Thursday, February 19, 2009

Who's The Chimp?

I suppose, after trying to find some reason in the latest controversy, the cartoon by Sean Delonas, I can't.

Which is the more inane, the cartoon, or the controversy? You know, I just don't know!

Delonas claims there was no intent to implicate our new President Barack Obama. From the TimesOnline article I used to view the cartoon, the cartoon was supposed to be "simply mocking the authors of the fiscal stimulus Bill as no better than a team of trained monkeys".

Sometimes, I think, "everybody's nuts but me!", but then, doesn't everyone think that sometimes?

It appears that all the "regulars" are out there making a pretty good case. It does appear blatantly "racist" to me, but then, did that wonderfully clever piece that was posted on the WWW several years ago (which compared a number of facial expressions of George W. Bush to those of a chimp) appear racist? link

I sort of wish that the time will come when race becomes something people don't get all testy about, but I doubt I'll see it in my lifetime. If anything, it seems to be on the increase.

Once, I used to joke that back when I was growing up, Hispanics didn't have their own race, but now it seems they do. In fact, it seems to be quite normal for Americans of Mexican ancestry to promote the idea that border control is "racist". I found out a couple of years ago that, according to the US Census, they still don't have their own race, but I'm not sure anyone has told them that.

Why is that, I wonder? My ancestors were Dutch, British, Scottish, Irish, and who knows what else, and it has never occurred to me to think they're entitled to a free ride across our borders.

But, for goodness' sake, I started out to comment on a controversial political cartoon, and I still do not know what to think of it! I think I must say that I saw nothing funny about it, and whether or not it made any kind of point still escapes me. I'm not really sure it meant to call President Obama a chimp, but neither can I be sure just what it was trying to say. I suppose that this cartoon, and the controversy surrounding it, will forever remain beyond my grasp.

It does seem to be trying to convey a negative image of stimulus packages, and that's an image I might be able to agree with. Yet, what should be done when the litany that "A strong economy attracts capital", has so obviously failed. "A strong economy" must have a higher purpose.

No comments: