This post is a home run with all the bases loaded, G, in every way. Sooo interesting.

One other observation on the Obama-o-rama is the use of the basic hues of the color wheel, but also of our national political color scheme. This, to me at least, is a subtle communication that Obama embodies hope and progress for both/all sides of the visible political spectrum.

While in the UK recently I noted where all the hope and progress of one P.M. Gordon Brown has gone. South, far south. It only took one good banking crisis---Northern Rock---brewing for years for the country and the newsmedia to make propaganda pate of Brown.

And it will be thusly here too. Then his propaganda-ati artist can do one entitled, "Obama Goulash," stewed progressively in his own juices.

A truly promising campaign from Senator Obama:
I promise that with your money and my leadership we can end poverty for good.

I promise that with your money and my leadership we can have free healthcare for all.

I promise that with your money and my leadership we can talk the Religion of Peace into acting like one.

I promise that with your money and my leadership we can have an education system that serves all students, especially those of color.

I promise that with your money and my leadership we can end global warming and stabilize Earth's temperature in the "just right" zone.

I promise that with your money and my leadership we can end Conservatism as the anti-progressive, race baiting, hate-filled ideology we have come to loathe.

I promise that with your money and my leadership we can reach equality of incomes in this great nation.

I promise that with your money.............What's that? You say you you've run out of money? Ah, how can that be?? My programs and intentions are all well intended and based on what is best for you. How could you run out of money???

For some reason, the poster of Obama reminded me of Rachmaninoff.

Question: Are you so mad because the only viable Republican candidate is seemingly John Mcain or is there another reason? Barring that who would be your choice for president in a perfect world?

My choice for President in a Perfect World?

Lincoln.

Thanks for mentioning me, Gerard. Long time no speak. I must mention, however, that the Obama piece you linked to was written by one of my American friends. Obama's message of change tickles his fancy.

But my choice of the ideal progressive president for America is Putin!

If change is what the Americans want, Putin can give it to them better than Obama or Hillary. And trust me, it won't be some cosmetic do-over - it will be a change that's final and irreversible. I challenge all the progressives who talk about change to put their money where their mouth is and support Vladimir Putin for American President.

This game of "pretense oppression" is a very good point and I was thinking about it all day yesterday. It is perhaps the most popular game among the "progressives" - a game with its own rules, hierarchy, point system, penalties, teams, and dress code.

It explains why young people in the wealthiest Western countries who can afford good clothes, prefer to wear deliberately washed-out rags with holes in them. They surely don't realize that such a manifestation of their game of pretense poverty and oppression is an insult to people who really live in poverty and oppression and would gladly change their rags for new and clean clothes that the "oppressed" fools in the West deliberately destroy. I hear that in Africa people iron their blue jeans and take good care of them. They like to pretend they live in a civilized society.

The game of pretense oppression also explains the dark, ugly, primitive art on the walls of "progressive" art galleries, and the fascination with grafitti that in combination with ripped clothes and messy hairstyles makes some American streets look as if they are located in some Third World country where people really are poor and oppressed.

Remember that photo of a young Hollywood actress (forget her name) desperately screaming, with blood all over her pretty face, at an anti-war march in LA a year or two ago - a photo that was published by major world's newspapers covering anti-war protests? None of them mentioned that the blood was, in fact, a thoroughly applied makeup. The poor fool was playing the game of pretense oppression - and the world's mass media played along, because they too have been playing this game for the longest time.

Her make-believe blood was of the same origin as the ripped-up clothes, ugly grafitti, ugly music, dark and sloppy art - and also the make-believe propaganda posters you wrote about here.

Where does this game come from, and what makes it appear so attractive and even romantic to the young people?

That would make a theme of a whole book on modern pop culture.

"It explains why young people in the wealthiest Western countries who can afford good clothes, prefer to wear deliberately washed-out rags with holes in them."

You are, of course, aware that many of these ragged clothes are not only manufactured with carefully calibrated wear signs, but are sold at a premium. Not only that the young have a very detailed radar at picking out which brand is which and know, generally, to the dollar how much they cost. And the higher the cost to the rag, the higher the status of the person wearing it.

Oleg is a wonderful addition here.

"Pretence Oppression" must go up there with "Rage Against My Allowance".

IIRC, Dave Barry mentioned this when describing protestors at a political convention dressed in a style he called "pretend guerrila".

Who are you voting for? Obama of course. Be supportive for christ sakes. Lets stand together in times like these. please.

KM

Karl,
What is the matter with your brain? Do you just follow search engines around the net on keyword Obama and paste that crap in without regard to context.

I'm betting that's the case. But -- in case you do return -- there's no "of course" to voting. Learn that in your young life.

In addition, people with more than a second grade education capitalize "Christ."

To say that by voting for Obama we "stand together" is just the worst kind of semi-Bolshi trash talk.

Nothing about Fairey's art is original,it's all derivative, scanned and photoshopped or whatever, cold war propaganda, sixties peace and love, black panthers, union and rock flyers, and heaven help you if you try to make a satirical version of Obama Hope poster, the Obama for Illinois dude who took the photo will tell whatever website you're on that he owns the copyright, even though it's owned by Obama for Illinois. What i'd really like to know is how Fairey's "donation" of his art is being calculated by the Obama campaign, if at all. Fairey claims on obeygiant that he even paid for ads, bus shelters, I think, in PA. A couple of small runs were printed, t-shirts were made...it has to be more than the 2300 max for an individual...

And how does that mean? I do not understand anything.