Ted Rall, showing the love

July 14, 2007
By Billy Dennis

Yeah, no one joins the military who isn’t poor or an uneducated idiot. Good thing we have obnoxious liberal cartoonists like Ted Rall to protect them. Oh, yeah, and patriotism is for morons.

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12 Responses to “ Ted Rall, showing the love ”

  1. sctobrien on July 14, 2007 at 8:20 pm

    Billy,

    Why is it that folks like you are unable to read the deeper and full meaning of political cartoons rather than just seeing the surface?

    But what is even more disgusting is the lack of outrage over how our government uses people like Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman while instead getting in a lather over a cartoon.

    (Oh, one suggestion – maybe you ought to get off your couch and ask a bunch of soldiers or people who have served what their primary concerns were when joining the military. You might be surprised.)

  2. Anon E. Mouse on July 14, 2007 at 9:27 pm

    Hey, Obrien.
    Maybe YOU should ask someone who has BEEN THERE before shooting your mouth off.
    Your comments and this cartoon fly in the face with everyone – EVERYONE – I have talked to that has been there. Not just the REMF’s, but the guys doing the patrols and meeting the people every freaking day.

  3. sctobrien on July 14, 2007 at 11:02 pm

    Mousey,

    Sorry man, did my part long ago, so it’s a been there, done that. And while doing my part I did ask other soldiers their reasons for joining the military – and was generally surprised at the answers.

    But again, you miss all of the layers of Rall’s cartoon. Is it offensive to some? Yes, I’m sure it is, but it is also thought provoking. But I guess to people like you free expression really doesn’t mean jack shit unless it agrees with your own belief system.

    For example, take the “get even” for 9/11 frame. Early on in the march to war with Iraq, one of the more troubling things I saw was a young private being interviewed on television about going to war with Iraq. His reply was exactly what Rall’s cartoon suggest – getting pay back for 9/11. Now, what does that say for our government that led this young man to believe Iraq/Hussein was behind 9/11?

    And depending on how the person deciphers Rall’s cartoon will determine how it is perceived. To me, the meaning of the piece is that blind faith in anything can get you killed.

    And I guess to you how our government used Lynch and Tillman is not even offensive. Real people dying and you get more offended at a cartoon.

  4. Peoria AntiPundit on July 15, 2007 at 7:20 am

    I agree with Scott. Been there done that and I did it when it was a draft and kids didn’t have a choice. No one could get into the Guard except the privalaged few. (ie George Bush)
    I know some Iraqi vets here in Peoria and one of them is a girl. The way they tell it is that we here are being duped. They say there is corruption in everything from the food service to the Iraqi Police who by day direct traffic and by night shoot at our troops. They all told me that we have no direction in Iraq and no business being there.
    So Mouse, where and when did you serve? I served in the Gulf of Tonkin and south China sea with the US Navy. (I joined to avoid getting drafted and going straight to Viet Nam) which didn’t help as I served on a crusier off the coast of Viet Nam.
    Ted Rall’s cartoon does indeed go deeper. Not all people who serve are stupid or ignorant. His deeper meaning is right on to me, a VET.

  5. Vonster on July 15, 2007 at 1:34 pm

    Scott had to google remf.

  6. Anon E. Mouse on July 16, 2007 at 10:31 am

    Emtronics,
    As I have explained before, I have a physical disability that prevents me from serving, so I just go by what my buddies in 2/130 INF are telling me. I made friends with most of Charlie Company and some from Bravo Company while they were deployed as I did whatever I could to support them and their families while they were deployed. Their pictures and personal stories tell a completely different story.

    I respect your service. I respect your sacrifice. However, I fail to see the relevance of your service on this point. You have not served where they served.

    My friends felt they were doing an important job over there – protecting innocent women and children and helping those in need. They personally met the folks who were repressed under Saddam. They waded through the poverty every-other day.

    As for the cartoon, yes, I find it extremely offensive. Equating our soldier to suicide bombers is absolutely inexcusable. For crying out loud, the soldiers go to excruciating pains to avoid civilian casualties where the main target of suicide bombers seems to be civilians. It demeans our soldiers as lazy, dumb and fanatical.

    Mr. O’Brien and Mr. Emtronics have done nothing and shown nothing to refute that viewpoint.

  7. Vonster on July 16, 2007 at 11:49 am

    It’s that whole Kerry “nuance” thing, ya know…. you have to be a liberal to “get it”. :-P

  8. sctobrien on July 17, 2007 at 12:29 am

    Anon,

    My, telling Emtronics his service is irrelevant because it is not this “war” is an insult and ridiculous.

    No where is anyone suggesting what these young men and women are doing is not heroic, commendable or honorable, so quit suggesting that.

    The point I am trying to make is there is obvious different layered meanings to Rall’s editorial cartoon. I have described one nuance but obviously you choose to ignore it.

    And I do not believe Rall’s intent is to equate American soldier’s with that of suicide bombers as you describe. If anything, I believe Rall is suggesting these soldiers are suicide bombers because they have put so much blind faith in this war and our governmental leaders instead of asking more questions and more of their governmental leaders. Again, examine the “payback for 9/11″ angle.

  9. Billy Dennis on July 17, 2007 at 12:52 am

    Sctobrien: “No where is anyone suggesting what these young men and women are doing is not heroic, commendable or honorable, so quit suggesting that.”

    Then you better re-read Rall cartoon, which states that soldiers are idiotic, under-educated dupes under the sway of right-wing religious and patriotic furvor, and are basicall too stupid to know what they are doing.

    Sctobrien: “And I do not believe Rall’s intent is to equate American soldier’s with that of suicide bombers as you describe.”

    Jesus H. Christ, Scott. Look at the damn cartoon. It’s LABLED “Portrait of a Suicide Bomber” and its main character is a U.S. soldier who whose motivatisons for serving are portrayed directly identical to those motivations the West ascribes to Islamic terrorists.

    What color is the sky in your world?

  10. sctobrien on July 17, 2007 at 12:01 pm

    Billy,

    I’m sorry, but I think you are the one who is missing Rall’s intent and are using your own perspectives to determine Rall’s intent.

    To me, it is clear Rall’s intent of his title “Profile of a Suicide Bomber” is stating that if you have blind faith and ask no questions or believe whatever comes from a government without any skepticism, then you will become your own “suicide bomber” and end up dying for it.

    Look at each panel. Each panel has a common theme to it – blind faith and believing in what a government/entity tells one and the results that could come from such blind faith.

    And get off the putting the words of likening our soldiers to those who use terrorists bullshit line.

    For one who supposedly supports free expression and speech so well you sure are intolerant of those who dare disagree with the great PP.

  11. Supporting the troops easier said than done | Peoria Pundits on July 21, 2007 at 12:06 am

    [...] Snugg Harbor. But it certainly gives us something to think about, huh? Especially considering the Ted Rall cartoon I recently ran. You claim to “support the troops” (but not the [...]

  12. klasher5 on July 22, 2007 at 2:22 pm

    “Oh, yeah, and patriotism is for morons.”

    Well, it certainly isn’t for intelligent people. They’re too busy sending the patriotic idiots out to die for nothing, while they’re making money and more laws to oppress poor people.