What to make of the posters seen around Los Angeles (and now the Internet) depicting President Obama as the white-faced Joker, with the label “socialism”? One obvious problem is that the late Heath Ledger’s Joker wasn’t a socialist but an anarchist.
“The charge of socialism is secondary to the basic message that Obama can’t be trusted, not because he is a politician, but because he’s black,” declared Philip Kennicott in the Washington Post.
Observed Los Angeles Times blogger David Ng: “The most that can be said about Obama-as-Joker is that it’s a prank that the Joker himself would have been proud of. It has exploded like a cultural grenade — an act of cultural terrorism? — and has left meaningless chaos in its wake.”
“I say let the First Amendment do its thing,” blogged columnist Clarence Page, adding that “posters are a healthier way to protest than sending in thugs and thuggettes to disrupt health care town hall meetings.”
“Kansans of yesteryear didn’t whine when the feds shipped Nazi prisoners of war their way in the 1940s,” wrote Kansas City Star columnist Mike Hendricks. “Trainloads of German soldiers and sailors came. Many were the products of Hitler youth camps and a philosophy as scary as anything hatched in a militant madrassa. That’s why it’s embarrassing to watch the state’s political leaders of today stamping their little feet on rumors that the Gitmo detainees might end up in Leavenworth.”
Here is hoping that Hale Ritchie is able to lead Rainbows United to a stable and successful future. Ritchie, former chairman and CEO of Ritchie Corp., was named this week as the organization’s chief restructuring officer. Rainbows’ recently discovered financial problems and its resulting decision to declare bankruptcy and cut staff have been devastating news to many families who depend on Rainbows for child care or for its crucial work of helping children with special needs.
The following satirical headlines come from borowitzreport.com and theonion.com:
OBAMA NAMES THURSDAY ‘DRINK A BEER WITH SOMEONE WHO ARRESTED YOU DAY’; President Touts Healing Power of Beer
AMERICA LESS SAFE WITH PALIN NO LONGER KEEPING EYE ON RUSSIA; Former Gov. Urges Wasillans to Fill Security Void
GOLDMAN SACHS IN TALKS TO ACQUIRE TREASURY DEPARTMENT; Sister Entities to Share Employees, Money
OBAMA AXES PENTAGON PLAN TO BUILD BILLION-DOLLAR TANK IN SHAPE OF DRAGON