Cartoons
Barack Sisyphus Obama
Obama plays Sisyphus, rolling a bloated Uncle Sam uphill to the hospital
I am not even close to being an expert on Greek mythology – it’s actually a stretch for me to say that I have more than just a casual acquaintance with the subject.
As far as the myth of Sisyphus is concerned, I just knew it to be the story of a guy pushing a giant boulder up a steep hill – and that this pointless activity would go on forever. It was a hopeless and thankless task.
Well, I did a little cursory digging (I went to Wikipedia). I scrolled down the page to the literary references. I found two that I am comfortable with:
“Albert Camus, the Algerian born Absurdist, wrote an essay entitled The Myth of Sisyphus in which he elevates Sisyphus to the status of absurd hero.”
Franz Kafka repeatedly referred to Sisyphus as a bachelor; the Kafkaesque for him were those qualities that brought out the Sisyphus-like qualities in himself. According to Frederick Karl: ‘The man who struggled to reach the heights only to be thrown down to the depths embodied all of Kafka’s aspirations; and he remained himself, alone, solitary.’”
I think Obama may be the “absurd hero”, destined to engage in a struggle that will not end when he leaves office. I believe that this man is in for a completely thankless first term. America is very ill and still quite delusional – not the ideal patient. This skinny guy is charged with getting a nation drunk on entitlement and crippled by lard back on its feet. He may be able to do it, but only if he receives help from the myopic fools on both sides of the aisle in Congress, and the support and sacrifice from the spoiled American electorate.
What do you think of my interpretation of the task that lies ahead for President-elect Obama? Am I too harsh on our elected representatives and my fellow Americans?
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4 comments for “Barack Sisyphus Obama”
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Obama not skinny, he’s spry. He can totally do this.
That drawing needs some help - and it appears that the “artist” does as well. Now you’re comparing Obama to Sisyphus? Where will this all end for you - is Zeus next? Why not Jesus Christ while you’re at it?
The nation isn’t drunk on entitlements and crippled with lard. Hell, we don’t even have health insurance. You must be thinking of the defense contractors, or maybe hedge fund management.
You are quite correct. There are approximately 46 million without health insurance and over 30 million living in poverty. And income disparities haven’t been this out of line since the 1920s. But, I was thinking of America as a whole. We’ve been borrowing from every nation willing to lend to us so we can enjoy a higher standard of living than we deserve, and our relatively small population (around 4 percent of the total) consumes over 20 percent of the world’s resources. I think that there is a selfish attitude that pervades the bulk of the American population - and that may be a prime factor that lies behind the huge numbers of those without health insurance and the millions living in poverty. About the lard comment I made; American obesity rates way too high, and our poor diet habits are spreading around the globe with each new McDonalds that opens outside our borders. Too many kids eat crappy food and lead sedentary lives. As far as entitlements; I don’t think that many people are willing to give up, or pay for (if they have the means) any of the benefits they receive, even though Social Security and Medicare are going broke. Thanks for pointing this out to me - I was not being specific - I hope that I clarified my position for you. Please come back again!