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March 02, 2007
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss
Everyone loves Dr. Seuss. From Horton Hears a Who, right on down to One Fish, Two Fish, we read his stories, and we read them to our children. Bob Dylan made an album using his stories.
The question of the day... "How many words are there in Dr. Suess' Green Eggs and Ham?"
But, Fox in Socks aside, there was a lot more to Theodor Seuss Geisel than just Green Eggs and Ham...
In looking over Dr. Seuss cartoons for this post, I was struck by the similarity in theme from way back when and today. Judging from the message, not much has changed.
Today, we have Cindy Sheehan, back then we had Charles Lindbergh. and back then, they called themselves "The America First Committee." Basically, they were isolationists, and they opposed America's involvement in WWII. They didn't care who died overseas, as long as they had ice in their martinis here in the states.
Change the book title to "Saddam the Wolf" and this cartoon is as applicable to the anti-war movement today as it was in 1941. Sadly, there will always be those among us who are willing to assist evil by closing their eyes and pretending that they don't see, those who would hurry past the alley and ignore the screams.
In 1941, America First Committee's Founder, Charles Lindbergh, claimed that America was being pushed into war against Hitler by “the British, the Jewish and the Roosevelt administration.” Lindbergh claimed that the Jews were powerful because of their “large ownership and influence in our motion pictures, our press, our radio, and our government.”
Of course, Israel was not yet a state but, it sounds familiar, doesn't it?
A little research on The America First Committee brought up an excellent article by Ronald Radosh titled "Isolationism Strikes Again." Written in 2003, it addresses the similarities between peace activists during WWII and today.
The naysayers opposed to the campaign for liberation of Iraq, and the doomsday scenario they laid out, struck those of us with knowledge of history with an eerie sense of déjà vu. The isolationism that was employed to undermine American will and self-confidence in fighting the fascist and militarist aggressors in World War II has been revived, this time targeted against our President and our commitment to the liberation of Iraq.
So much is made of the polls that show that Amerrica is weary of the war, and today, Bush is being pressured to surrender in Iraq. And... in 1941, the polls showed that while 60 percent of the American public favored aid to Britain, less than 13 percent were willing to see the U.S. go to war with Nazi Germany, even if it meant that Britain would lose.
Is evil overseas any less evil because its overseas?
FDR acted against the tide, daring to show true leadership by advancing policies that would deal with the actual threat, while skillfully avoiding the wrath of the isolationist lobby and Congress. Today, George W. Bush shows his ability for comparable leadership, by moving ahead to do what is necessary, taking the nation with him, and ignoring the protestors, the disgruntled opposition anti-war Democrats, and the fierce opposition of the French and German governments.
Its true, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
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But... its still Dr. Seuss' birthday, In honor of the occassion, I thought I'd drag this out of the closet:
We Do Not Like Them Uncle Sam
"MREs. Yum. Not!"
A collection of Dr. Seuss Political Cartoons can be found at Dr. Seuss Went to War: A Catalog of Political Cartoons
and... the answer to the question of the day: There are only 50 words in Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham." In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn't write an entire book using only fifty words. Green Eggs and Ham was result.
BTW... Cerf never paid the $50.
Posted by LindaSoG at March 2, 2007 06:33 AM
Comments
This is a timely reminder. Like it or not we seem to go to war about every 20 years in the battle between good and evil, the span it takes to regenerate the battle losses. If one lives long enough there definitely is a pattern of repeating the past, the same danger signs are posted, the same agitators are behind the unrest, the enemy has only gotten more implacable. The irony of it all is that those who protest the most against war are the very ones that have never had to defend their freedom. They'll think otherwise the day the reaper knocks down their door, but then it will be too late, won't it? Theodor Seuss Geisel was an honorable man way ahead of his time. Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss
Posted by: Jack at March 2, 2007 08:40 AM
Great post. I love Dr. Seuss books, and read many of them at school today. I've read about his political cartoons before. He was right on target. I'm writing about this post and linking to it.
Posted by: Carol at March 2, 2007 08:13 PM
Well, happy birthday Doc!
Back in the day, I knew Green Eggs by heart. I read that to my baby boy every night for years. Only 33 years ago. LOL
Linda your blog gets better and better. I usually check you first on my internet rounds.
Posted by: Doctor Wu at March 3, 2007 08:38 AM