million dollars, so he leaves office not a beggar, but a well-compensated fool (or should I say tool… of the moneyed class).
I doubt the aggregate net worth of every American KIA in Iraq would come anywhere close to touching Rumsfeld’s fortune.
11 November 2006, 9:10 amJulian Real:
To Charles Pollard:
Or the “net worth” of all the civilian Iraqi women and men, and children… 655,000 and counting, if we are to speak of human beings’ “worth” in such grotesquely capitalistic terms.
13 November 2006, 3:33 pmCharles Pollard:
Yes Julian, I agree. My remark was directed toward Rumsfeld’s wealth as being far greater than a beggars, not at placing an actual value on the many lives lost in Iraq.
I understand your point, though believe it to be misdirected.
13 November 2006, 4:31 pmMelissa:
How about,’Will work for a soul, I lost mine?
13 November 2006, 7:31 pmRobert B. Livingston:
I don’t care for this type of cartoon, and ‘m surprised to find it here.
Stereotyping the homeless and poor is just as cruel as other stock stereotypes we should be evolving from. Sadly, it works for many– with so many of us just a paycheck away from our own humiliation.
how about this:
http://tinyurl.com/y4v264
15 November 2006, 12:41 amMarilyn Farhat:
I looked at a sample of Mr. Fish’s cartoons. He seems to be an exceptionally gifted political cartoon satirist as well as an awesome artist.
I see a number of things in the above representation:
1- The obvious fact that Rumsfeld has been sacked, fired, laid off.
2- The satirical comparison of Rumsfeld with the blue collar workers who are losing their jobs .
3- The same jobless young people may choose to join the military as a result.
4- The symbolic connection between blue collar workers and soldiers. Both are expendable.
5- The contrast between “murder” and “bless” in his sign. It evokes disturbing emotions because of the hypocrisy of word manipulation to influence people to acquiesce in the commission of crimes.
6- I am assuming that is Mr. Fish’s name on Rumsfeld’s cap. I know nothing about Mr. Fish, but could he be identifying with the working class? Or maybe he is just a “nerd” genius trying to find his way in this mess?
7- The neighborhood background is deserted of any people and looks run-down. The emptying of America of the Middle Class?
8- Soldiers continue to be expendable for the most worthless reasons.
9- The ease with which power intoxicates and corrupts and the obscenity of using the most valuable (soldiers and human beings) to achieve the basest ends (food representing personal motives).
10- Ultimately, Rumsfeld is as expendable as anyone else. We just have to learn to think that the working class and soldiers are just as valuable as the politicians and advocate for their rights constantly by NOT sending them to war and by NOT making it easy for corporations to abuse them.
I think satire is a creative way of addressing political and social problems.
I hope that the American people will begin to act like the “free thinking” people they have always claimes they were (in areas beyond the Second Amendment and no government interference) and be compassionate towards everyone: the poor, the soldiers, the criminals, the enemy, the individual and not the business.
16 November 2006, 1:40 amconq:
Portrait of Rumsfeld by an Iraqi artist:
http://arabist.net/archives/2006/11/14/rumsfeld-immortalized/
16 November 2006, 4:49 am