"The Don of Man"

Another Ink & Snow exclusive, mostly on account of how the obscure references guarantee it won't see print. Okay, it's an excuse to draw yet another wealthy right-wing hypocrite mindlessly bashing things. As opposed to a broke liberal blogger bashing things, which isn't quite as much fun.


For those of our viewers keeping still score at home, a little backstory/deconstruction is in order... starting with the obvious Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke homage from the iconic “Dawn of Man” sequence in “2001: A Space Odyssey” (it might improve the aesthetics to have Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra playing in the background). Substitute the ape with the Congressman for All Alaska brandishing his favorite tool, the infamous oosik. Swap out the tapir skeleton with one of a small child instead. Money is flying everywhere.

(More after the jump)

"Americans deserve freedom and choice when it comes to their health.” 

- Rep. Don Young (R) 

The above quote is from his press release on "Reforming Health Care" (by repealing it, oddly enough). However this statement is not to be confused with any pro-choice sentiment, since he was a co-sponsor on H.R. 217, the bill defunding Planned Parenthood - and ending Title X in it’s entirety. Presumably this fits into the scheme of Republicans who don’t include women in the definition of an “American,” or at the very least think that they don't "deserve" any say whatsoever over what to do with their own bodies.

Out of all due respect I'll take this opportunity to pause and reflect upon the new era of civil discourse that is blossoming in politics: Don Young is doing what’s euphemistically known as talking out of both sides of his mouth.

It's a mouthful too, chewing up bite-sized right-to-life bullshit and fiscally conservative hypocrisy: one look at the proposed "Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act" ( H.R. 1) $631,913 billion out of the $1,135,384 budget is shoveled into Defense, Military Construction and Homeland Security. The Department of Defense is the only area that would see an actual increase in funding. Remember, that doesn't include money for the ongoing invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, which are funded through "supplemental spending bills." The United States currently accounts for 43% of the entire planet's military expenditures: ain't that exceptional... we truly are number one.

Now don't forget that Young also just voted in favor of the recent temporary funding bill, a Trojan horse elephant that incidentally killed off funding for Even Start, Teach for America, Reading is Fundamental and the National Writing Project (oops, no more photo-ops at any literacy galas). So it seems Young and the rest of the Republican party - enabled by Democrats - have our nation's priorities pretty well in order: a vested self-interest in keeping the general populace ignorant and functionally illiterate, so as to not only keep themselves re-elected, but simultaneously/perpetually provide more fresh fodder for the war machine.

Young’s (misinformed) opinion on the subject of patriotism in a time of war is already well known. But given his stated position that “Congressmen who willfully take action during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs, and should be arrested, exiled or hanged” - one might wonder what he feels about war profiteers? Specifically, how well does the blood wash off the campaign money he takes from corporations that profit from the endless wars he in turn cheerleads with a bottomless checkbook? Then again, after wallowing around for so long in a sty of corruption, one probably wouldn’t even notice how bad the pork smells anymore. Birds of an oil-soaked feather and all that.

Lastly, and most telling of all, let’s just hear the man speak for himself, and give us all the answers we really need.