Over the last 6 years, hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of displacements in Sudan, without substantial intervention or protection of aid workers from the rest of the world

Thousands are dying from a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe

People in Haiti are eating mud to stave off hunger pains

Children in Gaza, carrying white flags, are gunned down

Thousands of farmers committing suicide in India; the US continues to export genetically modified seeds that take away their livelihood

Torture and rape-as-a-weapon-of-war in Burma/Myanmar

99% of the maternal, newborn and child deaths occur in developing countries, especially Africa and Asia

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It seems to me entirely possible that the overseers at Murdoch Inc. foresaw the controversy over the cartoon and are pleased with it. It feeds the mindset of their faithful, allowing them to feel self righteous and "color blind," while indulging in the gleeful exercise of bitching about the so-called loony left and pc and so forth. And so more Posts will get sold. What is the most useful response? An effective boycott--that is, one that would hit the Post in the balance sheet--would be great...but not feasible, in likelihood. Beyond that, I'm not sure. The outcry that has been sounded thus far was and is essential; it must be made clear that America as a whole is not on side with this abominable racist tease. But I wonder if carrying on with the protests much longer isn't serving the ends of those responsible by generating much publicity and sanctimonious, self important right wing moralizing about who the "real" racists are, etc.--and, as well, of placing that awful cartoon before the public eye for far longer than would have been the case had the issue been dropped relatively quickly.

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I certainly support all criticism of this racist cartoon--of course, it even goes beyond race, soliciting the assassination of the president. But as for Murdoch, a man I, like most progressives, hold in contempt, there's an alternative take on his role in this specific violation of responsible journalism. On one of last week's Countdown programs, Olbermann interviewed the guy who wrote the book on Murdoch, and the two of them promulgated a scenario where Murdoch, who since his marriage to a young, liberal woman, has been moving more to the left and who has been an Obama supporter from the very beginning, didn't know about this cartoon, it being in the hands of the Post editor, a guy from Australia who, despite years with Murdoch, hasn't followed his master to the left. The assumption is that the boss is furious about this cartoon. The offensive non-apology apology is reported to have been the editor's own work, despite the objections of the Post's or NewsCorps PR people, who saw it as simply throwing gasoline on the fire. Because of Murdoch's modus operandi, there'll be no public rebuke, but the editor will be quietly removed within a short time.

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You know I started reading alternet because I have many common views with people on here. Except gun control and this racism BS. Although from reading comments on gun control articles I have seen that many on here do support gun rights. People: stop whining about a cartoon that was not racist! It said nothing about Obama or any black person. That racism only exists in your own mind!

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Racism and Misogynist implication aside, this is pure Assasination provocation.
They've been trying to literally bring down Obama since he first announced his candidacy. Lest we forget Hillary's 3 times a charm invocation of RFK. Or the terror provoking 'Pals around with Terrorists', 'Muslim' and the original Birth certificate pumped up controversay which Shelby has resurrected again just the other day.
Repugs and their Religious Deceivers should have stood trial for inciting violence long ago.Prolifers bombing the Olympics, clinics and assasinating MD's.
Why is Iran Pres or Even Bin Laden considered a national Threat when far more acts of violence and terrorism have been committed by the Repugs Religious base with in our Borders.
Why do we hold the leaders responsible EXCEPT when they merely Claim to be Americans.If it Looks like a duck, walks like a Duck and Quacks like a duck, it's still a duck even if it's wrapped in a Flag and waving a Bible!
It's time we hold the leaders of the Repug party responsible for the the crimes committed by their followers.Including, god Frobid, Political Assasination of either Pres Obama or Speaker Pelosi- Newscorp has been their acting communication dept for years, therefore they are responsible for ALL it's content- whether they like it or not. The Separation of Church & State is a Founding doctrine, and so is a 'Free Press' which means it is Illegal to use a media outlet as a means to dispense propaganda,and as a Pulpit to incite mass Hysteria and potential violence.
The tactics and methods the Repugs ahve employed over the last 3 decades have not been merey Poltical Hijinx, they have created a very dangerous psychology, leading their followers to heinous acts against our citizens and Our country.Until we stop granting the Repugs asylum for their complicity this UnAmerican Activity will continue.
Mr. Keyes, You call Our Presdient a 'Rdical Communist' who must be 'Stopped' that sounds like complicity in a High Crime. Mr. Shelby You dare Falsely question Our Presidents legitmacy, I call that an attempt to undermine his authority, esp as commander of our Armed Services- I not only consider that Mutiny, but again high Treason. You should have paid attention to other Public Servants who did not voice such things during Bush. It is one thing for mere citizens to voice dissent, it is something far more agregious coming from opposition leaders.
Watch your Step Boys, the citizens of this country are in a hangin' mood,esp since your Party (and your blue lap dogs) ran our country into the ground over the last 8 (30) yrs!

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Congress acts like "monkies" when solving our most critical problems.

I don't see the Obama resemblence at all.

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Why are TYT ignoring the fact that this cartoon suggests violence!? If ignorant white male americans see this or listen to the many right wing radio shock jocks, the overarching message is proposing violence toward this administration.

Frankly, I see little sense in the cartoon, except that it is racist and violent. If the WP cartoonist and editors weren't aware of this, then they must live in a lily white gated community next to the Klan.

peace

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I must disagree with the suggestion to boycott Fox News. A boycott on those terms will not do them any real harm. Those who already watch their venomous non-journalism will continue to watch them What we really need to do is to watch Fox News and start noting who advertises on their channel. Then we boycott their advertisers. We must also be careful to let the advertisers know that we are boycotting them because they advertise on an anti-american propaganda mill. When the boycott begins cutting into their profits sufficiently, they are guaranteed to withdraw their advertising from Fox, which will eventually fade into Chapter 11, provided the boycotts are widespread enough and consistent enough. It's not enough to protest their bile, since they can ignore us so long as they retain their usual audience; but when the advertising dollars begin to dry up, they're doomed.

To succeed the boycotts must be organized, widespread and well advertised. These things can be arranged. If properly implemented, it will spell the end of the Fox News cancer. What a relief it would be!

So don't boycott Fox, watch them carefully, find out where their money is coming from and hit them in the bank account. That tactic has a chance of actually working.

With love under will,

Bob, Adastra,
The Wizzard of Jacksonville

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I know this is off the subject, but what of Sheryl Crow performing for Northern Trust of Chicago's little $3 million junket to L.A.? They took 1.5 billion in bail-out taxpayer money. I am sorry, but she just crawled in bed with the wrong people as far as I am concerned. I will not purchase another Crow CD - let her get all of her money from the bailed-out bankers, until they run out of our money. I admired her when she went after Karl Rove, but she is just a hypocrit.

It is a good suggestion about boycotting advertisers. You can do the same thing with hate radio's sponsors, like Pro-Flowers.

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Bush was trying to be Regan and failed as they both have done irreparable damage to the physic of the people, both transformed we the people to I.I.I./ME.ME.ME. Oh and it was Regan who was in the movie with his chimp (Bush).

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It takes precious little critical thinking to deduce that the chimp could not possibly represent the president. In fact, it doesn't represent anyone. It is the chimpanzee shot in Stamford, CT recently.

The cartoon was a comment on the quality of the stimulus package. The cartoonist considers it so bad, it must have been written by that specific berserk chimpanzee.

Bad joke? Probably.
Racist? No.

Even assuming the cartoonist is the extreme racist commonly alleged, doesn't he care about his job? What about his editor, doesn't he care about his job? What about the editor in chief? Are they all extremists who care nothing about their professional reputations, let alone their livelihoods?

If the cartoonist and all his editors really are THAT crazy, why didn't the chimp look like Obama? Were they trying to be sly by disguising the chimp?

Please. It makes no sense. It's not possible.

The NY Post is a business and this kind of publicity is not good for them. It certainly couldn't be good for the cartoonist or his editors. All their jobs are in danger. Had they anticipated the Obama interpretation, they would have killed the cartoon at the sketch stage.

Those of you who believe this cartoon is a deliberate racist attack on the president are simply wrong.

After the historic presidential election and its positive effect on race relations, the widespread misinterpretation and overreaction tied to this damned cartoon are a real shame. The irrational controversy is doing great harm to race relations in this country and the boycott efforts are an attack on free speech. I wish more people would stop and think a little.

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