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sagacious_ness
Lv 7
sagacious_ness asked in Politics & GovernmentPolitics · 1 decade ago

Do You See The Irony?

A bit long... but balanced, hopefully interesting, and NOT a rant...

There's been much buzz in the media and on the net regarding draping and backdrops used for President Obama's speech at Georgetown University on April 14, 2009. Due to a Washington Times misquote of a CNS News article, A Whitehouse request to cover all signage and symbols behind the stage to accomodate the backdrop of flags, pipe and drape used for policy speeches quickly morphed into Obama himself had insisted that the "IHS" symbol for Jesus be covered.

-- Georgetown Says It Covered Over Name of Jesus to Comply With White House Request

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx...

-- Jesus Missing From Obama's Georgetown Speech

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Jesus-Miss...

-- Scarborough repeated myth that White House requested Jesus' name be covered up

http://mediamatters.org/items/200904170026

Update:

In early 2003, during the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, there was similar buzz over a mural at the United Nations that was also draped. The spin was that the mural had been censored by the White House, Bush Administration, Colin Powell, UN officials (pick one or all the above). Most likely, a large, blue curtain was a more appropriate backdrop for the cameras. The mural was a reproduction of a famous portrait by Pablo Picasso, depicting horrified faces and titled "Guernica" http://kbagdanov.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/picas... (link to image .jpg), after a Basque town of the same name.

Update 2:

On April 26th, 1937 (market day), Guernica was carpet bombed by Facist Italian and Nazi German forces. Three-quarters of the town was destroyed and 1,600 civilians were killed.

-- Pablo Picasso's "Guernica" censored at U.N.

http://www.art-for-a-change.com/News/guernica.htm

-- The "Guernica" Myth

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Artic...

-- On Anniversary of 1937 Guernica Bombing, Basque Community in Idaho Looks Back

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/24/on_anniversa...

To repeat the question... Do you see the irony? Or perhaps more appropriately, which irony do you find most striking?

Update 3:

Google Search Results:

-- Obama Georgetown "IHS" (22,200 hits)

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&as_...

-- Guernica "United Nations" (21,200 hits)

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&as...

Update 4:

==> Mamanuke... Excellent point, Thanks!

Update 5:

==> Elway_the_Cat... Excellent point!

Georgetown was about the person and the spin. "Guernica" was about the situation and really doesn't lose the significance of the underlying message, even after the spin is 'unraveled'.

4 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    I do see the irony. But since, in both cases, the focal point was not as described by their opponents, the irony seems pretty equal to me. If I had to choose, I would say that the Bush case holds the most irony. I say that because the question of Obama's religion is only batted around by fringers that hate him. In Bush's case, countless civilians have died in a badly managed war, so the irony is probably sharper.

  • ol white biker
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago

    Anything Bush did=Good,

    Anything Obama, Clinton, Carter, did/does=Bad Bad Bad.

    What Irony are you talking about?

    hahahahahaha

    Silly Siht read into a attempt by those producing the event to focus on the speaker. This is one that I can't Blame Bush for. And as my contacts know, I will try to tie that ding dong to anything. Including the Lynburg baby kidnapping.

    Source(s): Trikerphilsophy
  • mommanuke
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    Anyone who looks at the situation from outside sees the irony. Unfortunately, most people are looking from one side or the other, so one is acceptable and one is not. You could also add the insistence of John Ashcroft that the Justice statue be veiled because one breast was exposed.

  • balloon buster
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago

    I must be tired. My irony battery seems to be shorted out. I'm not feeling anything.

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