The worst political cartoon ever conceived

[crawjo]

Here it is.

Not only is it despicable, mocking a fallen soldier as an "idiot" and a "sap", it's not even clever.

[moneyp]

Wasn't that from a community college paper, where some writer did a rant against Tillman?

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by crawjo

Here it is.

Not only is it despicable, mocking a fallen soldier as an "idiot" and a "sap", it's not even clever.

I just looked at it. Perhaps a bit "tasteless," but I think it's a pretty good thought piece.

But I also thought Bill Maher had a point about the "coward" epithet. It was basically the kind of intellectually lazy hot-air sloganeering that substitutes for nuanced analysis.

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by mone peterson

Wasn't that from a community college paper, where some writer did a rant against Tillman?

No.

http://www.rall.com/about.htm

[moneyp]

No, Pete, that's a pretty idiotic cartoon. Impugning that Tillman enlisted just to kill Arabs isn't thought-provoking, it's mindless partisanship. And while suggesting that it's idiocy to pass up an NFL contract to make $18k and get killed has a certain draconian pragmatism, so does letting museums burn while you repair an oil pipeline. The cartoonist was talking out of his ass.

[crawjo]

Yeah, for God knows what reason, Ted Rall's bile is now syndicated with UPI. I can't imagine why they picked him up. I disagree with the politics of a lot of cartoonists, but with Rall I find nothing thought-provoking. It's just petty and mean-spirited.

[Tom Storer]

On one level, Marr contrasts his explanation of the war ("low-rent occupation army to prop up puppet rulers and exploit gas and oil resources") with that of the administration ("wars against Iraq and Afghanistan have something to do with 9/11"), incidentally presenting each view in the most simplistic sound-byte way. He says that those, including soldiers, who buy the administration's view are dumb, and that calling them "heroes" is mere propaganda. On that level, it's normal partisan hissing and spitting, although not enlightening or humorous. But Tillman was a real person who really died and whose family and friends are still grieving, so I agree it's kind of shitty to use him in the role of gullible sap. And putting the phrase "Will I get to kill Arabs?" in his mouth is indeed unforgivable, unless he was a documented anti-Arab racist.

[chuckyd4]

I remember a few years back in The Voice, when a really vindictive cartoon Rall ran about Art Spiegelman (of Maus fame) was widely pilloried in reader letters. He's always struck me as pretty partisan and small minded, even though we often end up on the same side of the political fence. This one in particular is far from "thought-provoking", IMO, and a pretty lame attempt at making an issue where there is none. Thumbs down on him - unless he knew Tillman personally, and had some kind of knowledge to back up such a degrading stance, this is really insulting to the guy's family, to say the least.

[chuckyd4]

All that said, I'm not sure it's "the worst political cartoon ever conceived", having seen quite a few racist ones from 19th Century newspapers that I would put as "worse" than this one.

[Gentle Giant]

I think there's a point to be made about society somehow feeling that Tillman's death is more tragic, and his sacrifice more noble, than that of any other fallen soldier. Which may or may not be true, but he's certainly gotten more national press than Joe Blow from Peoria, and that's worth exploring. But this cartoon demonstrates a 5-year-old's ability to grasp the core issues of Tillman's life and death. There's nothing funny or ironic about any of this. Like many others, he did what he thought was right. And like many others, he's coming home in a box.

[cookie]

Uncool comic. Self-serving and lame. Really brings nothing to the dialog about the war---just makes fun of poor Pat Tillman who had the misfortune of having some idealism left in him. I think it's pretty lame especially considering that his family might have to read that shit someday. I've never liked Rall all that much. He's kind of a simpleton and he can't draw worth a damn, IMO. I tend to skip his crap. I agree with Crawjo. This comic is tasteless, petty, and mean. I don't know if it's the worst ever, but it's bad enough. Especially since Tillman seemed like a pretty good chap---somebody who truly wished to *serve*, not be a glory hound.

[stonemonkts]

I think the only aspect of the cartoon which makes it worthy of ire is using a real-life person. If the soldier was a nameless combatant the cartoon would have served its political and satirical purposes, imo.

[crawjo]

Originally Posted by chuckyd4

All that said, I'm not sure it's "the worst political cartoon ever conceived", having seen quite a few racist ones from 19th Century newspapers that I would put as "worse" than this one.

Point taken.

[Dr Dave]

Ugly from the git-go. Putting "Will I get to kill Arabs" into Pat Tillman's mouth is an insult to his memory.

[BFrank]

Hard hitting? Yes.
Offensive to some? Yes.

Stating the point that well-meaning kids of ALL economic levels are going to the mid-east and dying for a questionable cause and poorly executed attempt to change a foreign country? Absolutely.

[crawjo]

BFrank,

He's not painting Tillman as "well-meaning." He's painting him as a simpleton who just wanted to "kill Arabs." There is no justification for this strip.

[BFrank]

He's using Tillman in the same way that the sports and mainstream media is exploiting him as a "warrior", "hero", whatever. He didn't want the publicity, yet if you hear any part of the speeches made about him over the past couple of days, just the opposite is taking place.

Bottom line, though is that hundreds of young men and women have been MIS-led into going to Iraq thinking that they are fighting terrorism and getting killed. Not to mention the thousands that have been disfigured and maimed for a completely misguided foreign policy. It's truly tragic.

The fact that this guy was also a football player makes him exploitable by the chicken-hawks.

[crawjo]

Originally Posted by BFrank

He's using Tillman in the same way that the sports and mainstream media is exploiting him as a "warrior", "hero", whatever. He didn't want the publicity, yet if you hear any part of the speeches made about him over the past couple of days, just the opposite is taking place.

Bottom line, though is that hundreds of young men and women have been MIS-led into going to Iraq thinking that they are fighting terrorism and getting killed. Not to mention the thousands that have been disfigured and maimed for a completely misguided foreign policy. It's truly tragic.

The fact that this guy was also a football player makes him exploitable by the chicken-hawks.

But Tillman died in Afghanistan, not Iraq. And I also think it is a mistake to attribute to our soldiers "false consciousness," something that historians sometimes do when dealing with historical movements and peoples. People who participate in war, who volunteer, are not necessarily being duped. Don't deny them their own agency just because you don't agree with the reasons the administration gave for going to war in Iraq.

[BFrank]

It's a political cartoon that's using Tillman to make a point about the hipocracy being dealt by the US government about the war on terrorism. You're right, he died in Afghanistan, not Iraq, but Rall is using him in the same way that the other side of the media is using him to make their point. If you're going to fault the cartoon, you should also fault ESPN, Fox News and any other media outlet that is exploiting his fame.

Unfortunately, he's dead now and is not able explain himself.

[crawjo]

Originally Posted by BFrank

It's a political cartoon that's using Tillman to make a point about the hipocracy being dealt by the US government about the war on terrorism. You're right, he died in Afghanistan, not Iraq, but Rall is using him in the same way that the other side of the media is using him to make their point. If you're going to fault the cartoon, you should also fault ESPN, Fox News and any other media outlet that is exploiting his fame.

Unfortunately, he's dead now and is not able explain himself.

It is one thing to perhaps inflate a man's deeds after his death, by calling him a hero. It is quite another to spit on his grave, insinuate that he hates Arabs, call him an idiot and a sap. Most of the articles I have read about Tillman have not been "pro-war" at all. They've just been about Tillman's bravery and his willingness to forego all that money to do something he believed in. I see nothing wrong in extolling such commitment. I see a great deal wrong with making fun of a dead soldier. Rall has absolutely no evidence that Tillman "wanted to kil Arabs" or that he was an idiot or anything else. If Tillman were alive, he could sue for defamation of character, and if I were on the jury I'd find in his favor.

[BFrank]

It's a political cartoon.

If you don't like Rall, don't read him. Freedom of the press allows him to publish.

I don't know what else to say. Sorry, crawjo.

[Ron Thorne]

Originally Posted by mone peterson

No, Pete, that's a pretty idiotic cartoon. Impugning that Tillman enlisted just to kill Arabs isn't thought-provoking, it's mindless partisanship. And while suggesting that it's idiocy to pass up an NFL contract to make $18k and get killed has a certain draconian pragmatism, so does letting museums burn while you repair an oil pipeline. The cartoonist was talking out of his ass.

Moné, the above is your opinion, right? Fascinating interpretation of that cartoon, by the way. I hope you noticed that I didn't impugn your dignity or integrity along the way. ;-)

Edit:

While I don't have a problem with unresolved items concerning Pat Tillman, I do have a problem with those who would censor his followers, detractors or anyone else, frankly.

[jesus marion joseph]

Poiting out an outright fabrication is far different than censorship.

[Paul B]

It's a political cartoon.

If you don't like Rall, don't read him. Freedom of the press allows him to publish

Exactly.

Perhaps the cartoonist could have left Tillman out of it, made the point another way. But it is nonetheless a valid point.

Either way, Crawjo and the warmongers should stop carping: they voted for Bush and his immoral clique, and in my mind they ought to shut up and hang their heads in shame instead of bitching about a political cartoon.

Bye-ya.

[Tanager]

Yah - I don't see anyone calling for Rall's cartoons to be banned, for the papers to print retractions or mea culpas, etc. I just don't see any censorship here at all. If we can tear into musical works, books, and movies the way we do here at JC, why can't we tear into (or support) political commentaries or cartoons?

Personally, I do think that the "Will I get to kill Arabs" line is pretty outlandish, especially since it's attributed in the cartoon to a single (real) individual, and there's no evidence whatsoever that he held those sorts of views. And Tillman didn't serve in the occupation force in Iraq, so that's another fairly yawning divide between fact and the cartoon (whatever one might think of our motivation for invading Iraq, I've yet to hear anyone try to suggest that we invaded Afghanistan to prop up some oil puppet). I see the point Rall's trying to make, but he is, IMHO, as guilty as anyone else of twisting facts to make that point, and I think he's just as cynical as the politicians he's lampooning, since he knows that so few people really know the geography and history over there well enough to call him on it. And I didn't vote for Bush, I didn't and don't support our "strategy" on terrorism or in the Middle East, etc., so please don't play the "warmonger" card.

[BFrank]

Rall is pretty outlandish most of the time. I don't know how often most of you read him, but he hasn't been any less hard hitting on Bush, Cheney, Colin, etc.

It's just his style - like it or not.

[Tanager]

Originally Posted by BFrank

Rall is pretty outlandish most of the time. I don't know how often most of you read him, but he hasn't been any less hard hitting on Bush, Cheney, Colin, etc.

It's just his style - like it or not.

I'm not faulting him for being hard hitting at all. I'm faulting him for manipulating the facts in ways that are no better than those whom he criticizes, and I'm pretty sure he knows what he's doing.

[crawjo]

Originally Posted by BFrank

Rall is pretty outlandish most of the time. I don't know how often most of you read him, but he hasn't been any less hard hitting on Bush, Cheney, Colin, etc.

It's just his style - like it or not.

Yeah, he's the worst political cartoonist I've ever come across, in terms of guys whose work I see on a regular basis in the papers or on web sites. But this one was the worst I've ever seen from him. It is one thing to be malicious in attacking a politician, it is quite another to do the same to a dead soldier.

[crawjo]

This left-wing blog pretty much hit the nail on the head on this issue, as far as I'm concerned.

[Monte Smith]

I just love when Rall writes editorials for the NYT, which he's done at least twice. It's all the simplicity and vitriol of his cartoons without the diverting pictures. The guy's a big thinker.