This is Historic Times » conservative

Platforms

deephurting — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:07:23 +0000

While my own, personal feelings on the execution of Osama Bin Laden weren’t quite as black-and-white as most, it’s inarguable that it was a major political victory for the Obama Administration, from the perspective of the American electorate. This is why I find it ridiculous that practically every candidate in the Republican Primary (with the exception of Ron Paul) apparently insists on sticking with the ol’ Conservative standby, “[Democratic candidate] is weak on defense!”

Are they planning on using this line in the eventual debates with the President? All he has to do in response is hold up a copy of one of the most-viral images of 2011. It’d be like yielding the floor for Obama to crow about presiding over Bin Laden’s death in whatever terms he wants, except worse because at least the latter strategy might make him look like a braggart, as opposed to merely responding to his opponent.

The tradition of attacking Democrats for being “weak on defense” goes back to at least Reagan/Carter, and I figure it’s even as old as the Democratic tactic of calling Republicans dangerous warmongers. The truth is that Presidents from both parties have been excessively and overzealously attentive towards military force for far longer than I’ve been alive–a look at the “defense” portion of the federal budget clearly confirms that. Republicans on the campaign trail this cycle have asserted that Obama has cut the defense budget, which is not true: In fact, all his Administration has done (by request of the Pentagon itself, if I’m not mistaken) has been to ease back on the rate at which the defense budget will be allowed to grow. Growth, however, remains assured.

If the artwork in this cartoon looks any different, it’s because I got the stylus for my new Wacom back, which I’d previously left on a friend’s coffee table in Bellingham, Washington. I’m hoping this’ll eventually lead to a more painterly style in my coloring, though I am definitely still getting the hang of even the basics.

Neo Cons

deephurting — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 04:50:02 +0000

It’s become increasingly common for Republican Congresspersons lately to refer to the obscenely wealthy as “job creators” in their quest to deflect the burden for government spending onto the poor and the middle class instead of those who can actually afford it without giving up a meal. Since recent history shows that cutting taxes for the rich didn’t prevent the high unemployment and other economic problems the US is currently experiencing, the relationship they’re trying to draw is pretty unreasonable–if there’s a correlation at all, it seems more likely to me that the tax cuts, as well as other giveaways to corporations (such as various deregulations), probably caused the recession, and continuing that trend is bound not to help.

This cartoon compares this blatant economic trickery to the “shell game” or cup-and-ball routine, both of which being sleight-of-hand used for centuries to con desperate or unsuspecting dupes out of money by presenting them with what appears to be a simple gambling game which is in fact impossible to win. The crowds surrounding a victim in this con are usually composed of shills or “muscle” whose job it is to either make the game appear to be winnable, keep the victim from leaving, or watch out for police (although the cop in this cartoon doesn’t really seem to be all that effective at protecting the public from these crooks, eh?). Another well-known form of the same basic trick is the Three-card Monte.

If Y’Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

deephurting — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:32:15 +0000

As you may have heard, conservative talk-radio blowhard Rush Limbaugh was hospitalized on December 31st after experiencing chest pains. He was taken care of quickly and expertly, and naturally seized on the opportunity to declare that his situation was proof there is “not one thing wrong with the American healthcare system” and “it is working just fine.” Apparently, Limbaugh doesn’t understand the difference between himself–a millionaire who lives an opulent, oxycodone-fueled lifestyle when he’s not making fun of people with Parkinson’s disease–and America’s 47+ million uninsured.

I’m forced to come to one of two conclusions here–Limbaugh’s either extraordinarily stupid, or he’s generously offering to pay the hospital bills of those uninsured. In the spirit of Christmas, let’s assume the latter, and if you get sick or injure yourself and can’t afford the bill, send it to Rush! After all, I’m sure he’d rather pay it for you than be wr-wr-wrong!

By the way, I should mention that this cartoon was held up for at least a day by me knowing what I wanted to say with it, but not knowing how to frame it. I was certain I needed to have Limbaugh addressing somebody in the cartoon besides the audience, but I wasn’t sure whom.

Luckily, I got some unexpected help from Quentin Tarantino, or at least his movie, Inglourious Basterds. I figured research topics related to Conservative talk-radio broadcasters included Nazis, so I gave Basterds another watch, and the scene in which British Lt. Archie Hicox comments that Bridget von Hammersmark needs somebody around to light her cigarette inspired me to have Limbaugh making his comment to his doctor while the doctor is given the demeaning and counterintuitive task of lighting his cigar.

After that, the only issue that remained was how to fit everything I wanted in the space nicely, but again Tarantino came to the rescue–a shot in the scene immediately following the Mexican Standoff reminded me that I could just tilt the whole composition to dramatic effect, as I’ve sometimes done in the past.

So, if QT or anybody who knows him happens to be reading, I’d like to say thanks for the help!

TancredoJunge

deephurting — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:00:07 +0000

For readers not familiar with the topic, Fox has a report that gets the important information across despite the usual bias.