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February 14, 2004
Saturday Cartoon
Last weeks cartoon on the policies of Ariel Sharon & Likud created a bit of a fuss. It was seen as anti-Semitic and fascist. So was I for posting it. There was little discussion of the merits of Ariel Sharon's attempt to pull two peoples apart or his go-it-alone strategy.
In the comments Ariel Sharon and Likud were identified as Israel. Israel was ethnically defined as Jewish. Hence all criticism is denounced as anti-Semitic (racist) and then identified as a part of national socialism. The black and white mentality of the right then tied itself up in knots: they said that the "leftist ideology" of the cartoon is fascist. The circle is closed. The strategy is designed to ensure that there is no space for a public debate about what is happening in Israel.
In contrast, the black humor of this cartoon will pass by without any comment:
Leunig
Cannibalism in Australia? Think Peter Weir's horror-comedy The Cars That Ate Paris (1974). Paris is a small town isolated in the middle of 'nothing'. It cannot tolerate change or difference. In reality, it feeds on strangers. Parisian women do not bear enough children for the town to survive: so, like the mutant cars that terrorise the streets, Parisian patriarchy reproduces by making over the remnants of the car-crashes caused by the men.
Is not The Cars That Ate Paris a macabre and black humoured parable about a paranoid, exclusionary society with a cannibalistic immigration policy?
Now that opens up a whole series of scary narratives.
Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at February 14, 2004 01:07 PM
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Comments
Let's face it, Gary. Does anyone really take the efforts of anyone calling themselves "Israelicool" seriously?
Posted by: Niall at February 14, 2004 08:15 PM
Your only defender over that cartoon, Gary, is someone who called a Vietnamese motorist a "ignorant, slitty-eyed, slimy ... vietnamese prick" and a "slippery little shit".
Should teach you something.
Posted by: tim blair at February 16, 2004 04:43 PM
Tim,
The content analysis by the readers never examined the form of the cartoon.
Whst was crucial to the content of devouring was the form.
Posted by: Gary Sauer-Thompson at February 17, 2004 09:09 AM
You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, do you?
Posted by: tim blair at February 17, 2004 02:17 PM