Look, anyone who peruses my Amazon wish list or picks up on subtle indicators here or there in my posts can probably detect my political stance by what I read, and there is the occasional post where I may talk about politics. But for the most part, I leave it off this particular site because I want to welcome all readers. Well, most readers, Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian and good ol’ non-voters, all are welcome, but if you’re an SUV-vandalizing Earth First domestic terrorist or a flag-burning commie member of International A.N.S.W.E.R. I really don’t care if I say something to drive you away. That probably goes without saying.
My point is, sometimes politics come up in the course of doing a site even when I’m centering it on comics and sci-fi, and I’m not going to avoid it. And in this case, while posting about comic strips, there’s no divorcing politics.
Two words: Ted Rall
And if you would rather have a good day, just skip this one and read on. I’m going to be doing an interview with Phil Farrand of “The Nitpicker’s Guide to Star Trek” and that will be enjoyable.
Someone says, “Now here’s a really offensive cartoon by Ted Rall.” Why did I click on it? I know Ted Rall. I know what kind of work he does. He tries really hard to offend, after all, and doesn’t (or is incapable) of balancing out his beliefs with true humor. But…I clicked on it to see what my friend is talking about and now I’m going to be fuming the rest of the day.
It’s not even about Ted Rall. He’s a nut and I don’t care what he thinks. What bothers me is that this guy is a success and has a following, which means there are others who see Iraq War Vets as torturing wackos. So much for all this “Support the troops but not the war” stuff; anyone who agrees with Ted Rall is trying to bring back the good ol’ babykiller days of spitting on returning soldiers and giving them the finger during their parades.
Bah! I’m glad I’m not the kind of person who kicks cats when he’s angry.
Wowzers, that’s really offensive. I’d really like to know what sort of paper would run that. It’s particularly telling that his depiction of the U.S. soldier is that of a pimply faced bully, who looks like he spent his free time a few years earlier putting firecrackers in the bums of kitties and puppies.
And listen, i could care less about politics, i check out your site (found it during the Fanzig days) for the comic stuff, but that is just beyond the pale…