| Quote (Markconz @ Sep. 30 2005,00:38) |
Maksim, respectfully, I think you are wrong about that picture. Humour that targets those in the top positions of power is a sign of a healthy democracy. It is when such humour is disallowed or restricted for reasons of 'decency', 'respect', or 'patriotism' that problems start.
It is the duty of cartoonists and opposition political parties to record the mistakes of those in power, and expose them for all they are worth. Voters then decide between 'Hey he's only human, I could have made that mistake' or 'what an incompetant fool, I can't believe we voted him in!'.
Speaking of respect for top office in Aussie etc, I am not really sure what you mean by that. The recent NZ election night TV coverage here, was interspersed with satire skits (just as extreme as Tas's photo), taking the micky out of all the main political leaders. The papers were full of cartoons in a similar style in the weeks leading up to the election. I'm pretty sure that in Oz, Brit, and other democracies the same thing happens. Maybe its a sign of respect that you are powerful enough to actually be the object of satire! |
Hi MarkCoNZ,
I could give a rat's behind about politicians and agree with you 100% that political satire is one of the "checks and balances" of good governance.
I also agree that the massive level of unconstructive criticism levelled at the USA is because the USA is the "big dog" on the block now that Russia burned their bridges. It really is an odd sort of respect, but I tend to agree that it is respect, never the less.
What I do care about is the victims. I really wish that we could separate out the politicians from the innocent victims. It is possible, but so many people are so wrapped up in fractional politics that they forget that we are human beings first. Those sort of greedy ambitious journalists disregard the feelings of the victims to get at the politicians.
I'd rather the "journalists" (Even though most "journalists" today are really Op-Eds commentators...) considered the rights of the innocent victims before they trampled over them to get to guilty politicians. They don't cosnider the victim's rights and the "little guy" gets hit twice, once by the disaster and a second time by the "ambulance chasers" try to make a buck. PT Barnum was much more up front with his agenda.
Personally, I think that every politicans in every place deserves what they get. I think we'll find the Holy Grail before we find a 100% honest and decent politicians. In other words, politicians give lawyers a good name!
I have or "had" friends in New Orleans (I don't know because I haven't heard back from them... ). I intentionally planned a vacation in New Orleans way back when so that I could see the Mardi Gras festival. I went to the world-famous Cafe de Monde. I went to Maxwell Air Force Base. I remember New Orleans well.
Again, I really don't care how the politicians get lambasted. I do care that the innocent victims of the catatrophic natural disaster named Katrina be shown the sympathy, respect and compassion that any one of us would want if we suffered under similar conditions. Enough said.
Shabbat Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.
And welcome back.
