flynn23 wrote:
] ] A billboard recently put up in Orlando bearing a smiling
] ] photograph of President Bush with the words "Our
] ] Leader" is raising eyebrows among progressives who
] ] feel the poster is akin to that of propaganda used by
] ] tyrannical regimes.
]
] I have no problem with this type of advertising.

Its this the same guy that interviewed the 9-11 conspiracy theorist that Elonka memed? Dollars for donuts this billboard doesn't exist.

Decius wrote:
] flynn23 wrote:
] ] ] A billboard recently put up in Orlando bearing a smiling
] ] ] photograph of President Bush with the words "Our
] ] ] Leader" is raising eyebrows among progressives who
] ] ] feel the poster is akin to that of propaganda used by
] ] ] tyrannical regimes.
] ]
] ] I have no problem with this type of advertising.
]
] Its this the same guy that interviewed the 9-11 conspiracy
] theorist that Elonka memed? Dollars for donuts this billboard
] doesn't exist.

Maybe. I can't find a reference to it on any 'credible' news site. Just blogs and such. Of course, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Why would an 'objective' news site report on this anyways?

flynn23 wrote:
] ] A billboard recently put up in Orlando bearing a smiling
] ] photograph of President Bush with the words "Our
] ] Leader" is raising eyebrows among progressives who
] ] feel the poster is akin to that of propaganda used by
] ] tyrannical regimes.
]
] I have no problem with this type of advertising. It's helpful
] to hang a flag out and show everyone how stupid you are. What
] I do have a problem with is that the company which is
] sponsoring it controls a majority chunk of several media in
] this country, and it's becoming clear that the line between
] political stance and objective reporting is more blurred and
] hidden than it's ever been.

How different, in your mind, is this from the thousands of bumper stickers on the back of cars that have a big W and then underneath, in small type, "The President"? Or even closer to a billboard, the big sign on West End (in Nashville) at the Republican Party HQ that has "W. _Still_ the President"? They're not being put there by a media company, but they still amount to just as much propaganda, wouldn't you say?

Dolemite wrote:
] How different, in your mind, is this from the thousands of
] bumper stickers on the back of cars that have a big W and then
] underneath, in small type, "The President"?

Nothing wrong there. This is pre-election marketing material, and it expresses someone's personal view. It also does it in a stylish way. I wish the Kerry stickers were as cool. In any event, this is democracy at work.

] Or even closer to a billboard, the big sign on West End (in
] Nashville) at the Republican Party HQ that has "W. _Still_ the
] President"?

Closer. Billboards are different because they don't reflect an individuals point of view, but rather the point of view of a large organization.

This is mostly the winning party gloating, which is ugly. Its unlikely that Dems would have put up similar Billboards, and I think its in poor taste. It demonstrates a lack of respect for the "other side," which is divisive, and undermines the right to vote in the sense that it seeks to admonish those who don't vote "correctly" for being "loosers." It reinforces the idea that an election is about being on the winning team rather then about expressing your political views.

Where the billboard in question (if it really exists) truely crosses the line is that it doesn't seem to refer to the election or even the office of the Presidency. It has a picture of the man, and it says "Our Leader." It puts the person above the job, and in that sense is an affort to our system. It reinforces Bush's power exclusively in a way that goes beyond being divisive and borders on intimitation.

Now, as offended as I am by both of these billboards, they have a right to put them up. And I also have the right to tell them they are sending the wrong message. And thats as far as this goes unless someone decides to change his mind. And thats how it ought to be.

Decius wrote:

] This is mostly the winning party gloating, which is ugly. Its
] unlikely that Dems would have put up similar Billboards, and I
] think its in poor taste. It demonstrates a lack of respect for
] the "other side," which is divisive, and undermines the right
] to vote in the sense that it seeks to admonish those who don't
] vote "correctly" for being "loosers." It reinforces the idea
] that an election is about being on the winning team rather
] then about expressing your political views.

This is *exactly* the thing that disgusted me about the whole election anyways. American's, particularly Republicans, have this mentality that it's a football game. That you need to wear the right logo. That you need to back the winning team. And it's fun and profitable to rub the other side's face in a bunch of shit, like we're some jock itch fraternity hazing participant. It's disgraceful and disrespectful and borders on the obscene. You can not like someone, or their ideas, but it's absolutely unnecessary to flaunt that. You don't need to make Republican ketchup. You don't need to make bumper stickers that say "don't be a girly-man, vote Bush". You don't need to gloat your victory with talk of a "mandate from the people."

This is our fucking government people. They're responsible for decisions that impact the entire world and ripple through history. And unlike the propaganda, there are checks and balances put into place for a reason. So no, he's not Our Leader. Not exclusively. And not in a vacuum. And the fact that our populace thinks of this process as something akin to voting for your favorite on American Idol is the reason why most of the world hates us and rightly so.