January 17, 2013

The use of children in politics — if you find it persuasive, you'd better sharpen up.

Drudge is doing propaganda here:



But it's very heavy-handed propaganda deployed to critique propaganda. You won't slip into falling for Drudge's propaganda, because it's so obvious. It's ridiculous to equate Obama to Hitler and Stalin, but Obama is using a form of propaganda that should be considered not merely ridiculous but repulsive. For us today to see Hitler and Stalin using children is to easily perceive the absurdity of promoting a political agenda juxtaposing it to a lovely, innocent child.

Who falls for that? No one should! The implicit argument the political leader makes, in all 3 of these pictures, is: I'm making the country good for the sake of the children. The child can't vouch for the policies. The child hasn't competently requested anything. The child is merely a prop representing goodness, innocence, and the future.

I've had a "using children in politics" tag for a while. I've made it part of my work here on the blog to notice this phenomenon, to help you see it, and to build widespread resistance to it. Remember the "children of the future" blaming us? The children taught to chant "Hey hey, ho ho, Scott Walker has got to go"? The children delighted by the "Voter Report Card"?

Drudge links to a collection of "Tyrants Who Have Used Children as Props." It's not hard to dig up these things. All politicians pose with children.



Baby-kissing is a campaign cliché.



It's a way of saying: I'm a real person. I'm normal and empathetic.

No reason to condemn that. It's too late to reject the kind of old-fashioned political kitsch that goes in the same category as eating regional food. You know, what Bob Dylan was singing about in "I Shall Be Free":
Now, the man on the stand he wants my vote
He’s a-runnin’ for office on the ballot note
He’s out there preachin’ in front of the steeple
Tellin’ me he loves all kinds-a people
(He’s eatin’ bagels
He’s eatin’ pizza
He’s eatin’ chitlins
He’s eatin’ bullshit!)
Don't you eat the bullshit!

220 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   201 – 220 of 220
garage mahal said...

Don't ever tell me I never did anything for you swimmer boy.

LQQK:

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"Hit the beach without worrying about embarrassing accidents and leaks with this comfortable adult swim diaper. The fleece lining will feel smooth on your body, and the diaper fits effortlessly underneath your favorite suit where no one will see it.."

Only one caveat: "Due to the personal nature of this product we do not accept returns."

President-Mom-Jeans said...

Boy? That sounds racist.

But, that doesn't answer the question.

Tell me, oh soothsayer of stoutness, when is Walker getting cuffed and dragged off?

bagoh20 said...

I hate being comment #200. It's like finishing your graffiti masterpiece the night before they repaint the overpass.

Anonymous said...

The minute they go for your guts, you know they don't have a leg to stand on.

Æthelflæd said...

Whatever Cedarford. It makes it a lot harder to completely kill off a group of heavily armed people. It is not the same as conquering them military.
If the inhabitants of the American continent had had gunpowder when the Europeans arrived, the story might have been very different. Well, that, and a smallpox vaccine. They got armed eventually, but it was too litle, too late.
Stalin had to disarm the Cossacks before he could do anything with them. People think twice before attacking another heavily armed people. The deterrence factor is real.

President-Mom-Jeans said...

Apparently Garage isn't going to answer the question of when that indictment is coming. Surprise surprise.

For over a year, the cassandra of corpulence has been crowing about battering rams, secret routers, and the impending Walker indicment. And not one thing to show for it.

Eat shit and kill yourself, you portly son of a whore. You are lucky that Althouse tolerates your presence to generate laughs by the majority of the commentariat making fun of you.

You are fucking clownshoes.




garage mahal said...

LOL. Easy there, pantsload.

President-Mom-Jeans said...

Since piglet obviously isn't going to answer, I will answer for him the question of when the indictment is coming:

It's not.

garage mahal said...

Have to wonder: His entire staff is either headed to jail or been granted immunity. Hundreds of thousands in a legal defense fund, and over 200k already spent on his "defense". He's been questioned by prosecutors, and we learned he tried unsuccessfully to get the judge to clear him before the recall.

I'm sure it's nothing, and I'm sure pantsload is onto something!

Cedarford said...

Shana said...
Whatever Cedarford. It makes it a lot harder to completely kill off a group of heavily armed people. It is not the same as conquering them military.

====================
You don't really understand how this plays out.
Whenever a caveman tribe or later on societal organizations decide to get rid of a smaller group that vexes them, they arm first at least as much as the smaller group.

And there is no core distinction between "military" - and other groups engaged in organized killing.

The only thing that saves a smaller group is not "Heroes with Weapons! ...Ninja chicks with swords! Wolverines!!!!"......It is whatever norms and values the conquering group has that lead them to a path other than killing or enslaving all the defeated and taking all their property.

Baron Zemo said...

The Cassandra of Corpulence?

I thought that was the Governor of New Jersey?

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

Here's a child that only someone who's as much of a douchebag as Althouse is would think it's wrong for a politician to care about.

Althouse is exposing her true colors as someone who doesn't give a damn about anybody. Such people earn rightfully earn the contempt of all.

garage mahal said...

The Cassandra of Queef?

Stop insulting President-Mom-Jean's sister like that!

Æthelflæd said...

If I were a Tutsi, I would rather be slaughtered for a wolf than a sheep. Heaven forbid the poor Africans be allowed to defend themselves. My chances as a woman would be much greater with a gun than with a machete to protect myself. What a condescending attitude.

kentuckyliz said...

The caption under the pic of Obama kissing a baby should read, "Thank you for paying for my spending."

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

It's a way of saying: I'm a real person. I'm normal and empathetic.

You jealous?

Anonymous said...

Using children in this way is a cynical attempt to short-circuit the debate: If you are against this proposal, it must mean that you want to hurt this child. Sickening.

President-Mom-Jeans said...

Guess the ignorant fuck Garage doesn't know much about his greek mythology. Poor education and upbringing probably.

And since you bring up family members, let's talk more about poor upbringing. How's your daughter doing? Obviously you passed on poor dietary habits.

Heckuva job with the parenting.

jr565 said...

So you didn't make that prediction?

Suck it fatboy, your fantasies of Walker getting frogmarched out were dashed.

No predictions whatsover?

I wonder what Nate Silver had today about whether Scott walker would be frog marched from office.

Sim said...

Well written. I'm often surprised how far politicians and others will go to convince people that they're "human" among other things. Also, at times, that's the only thing they have to show for because of their failed policies.

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