Remember HIROSHIMA

[latuff]

60 years of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the greatest unpunished crime against
humanity, committed by United States. Today I will issue a stamp in memory of the victims (See here: http://dc.indymedia.org/usermedia/image/7/large/1_hiroshima.jpg ).
"First day of issue" cover will be sent to several people and institutions, including Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation.

"...Japan was already defeated and that dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary..." (Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States)

http://dc.indymedia.org/usermedia/image/9/large/2_1_hiroshima.jpg

[BlairH]

60 years of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the greatest unpunished crime against
humanity, committed by United States. Today I will issue a stamp in memory of the victims (See here: http://dc.indymedia.org/usermedia/image/7/large/1_hiroshima.jpg ).
"First day of issue" cover will be sent to several people and institutions, including Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation.

"...Japan was already defeated and that dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary..." (Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States)

http://dc.indymedia.org/usermedia/image/9/large/2_1_hiroshima.jpg


Whilst I don't agree with your rabid anti-American politic (did America shoot your dog or something?) I am remembering Hiroshima. I hope that nuclear fire is never used in anger again.

About the bombing itself: Whilst it was quite horrific, it did win the war for us. And you can't exactly say that Japan got a raw deal out of it. It's like the 2nd most wealthy country in the world.

[Valmore]

Does anybody have any links to documents from the Japanese High Command? It would seem to me this would be the best way to determine whether on not the Japanese military considered itself beaten. An invasion of Japan would/could have dragged on for years at the cost of unknown lives, you know, kind of like Iraq. It would also be interesting to know what the general mindset of the American public was like at the time of the bomibings. Was there a general mood of 'let's end this at the negotiating table' or was there a belief that the Japanese military would fight to the very last man, and the conflict could be dragged out almost indefinitely. I'm not an expert on World War II, but what I can recall is that the Japanese military did indeed have a track record of almost fanatical devotion to their cause, and to not surrendering (anybody else remember the kamikazees?). Can or should the morality of what happened be debated? Of course it should, but the rush to easy condemnation from the view of 2005 seems somehow simplistic.

Yes, but we are talking about a latuff art piece here, and his pieces never tend to be anything more than the simplistic, "USA BAD! USA BAD!"

[Wesley Dodds]

That's not fair! Latuff's work has significant structural complexity.

Notice, for example, that both the mother and the child have their head turned to the bomb. But while the mother recognises the object and is horrified the child is impassive. But the child is not insensate. Contrasted with a face distorted by horror, the effect is not one of ignorance but of knowledge. Perhaps newly cast in a human body the child has not forgotten the source from which all life comes -- and consequently understands that death represents unity, a return to the origin of things. The child thus anchors us to cooler passions outside the pitch of war and frames the image in terms of our common humanity -- we might despise the woman for weakness but we cannot despise the child.

Additionally, the American flag in the image has been distorted to resemble the Japanese flag. The bomb represents, then, not only death but American dominance of Japan and the resultant assimilation of American traits into the Japanese identity. It is worth remembering that the sun is, after all, a star -- the single sun of Japanese culture is the blood red of the setting sun. The American stars are bright white, a new authority of great endurance.

There is also the phallic component to comprehend. Notice how the bomb is heading directly for the woman's open mouth, which is rouged and distorted by fear into an erotic pose. Sex and death are encapsulated and together stand in for Japan's status as a woman raped -- first by nuclear power, the ultimate culmination of male authority, and then as an occupied force, a country reshaped by often arbitrary male whims, in abject submission/sublimation to total masculinity. In the context of the reshaping of post-war Japan the metaphor is apt and subtle. It is also a critique, on the lines of Oakeshott, or rationalist projects to transform the world, symbolised by the replacement of the "fuzzy" masculinity of the Japanese red sun with the unyielding absolutism of the American phallus-sun construct.

Ultimately, outside our pieties, we seek a human world to live in. Everything boils down to pussy.

[Samurai]

Hey Latuff, here's something you might be interested in... seems perfect for you!

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1123294990400&p=1078397702269

[BlairH]

Hey Latuff, here's something you might be interested in... seems perfect for you!

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1123294990400&p=1078397702269

Latuff a propagandist for Hamas? I can totally see that :D

[Valmore]

That's not fair! Latuff's work has significant structural complexity.

Notice, for example, that both the mother and the child have their head turned to the bomb. But while the mother recognises the object and is horrified the child is impassive. But the child is not insensate. Contrasted with a face distorted by horror, the effect is not one of ignorance but of knowledge. Perhaps newly cast in a human body the child has not forgotten the source from which all life comes -- and consequently understands that death represents unity, a return to the origin of things. The child thus anchors us to cooler passions outside the pitch of war and frames the image in terms of our common humanity -- we might despise the woman for weakness but we cannot despise the child.

Additionally, the American flag in the image has been distorted to resemble the Japanese flag. The bomb represents, then, not only death but American dominance of Japan and the resultant assimilation of American traits into the Japanese identity. It is worth remembering that the sun is, after all, a star -- the single sun of Japanese culture is the blood red of the setting sun. The American stars are bright white, a new authority of great endurance.

There is also the phallic component to comprehend. Notice how the bomb is heading directly for the woman's open mouth, which is rouged and distorted by fear into an erotic pose. Sex and death are encapsulated and together stand in for Japan's status as a woman raped -- first by nuclear power, the ultimate culmination of male authority, and then as an occupied force, a country reshaped by often arbitrary male whims, in abject submission/sublimation to total masculinity. In the context of the reshaping of post-war Japan the metaphor is apt and subtle. It is also a critique, on the lines of Oakeshott, or rationalist projects to transform the world, symbolised by the replacement of the "fuzzy" masculinity of the Japanese red sun with the unyielding absolutism of the American phallus-sun construct.

Ultimately, outside our pieties, we seek a human world to live in. Everything boils down to pussy.

Maybe...

But I'm thinking the artst was thinking:

"AMERICA BAD! Draw bomb dropping on a couple Japanese people. Make people woman and child for effect. Make falling symbol look like American flag. Post on CBR."

[Johnny_Storm]

That stamp wasn't really neccesary, whither the bomb was used or not there was going to be a major tragedy and loss of life. The emperor and his counsel were apparently trainning all citizens in Japan to fight or die trying for the expansion of his empire, it was a horriblle case of greed for power.

[Tages]

That stamp wasn't really neccesary, whither the bomb was used or not there was going to be a major tragedy and loss of life. The emperor and his counsel were apparently trainning all citizens in Japan to fight or die trying for the expansion of his empire, it was a horriblle case of greed for power.
Already covered, read the thread.

[Samurai]

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/pictures/05.08.07.PulloutPoster-X.gif

Aww, looks like you were beat out of the art competition latuff. Better luck next time though... :)

[Wesley Dodds]

Looks more like a right wing cartoonist (http://www.coxandforkum.com/) to me, Sam.

[Adam Crocker]

Looks more like a right wing cartoonist (http://www.coxandforkum.com/) to me, Sam.

Er, why so he is. You're point? :confused:

[Wesley Dodds]

Well, it's not really an appropriate entry for the contest now is it? :p

[Samurai]

Well, it's not really an appropriate entry for the contest now is it? :p
Wes, it's making fun of the Hamas competition. Hamas is claiming the unilateral pullout from Gaza is a victory for them. Netanyahu agrees that a unilateral pullout amounts to a victory for Hamas, and that something should have been negotiated instead of just leaving unilaterally. The Cox and Forkum cartoon is right wing, it's not an entry in the Hamas competition. There, all spelled out...

[Adam Crocker]

Wes, it's making fun of the Hamas competition.

I think Wes knows that and is trying to be silly, but frankly I find the joke to be pretty weak.

[roguespirit]

And you can't exactly say that Japan got a raw deal out of it. It's like the 2nd most wealthy country in the world.

They didn't get a raw deal out of it? Did you just say that. Ok so today's lesson - ecomic prosperity is far more important that the tremondous loss of life and suffering that took place.

My bad.

Must remember to put money before people

[west3man]

They didn't get a raw deal out of it? Did you just say that. Ok so today's lesson - ecomic prosperity is far more important that the tremondous loss of life and suffering that took place.

My bad.

Must remember to put money before people
D'uh!






.

[Jerry W. Loper]

Is Latuff's next cartoon going to be about the 250,000 Chinese killed by the Japanese in reprisal for the April 18, 1942 Doolittle bombing raid on Japan? Somehow, I don't think so. :rolleyes:

[BlairH]

Is Latuff's next cartoon going to be about the 250,000 Chinese killed by the Japanese in reprisal for the April 18, 1942 Doolittle bombing raid on Japan? Somehow, I don't think so. :rolleyes:

What about:
Pearl Harbour
9/11 (not using it as an anti-Bush platform)
The expulsion of landowners from Zimbabwe
The Chinese invasion of Tibet
The Rape of Nanking

To me, it appears that Latuff used the oppourtunity of the Hiroshima anniversary to say "look how bad America sucks" and not actually to reflect upon the sorrow of the dead people.

[Wesley Dodds]

To me, it appears that Latuff used the oppourtunity of the Hiroshima anniversary to say "look how bad America sucks" and not actually to reflect upon the sorrow of the dead people.

And of course, it's totally irrelevant to whether he's right or wrong.