T-Shirt Journalism and Fascism

~ Raquel Gutierrez

http://yque.com/itwhitbodbla.html. Viewed on 4/20/04.

An innocuous white t-shirt (see here: http://store6.yimg.com/I/ekay_1780_444226) features two prominent heads of state in the center: George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein. The t-shirt shows the men's heads dangling in t-shirt limbo, each facially exhibiting childish defiance and agitation. There is a childish message that we are to imagine an irrational Bush uttering to U.S. and global citizens justifying the U.S. intervention in Iraq. "I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO HIT ME" is featured prominently above their heads, with another message positioned below that finishes the playground excuse "SO I HIT HIM BACK FIRST."

The shirt is a humorously critical jab at the President's interesting use of the English language, highlighting his tendencies to employ non-sequiters and ill logic in his public discourse. It also criticizes Bush's methods in dealing with the rest of the world as an infantile bully set on getting his way. Bush employs excessive force in his executive actions and is projected as a trigger-happy simpleton who cannot substantiate the U.S.'s decision in the utilizing pre-emptive strikes against Iraq except through ideological hyperbole that instills fear in the U.S. citizenry. Iraq is one of three enemies defined by Bush as pertaining to an axis of evil. Saddam Hussein has remained on Bush's radar since the days of the Gulf War. The media has reported that Hussein had produced biological weapons in Iraq and had even planned an assassination plot against the president's father when he held office in the early 90s. George W., Jr. has many a bone to pick with Hussein.

When the attacks on the World Trade Center took place, Bush spouted off a fascist-styled rhetoric of rebirth and regeneration around the national tragedy. Capitalizing on this collectively vulnerable moment, Bush demonized Iraq's leader once more in the public arena and repeatedly implicated Hussein in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. According to Roger Griffin, while the ultimate goal of fascism is to create a charismatic national community, "'actually existing' fascism also requires the creation of a terror apparatus to deter and punish deviation from the official world-view" (17). Though there was nothing to corroborate a direct correlation between the Iraqi government and the Al-Qaeda front, Bush's rhetoric managed to convince somebody that pre-emptive strikes were in order.

So Bush may try and convince the U.S. and global populace that indeed he thinks that Saddam Hussein will hit him and as long as Bush thinks it, then it must be true.

An innocuous white t-shirt (see here: http://store6.yimg.com/I/ekay_1780_444226) features two prominent heads of state in the center: George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein. The t-shirt shows the men's heads dangling in t-shirt limbo, each facially exhibiting childish defiance and agitation. There is a childish message that we are to imagine an irrational Bush uttering to U.S. and global citizens justifying the U.S. intervention in Iraq. "I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO HIT ME" is featured prominently above their heads, with another message positioned below that finishes the playground excuse "SO I HIT HIM BACK FIRST."

The shirt is a humorously critical jab at the President's interesting use of the English language, highlighting his tendencies to employ non-sequiters and ill logic in his public discourse. It also criticizes Bush's methods in dealing with the rest of the world as an infantile bully set on getting his way. Bush employs excessive force in his executive actions and is projected as a trigger-happy simpleton who cannot substantiate the U.S.'s decision in the utilizing pre-emptive strikes against Iraq except through ideological hyperbole that instills fear in the U.S. citizenry. Iraq is one of three enemies defined by Bush as pertaining to an axis of evil. Saddam Hussein has remained on Bush's radar since the days of the Gulf War. The media has reported that Hussein had produced biological weapons in Iraq and had even planned an assassination plot against the president's father when he held office in the early 90s. George W., Jr. has many a bone to pick with Hussein.

When the attacks on the World Trade Center took place, Bush spouted off a fascist-styled rhetoric of rebirth and regeneration around the national tragedy. Capitalizing on this collectively vulnerable moment, Bush demonized Iraq's leader once more in the public arena and repeatedly implicated Hussein in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. According to Roger Griffin, while the ultimate goal of fascism is to create a charismatic national community, "'actually existing' fascism also requires the creation of a terror apparatus to deter and punish deviation from the official world-view" (17). Though there was nothing to corroborate a direct correlation between the Iraqi government and the Al-Qaeda front, Bush's rhetoric managed to convince somebody that pre-emptive strikes were in order.

So Bush may try and convince the U.S. and global populace that indeed he thinks that Saddam Hussein will hit him and as long as Bush thinks it, then it must be true.

http://207.44.232.137/details.php?code=682 , Subvertize. viewed on 4/4/04.