Subject: "Imagine all the people...": A Study of Representations of the  Bush Administration by CEISMA, Grenoble.
 

10 March 2003
Grenoble, France

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Marx wrote of the Second Empire of Napoleon III : "The first time is tragedy; the second time farce."  It was the satirist Honoré Daumier who illustrated the meaning of these words, using his artistic talents to
express the popular sentiments of his day, against a totally cynical ruling class, beginning with Louis Philippe, "the Last King of the French," and continuing into the government of  Napoleon "the little" (the Last Emperor of France). Daumier's efforts were rewarded with a six-month prison term in Paris, but his satire inspired Mark Twain, and millions of others opposing tyranny around the world.

The Grenoble Center for the Advanced Study of American Institutions and Social Movements has received much satirical commentary from within the "Last Empire". These artists and humorists are much criticized by the Bush administration, of course, but the focus of their expressions remains in opposition to the Imperial War Machine, and in support of the growing Anti-War Movement inside the United States --where Private Individual Sentiments are being converted quickly into Public Expression (and by the tens of millions).

It is in this spirit that we share with you recent representations of the Bush administration and the "America at War" theme, creations of political satire by our Honoré  Daumiers of the 21st Century.
 

In times of decite, wrote George Orwell, simply telling the truth is a revolutionary act. What better way to approach an honest investigation of a nation than through its humor?
 

Please see the four items below: A., B., C, and D!!!
 
 

Sincerely,
F. Feeley
Professor of American Studies/
Director of Research
Grenoble, France
 

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A.

Web satirist complains of 'threatening letter' from Cheney"
Copyright 2003 the International Herald Tribune, March 7, 2003
 

NEW YORK Vice President Dick Cheney's office has spurred an unusual dispute by asking a Web site that parodies the Bush administration to remove a satirical biography and pictures of the vice president's wife, Lynne.

After receiving the request, the Web site doctored the photographs of Lynne Cheney, adding a red clown nose and blackening out one of her front teeth, said its creator, John Wooden.

"The letter is, if you read it carefully, it is only a request," he said. "But there's really no such thing as a request from the vice president's office. It's a threatening letter."

The New York Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday that it would go to court to defend the parody's posting if Cheney's office did not back down from its request.

"They should know better - this is pure intimidation," said Christopher Dunn, associate legal director of the civil liberties group.

A spokeswoman for the vice president, Jennifer Millerwise, confirmed that Cheney's counsel had sent the letter, but she declined to comment further.

The Web site, <www.whitehouse.org>, lampoons senior members of the administration, from the president on down. "The Bush administration," it says on one page. "Courage. Passion. Faith. Petroleum. Xenophobia." The site is meant to be a parody of the actual White House Web site, <www.whitehouse.gov>, Wooden said.
 

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B.

Forwarded to our Center for the Advanced Study of American Institutions and Social Movements by Professor James Stevenson on Friday, March 07, 2003.

Subject: Hilarious Bush Pics!

SKIP PAST THE FIRST IMAGE, which you've already seen, no doubt. The rest are very good.
 

Warning: some offensive language.

http://winstars.free.fr/english/bush.html
 

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C.

Pièce jointe convertie: c:\eudora\feeley\attach\Imagine1.jpg

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D.
 

Pièce jointe convertie: c:\eudora\feeley\attach\Discours.jpg
 
 

******************
Francis McCollum Feeley
Research Center Director <http://www.u-grenoble3.fr/ciesimsa>
and Professor of North American Studies
UFR d'Anglais
Université Stendhal
Grenoble, France
Tel: 04.76.82.43.00