Thursday, February 19, 2009

Conservative Stimulus Bill humor


This is a cartoon which was published yesterday in the New York Post. A lot of people were appalled by it. I have read the opinions of several right-wingers who claim it is no big deal and point out that Bush was occasionally portrayed as a chimp in cartoons. Of course, Bush was never depicted as a violent, crazed animal that had to be shot by the police. When I described the cartoon to my 85-year-old father he thought it was a hilarious comment on what he took to be the Keystone Cops-like circus surrounding the writing of the stimulus bill. Of course, unlike most Americans, my father is facing no financial uncertainties -- his state pension and Social Security are unlikely to be impacted by whatever happens or does not happen in Washington.

My opinion of the cartoon? I am shocked and appalled that any newspaper would publish such a thing. It is becoming clear to me that the more competent and successful Obama and the Democratic Congress are the more violent and angry the Conservatives will become.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Dave,
I agree. The explanation I heard as to why the cartoon was not racist was impossible for me to believe (or even understand) the logic. The right-wing defenders claim that the Chimpanzee is not a symbol for blacks, rather it is a representation of the violent animal that attacked and disfigured a woman. It is the violent and hurtful animal that is the symbol for the president and Democrats rather than an ape or monkey.

We either accept that the cartoon is racist or we believe right-wing apologists that it was in very bad taste, with no clear symbolism or meaning, and certainly not funny. I wonder which view of the cartoon the editors believed?

Daniel from Rockford, IL

Ellen Beth Gill said...

Dave, I'm also concerned that this cartoon is part of an effort to depict our president as a shooting victim. Since election day, it seems to be fair game in the right wing press to connect Obama with violent acts against him. Even my terrible lying congressman Mark Kirk was caught in that fake misspeak calling for Obama to be shot on sight (supposedly a mistake for Osama, but way too many of them made the same mistake around the same time).

Ellen