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It seems a few Chicago-related items have mashed into an unusual political statement out in Los Angeles. Someone has taken the make-up scheme from Heath Ledger's Dark Knight joker and placed it on a photo of President Obama. Below the image on each poster is the word "socialism." No one's claimed responsibility for the guerrilla artwork. [Bedlam Magazine, Newsbusters via Drudge]
Thanks for the tip, Jay
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Those advocating socialism usually fill their staff with wall street ceos and corporate whores, .....that makes sense. The Obama = socialism meme's so insane it beggars belief. Every person I've talked to in person who's mentioned socialism when referring to Obama policies was unable to give me a definition of what socialism is when put on the spot. It's a fun thing to do actually try it sometime and watch people stammer..
I like it. Frankly, as someone on the left who has watched Obama embrace the center and even the right more and more (Don't ask don't tell? Spying program? Public option health care? Oops) he needs to have his feet held to the fire. Mocking our public officials is a great American privilege.
I like it too, though I agree with Navin that the socialist charge is, at best, misplaced. It's a pretty arresting image.
Awesome poster, I love it! You can get the shirts and stickers here: http://www.cafepress.com/PalsyClown
I'd appreciate the poster more if I knew what the connection was between Obama and the Joker. Since when was a Joker mask a sign of Socialism?
I think it's completely appropriate. Because anyone who can equate anything Obama's done with socialism is, indeed, a joker.
I don't agree with Obama's policies, but I agree that these "Socialism" posters are bad. They won't persuade anyone of anything, and only make conservatives look angry.
Is Obama's tax-borrow-and-spend policy wrong? Yes. Is it Socialism? No.
Socialism = A theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
I think perhaps people look at the bailout and ultimate government ownership of General Motors and Chrysler (ostensibly to save union jobs), controls on executive pay arising out the financial sector bailout, as well as a health care proposal that would put the government in competition with private health insurers as being socialist. I would not expect a "true believer" to think that Obama is socialist. As someone who generally thinks that free market capitalism has worked pretty well over the past century (notwithsanding last year's econmomic crisis), I'm concerned about some of the things that Obama has done and hopes to accomplish.
As for the poster, I don't get it. The left usually engages in this type of popular criticism of leaders, not the right.
That's the thing mss,
They've bailed all these companies/banks out, yet have not given the people who bailed them out (us taxpayers) ownership as they should have. You'll also find that the companies bailed out "Goldman Sach etc." have people sprinkled throughout the admin (Geithner/Bernanke), as they did for Reagan, Bush I and Clinton. The health care solution is a lame one that still caves into the insurance and medical industries that make a killing off us rather than a better and cheaper socialized system like all the other first world countries (except us) enjoy.
The left usually engages in this type of popular criticism of leaders, not the right.
Please tell me what desert island your on, maybe we can both go search for Obama's birth certificate there.....
Oh and I'm not really bothered by the image, it's just that it coupled with "socialism" makes no sense, period. Presidents should be made fun of.
I would argue that there were problems with our particular brand of free market capitalism prior to the Great Recession...
How do you justify a system that in the last 25 years has seen the average CEO to average worker pay ratio skyrocket from 42:1 to 344:1 (after reaching an all-time high of 525:1 in 2000)?
Without even breaking a sweat, I too could run a bank or some other corporation deemed "too big to fail" into the ground...at a fraction of the cost.
I love my government funded college tuition, health care, and...oh wait I pay for all that... Geez Obama, your such a socialist.
I find this particular piece of social commentary brilliant. It's the kind of visceral, knee-jerk, wingnut art that elements on the Left practice well and freely. (ChimpyMcBushitler? Really? Is that what passes for 'intelligent' dissent these days?).
Don't see the straight line between Obama and socialism? Your problem, O Member of the Reality Based Community, because there are plenty of dots to connect (how much of the economy has the government gobbled up or is attempting to gobble up under Obama's watch? Cap & Trade, anyone? The banking system? Auto manufacturers? Healthcare? What's next?). The point is not logical or rational. The point is that people feel uncertain about Obama and his agenda, whatever that ultimately may be. What's the rush to remake 17% of our economy by August? Now let us recite from the Book of Rahm in Rules for Radicals: "Thou shalt never let a crisis go to waste."
Socialism is the Right's bogeyman, its insult, to be used the way the Left labels people it disagrees with as Hitler. It is something to be feared, rightly or wrongly. You can't argue with people's visceral fears. That's what makes this piece of 'art' particularly effective.
Remember, dissent is the highest form of patriotism!
wait one second: dissent was for people who weren't patriots a few years ago. Is it OK to dissent now?
Pretty sure the banking system crap was actually a Bushie deal that Obama got to juggle right off the bat. If socialism means health insurance companies actually have to provide the benefits we pay for and they can cut out the pre-existing conditions bs then I am a big damn socialist! oh crap socialism means something else?
What if there was a public option that meant you could switch jobs or start your own business without getting clobbered by insurance costs/sneaky tactics to cut your benefits/ or pre-existing conditions- I guess that means socialism.
oh wait- what is that gray area over there? between capitalism and socialism? never mind.
Hmm, well the Joker robbed banks and Obama gives money to banks! Yes! That's the connection! USA USA!
The joke is on all you yankees, he's not supposed to look like The Joker, he's meant to look like Stephen Harper, our Prime Minister here in Canada. Seriously. Same dark, droopy eyes, same creepy-ass grin.
The difference of course is that Obama's dragging you kicking and screaming to the left, and Harper's trying to drag us to the right.