"Our founders had a deep understanding of human nature"

Were Tiny's PR team to adopt a totalitarianesque approach similar to that used by President Obama's people in their NEA-directed propaganda war to recruit hearts and minds to his progressive agenda (see below), would her fellow Feline-Americans buy the false promise of "Mice & Birds" — a small warm-blooded animal in every pot? — the way so many of our fellow Americans bought candidate Obama's vapid "Hope & Change"? Have you ever tried herding cats? (Images generated via Obamicon.Me)

"I’m not a 'right-wing nut job.' It just goes against my core beliefs to sit quietly while the art community is used by the NEA and the administration to push an agenda other than the one for which it was created," writes filmmaker, market and community consultant Patrick Courrielche at Big Hollywood. As a member in good standing of the right-wing nut-job community, we appreciate his willingless to step outside his Pauline Kael tribal bubble of Obamaphilic creative types for a reality check:

It is not within the National Endowment for the Arts’ original charter to initiate, organize, and tap into the art community to help bring awareness to health care, or energy and environmental issues for that matter, and especially not at a time when it is being vehemently debated. Artists shouldn’t be used as tools of the state to help create a climate amenable to their positions, which is what appears to be happening in this instance. If the art community wants to tackle those issues on its own then fine. But tackling them shouldn’t come as an encouragement from the NEA to those they potentially fund at this coincidental time.

"The very first time I saw the HOPE poster, my aesthetic gut reaction was 'fascist,'" writes dcbsky in Courrielches' comments. Exactly. As we commented, "Creepy crawly classic totalitarianist tactics. Those who cannot remember the past, and all that."

"I was talking with a friend of mine before the election and he said, 'Have you seen those anti-Obama posters? They look like old Communist propaganda posters,'" writes Redtex in Courrielche's comments:

I had to explain to him that those were PRO Obama posters. He took a second look and realized I was right. He was shocked that the campaign was using that "look" to sell their candidate. He was also amazed that nobody seemed to notice the resemblance to the Communist propaganda. I told him "Oh, they probably notice. They just don't care."

The real Tiny behind the fascistic Obamacized images at top of page is far more persuasive to both friend and foe.

Could be, but more likely they haven't a clue, just like WaPo Beltway gossipmonger Howard Kurtz and colleagues, who still don't get Sarah. Scott Ott puts 'em in their place with panache:

Sarah Palin’s brilliant, succinct term “death panels” hits home because it neatly summarizes all that’s wrong with government-run health care. Superficial efforts by reporters to “debunk the death panel myth” will continue to fail, because Americans are smarter than most journalists when it comes to practical matters of life

Journalism professionals would also benefit from reading some American history, including our founding documents. Our founders had a deep understanding of human nature, shaped by their lifelong, exhaustive study of history and philosophy and of the book that best encapsulates both — the Bible.

Too often journalists and politicians attribute imperfections in American society to a failure of our founding principles, rather than recognizing problems as simply a natural byproduct of finite, flawed humanity that would crop up under any system. So we hear the cry that our health care system is “broken” and the conclusion that government must fix it immediately. It’s a naive notion promulgated by people who think history commenced with their own appearance on the planet.

Condemned to repeat it?

Comments

[Elisson]

Propaganda art may, of course, be subverted to our own nefarious purposes...

[Connecticut Yankee]

What's needed are posters of Tiny and/or Earl Grey with NIP underneath.

[Gayle Miller]

Whatever he's selling, the American public is less and less buying it!

I have said for years that I have absolute faith in the intelligence and wisdom of the American people. So does Sarah Palin. Howard Kurtz, Mo Dowd and the rest of that "crowd" are the ones who don't trust us. They think they are so much smarter than we are! Pshaw!

[Teresa]

That's what happens when the government starts handing out money. They expect an ROI no matter what high flown values they pretend to be projecting.

For those who took the money, this is the expected payback. That artists might be shocked by this just sends me into gales of laughter. What did they expect? A free ride? How excellent.

[goomp]

The death of freedom hangs in the balance. I am an atheist, but I know that the wisdom of the ages is recorded in the Christian bible.

[Amy]

LOVE the Tiny posters! Clever and deliciously pointed. Excellent piece by Ott, too.

[Tom Seeman]

Ok those pictures of your cats Obama-style at top freaked me out. I had to go look at your other great photos to come down to earth again.

Yes, that idiotic "HOPE" poster of Obama is suggestive of totalitarianism. Cult of the leader and all that.

[K T Cat]

I love the artwork!