The Half-blind Leading The Half-blind

This has become a recurring theme in my cartoons for the last twenty years, and sadly, the disease of ideological myopia has only become worse. I see that this latest entry is already being mocked over at Rebane’s Ruminations. I’m not surprised. George and his friends have been doing their endless circle jerk for years on end, now emboldened by the regressive policies of the Trump juggernaut. I’ve long since abandoned any hope of dialog with that snarky crew.

Likewise, progressive California has doubled down on their efforts to make sure that any tax cuts on the federal level will be more than compensated by free-for-all government programs and massive infrastructure pay-offs for favored districts. Never mind the looming pension debt or the inevitability of economic downturns.

I spend most of my mornings switching channels between Fox Business and MSNBC. How two news outlets can interpret events so radically different never ceases to amaze me. It is with some degree of difficulty that the truth can be found between the lines.

At some point, the United States will cease to exist as we now know it, because there is no way to reconcile such diverse ideologies. A house divided cannot stand, ya know.

Meanwhile, lesser powers rejoice at our impending divorce. We will spend more time and energy fighting each other than worrying about what goes on beyond our walled borders. Anyone who believes that they won’t take advantage of the situation doesn’t know much about history.

And I suppose I will be mocked endlessly by the geniuses of the left and right because I refuse to see the error of my ways, and that we could have gone on to achieve greatness if only we could have played to our strengths rather than our weakness.

George is right. It would be too simple.

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8 Responses to The Half-blind Leading The Half-blind

  1. George Rebane says:

    I am saddened that you consider my critique of your excellent cartoon on RR as being “mocked”. No matter how our worldviews may differ, you have always had a respectful reception and, where necessary, a civil counter. In short, I have never mocked you, but would consider it a boon if you could point out which of my posts covering RL Crabb you consider as being of a mocking nature. Perhaps we have different definitions for the term.

    • rl crabb says:

      In your critique of my scribbles you stated “In it he joins with deep thinkers like Hilary Hodge and Rodney King to convincingly communicate their message.” Knowing how you and the Ruminatin’ crew love to pile on HH I can only surmise that your opinion of my cartoon is a mock, or perhaps a taunt. It certainly wasn’t anything resembling even faint agreement.
      And that’s okay. I’m a big boy and can handle and understand criticism, unlike your boy Todd. One of the reasons I stopped commenting on RR is the unending sarcasm from most of your gang. (Except fish. Fish is a true rebel, even if we differ on some subjects.) Why subject myself to such bile? I might as well debate the neighbor’s dog.
      Which brings me back to the point of the cartoon. I understand why you are popping champagne and reveling in your victory over the forces of socialism. Just remember that it will probably be undone after one or two election cycles. The gluttons are already running California into the ground with tax after tax for more goodies for “the people” who will gladly vote themselves a raise, at least until the well runs dry.
      And that’s the problem. It’s a game that never ends and neither team really ever wins. There will always be some socialism, and it will always seek to grow without any restraint. That’s what conservatives are for. If there could be a balance, we might be able to “get along” and move into an uncertain and dangerous future, united.
      Call me a dreamer. I like to think that someday, people will open their eyes and see the light. Either that, or I might as well go back to the bottle.
      Cheers.

      • Michael Anderson says:

        Some call you a dreamer Bob, but you’re not the only one.

        Lately I have been channeling Thersites, and I have a sneaking suspicion that your Village Idiot is also modeled after our most recognizable Greek soldier: “vulgar, obscene, and somewhat [purposefully] dull-witted, Thersites disrupts the rallying of the Greek army [and] says what everyone else is thinking.”

        Dumb ass Trojan War. Dumb ass Vietnam War. Dumb ass wars in the Middle East. Dumb ass all wars. Our good friend George Rebane continues to fight against the multiple strafings of his family by the Americans and Russians when he was 10 years old, and this is a tedium that is more Seinfeld than Shakespeare.

        In Triolus and Cressida, Thersites says: “Agamemnon is a fool; Achilles is a fool; Thersites is a fool, and, as aforesaid, Patroclus is a fool…Agamemnon is a fool to offer to command Achilles; Achilles is a fool to be commanded by Agamemnon.”

        It’s a fools game, and if you take yourself too seriously, you might create a blog that seeks to record your incoherent mutterings in this so-called “last great century of Man.”

      • BradC says:

        Bob, to have your piece labeled propaganda and lumped in with the likes of the ‘Great’ Rodney King is a sure sign of praise – Not!
        To use a bowling analogy, most of the echo chamber inhabitants on the left as well as the right are ‘gutterballs’. The real work gets done by staying in the lane.

        Looking at the definition below, I fail to see what cause, political leader, government, etc. you are trying to help..except, maybe, all of them!
        From Merriam-Webster,
        Definition of propaganda for English Language Learners
        : ideas or statements that are often false or exaggerated and that are spread in order to help a cause, a political leader, a government, etc.

      • Tom Odachi says:

        What a disingenuous comment from Rebane!

        The one time I commented there to inform Todd that his use of the word “Jap” was offensive and a racial slur — he berated me for being overly sensitive, because ‘Jap’ was just an abbreviated form for Japanese!”

        Other than Steve (Frisch), there was no effort to correct Todd.

        • Steve Frisch says:

          Kind of like George not objecting to someone using the term “Jiggaboo” a couple of times several years ago 🙂

          Apparently in modern alt-right thinking objecting to use of historically derogatory terms for religious, ethnic, racial and gender groups is being an over-sensitive “snowflake.”

          George doesn’t just talk about “the last great Century of man,” he paves the path to it so weaker minds like Todd’s can rush to it.

    • Chris Peterson says:

      I’m unsure as to why the dems chose to table the original proposal, though I’m pretty certain it was more a matter of faction than reason. Rather than say, “Hey, that’s a great idea, let’s work on it” the “opposition” party decided to kill the bill, even though support for it was there, especially in the public view.
      And that’s the major rub; having just driven from here in Oregon to Columbia, South Carolina and back again, I didn’t meet anyone who was so far out there that I couldn’t have a decent conversation on the issues. I asked several folks in the south eastern states if anything Trump has done will bring back jobs in the coal mines, and they all agreed that those jobs, no matter who is in power, or what they decree, are not coming back. Only the radically-minded minority hold that allowing coal companies to dump sludge into their creeks and streams will make any difference at all, except to the bottom line of those operations who practice it. The majority are emboldened by the sentiment, but see no specific advantage in the action.
      And as pre-occupied as they are with the loss of a war that happened going on two hundred years ago, the number one fear I heard across the conservative heartland was that this current President will get us all killed. (By the way; if you wish to keep from ending the conversation with these fine folks, do not attempt humor aimed at southern pride. Asked if I was offended by the rebel flag, I answered, “You mean the white one?”. Not a good reaction at all.

      So, my conclusion is that it is a case of us vs them, but the us is us, and the them is our representatives and the interests that pay them more than we do; same as always.

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