xtcian

4/16/03 Brooklyn, NY The image

4/16/03 Brooklyn, NY

The image on the left is this week's Time Magazine cover, and the image on the right is the cover from May 7, 1945. Now, I don't want to split too many hairs here, but... isn't the comparison a little insane? Yes, Saddam brought about the deaths of lots of his countrymen, and he was a nasty thug who possessed very little moral compunction in terms of rape, torture and gas. There is certainly a little barcalounger covered in rusty straight-razors and lemon juice waiting for him in Hell.

But Hitler was a tyrant who brought about the secret extermination of six million people, conquered half of Europe in a bloodbath... and the world spent SIX YEARS sending their sons and daughters - 407,316 Americans among them - to be slaughtered in the name of freedom. 50 million people died in World War II.

This month, we spent THREE WEEKS ousting a dictator IN HIS OWN COUNTRY who had shown NO SIGNS OF AGGRESSION in TWELVE YEARS and about 100 of our "coalition" troops were killed. Frankly, making the implied comparison to Hitler is not only irresponsible, but utter jingoistic boosterism at its most naked and reprehensible. Where the hell does Time get off? If I want blind rah-rah corporate patriotism like that, I'll listen to Clear Channel talk shows on AM Radio, thank you very much.

Speaking of survivors, the warm weather and the impending responsibility of Passover unleashed a torrent of ancient Jews from the old-folks-homes onto the paths of Prospect Park today; you couldn't ride your bicycle anywhere without toppling hundreds of ancient matrons wearing scarlet lam. I thought I was used to crowd noise - until I heard four thousand 90-year-olds screaming at each other in Hebrew. Oy, what a scene!