The day after
The Dark Knight Rises opened wasn't the day.
Monday morning in Wisconsin wasn't the day.
It's no secret in my family that I am fanatically opposed to violence. The loud protestations of personal safety via a concealed accessory make me cringe. I shun violent movies, games and books. While I nod politely in conversation where people rave about the action packed explosion effects in some blockbuster, I generally think the enjoyment of such things is suspect. In small doses, even arsenic looks like sugar. Earlier this year after the Aurora, CO headlines, I commented to Jim Dear that this was going to keep going until it happened somewhere so heinous that in revulsion society finally started to turn away from the celebration of power through violence. The question was how heinous would it have to be?
It's just past midnight and pouring down rain.
I have been trying to figure out how our Governor continues to lure voters to his side. This image just popped into my head. It is, of course, a twist on the poem-step into my parlour, said the the spider to the fly. Although the fly resists many advances, in the end, he gives in to flattery when the spider speaks of his mirror and how good the fly will appear if he looks into it. Politics in the CNMI is sort of like that. Promises of better times, how good people will see things, the lure of what they want to hear and believe. Flattery (and other forms of corruption) are at the core of what is happening here now. Unless and until we change it...
Some beautiful sun and some misty rain.
While Glen was in watching the vote on the impeachment, someone slashed the tires on his car. It was a very childish action, yet annoying and mildly threatening. I don't think the DPS actually said anything like I show in this cartoon, but the attitude here does not inspire confidence in the police. Any excuse not to find a culprit... hence the comment from the little guy that this is going around. The girl's comment reflects a different world view--there is in fact a mildly popular band in the states (washington? oregon?) called Slashed Tires.
Still raining here...we are in the monsoon season.
I have a whole series of kiosku cartoons, but this is the best, in my opinion. The CNMI spent a lot of federal dollars in ARRA grant money for the leadership kiosku, which turned into a joke as the committee that decided what names to put on it insisted on adding all their family. A number of people who were actually convicted of crimes were nominated, and a lot of small people who would hardly qualify as leaders have their names up there. Meanwhile, the CNMI continues to sink further into economic, political and cultural chaos.
Our "leaders" have their heads in the sand, at best. Some are corrupt. Some are seemingly heartless (although it is difficult for even me to say they are in fact). Some are blinded by loyalty to unworthy people. Few if any think of principles, only personalities.
I borrowed some of this concept from political cartoons on the web, but added the kiosku arch (which in fact is quite pretty) and the head in the sand ostrich and man. The little people comment on both the cost and the sorry example that such leaders give for our future generations.
I created this cartoon based after the competing rallies--this one from the support Fitial party. How ironic that they had this big sign complaining of the "do nothing Legislature" when most of the House are completely devoted to doing whatever Governor Fitial wants. They are his puppets, and of course they do nothing but what he wants. When I first made this cartoon, I labeled the puppets--T. Santos, Basa, and Fred DLG--all illustrious members of the House who seem to be among the Governor's puppets.
This cartoon relates to the fact that the Commonwealth Health Center has been placed on "immediate jeopardy" not once, but in three separate notices. Each one seems focused on more serious and problematic issues than the one before. At one point after they came out, the newspapers reported how some of the Board members were over at CHC trying to find the CEO, who was not there. I "borrowed" the lobster content from other Administration figures (press secretary Angel Demapan, insider trading ex-official Mike Ada, the Governor). The politics makes ordinary people lose their appetite.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
This editorial cartoon was inspired by comments in the Variety after the first "immediate jeopardy" notice was issued to CHC by CMS (the federal medicaid/medicare inspectors). Juan Nekai Babauta, CEO of Commonwealth Health Center had plans to attend some conference off-island. There was no subsequent report that he actually left island, but he has travelled so often during his public life, including as CEO of CHC while it was deteriorating to its present near-collapse, that his travel-love and callous disregard of CHC make this pictorial comment valid.
This is a satire on the Northern Gateway oil pipeline by Dan Murphy, political cartoonist for a Vancouver BC newspaper. According to news reports, he is speaking out because he has been pressured to pull it, due to oil corporation Enbridge allegedly threatening to withdraw its advertising from the newspaper if he doesn’t.
Cartoon by Taillefer Long
Jane: Understand another protest is being planned for 10/21. I will be there.
Donna J. Cruz
Right--10 to 12 noon, I think. See you there.