RANGER AGAINST WAR: United States of Chimerica <

Monday, July 04, 2011

United States of Chimerica



--China Territerrorist, Manny Francisco, Manila

Merchants have no country.
The mere spot they stand on
does not constitute so strong an attachment
as that from which they draw their gains
--Thomas Jefferson

Thank God there are still legal ways
to exploit developing countries.
The only problem with an honest buck
is they're so hard to make -
the margins are too low, too many people are doin' it
--Lord of War (2005)

Well, she was an American girl
Raised on promises
She couldn't help thinkin'
That there was a little more to life somewhere else
--American Girl, Tom Petty

Glory days well they'll pass you by
Glory days, in the wink of a young girl's eye
Glory days, glory days
--Glory Days, Bruce Springsteen
_____________________

There haven't been too many happy 4th of July cartoons in 2011 -- most are to the effect, "We've seen better days".

So without further ado, we present a little photo essay of pure Americana, Chinese-style. Of course, it's not JUST China that interprets all things America for us; it's El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and every other country blessed with less-than-liberty.


These uber-patriotic tchotchkes were snapped at Cracker Barrel restaurants, the last redoubt of those who hold out for washing boards and galvanized bathing tubs as being good things and cross-stitching constitutes high art. Lisa thinks a site for the
"People of Cracker Barrel (POCB)" could easily vie with the the People of Walmart (POWM) site far as capturing a definite swath of America.
Many CB denizens resemble extras from the film "Deliverance"; you don't see such a concentration of overalls and corn pone just every day.

You see, the South never did rise again after the Civil War (but don't tell them), and their response to this lack of parity with their Northern brethren is to embrace all things Hokey-Dokey. In Cracker Barrels, Toby Keith is a demigod, and the experience is an ersatz one of the South's glory days. It is a veritable cornucopia of all things that once were and now exist only in their simulacrum states, everything from paddle balls to balsa wood airplane sets. By simulacrum we mean, nothing is actually made in the USA, though there is plenty of red, white and blue to go around.


And now, for a little Tour d'Cracker Barrel:




China's "large penny" is just kinda rubbing it in . . .




Raggedy Ann has now been outsourced to India -- is nothing sacrosanct?

"Freedom, Morality, Character", so says China.
We hope Mr. Lincoln's right: "America will once again . . ."


The books are about US . . . but they are printed in China

This one's for you, Deryle . . . maybe it all WAS worthwhile.
"Hecho in Vietnam" -- talk amongst yourselves


Happy 4th, y'all.

--Lisa and Jim

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8 Comments:

Blogger Lisa said...

[Hey, Deryle, Your comment was blocked, so I took the liberty (ahem) of printing it --]

Deryle has left a new comment on your post "Poor But Proud":

Y'all...
Am touched by the shout out..and bold letters on de front page..
thanks..
Maybe it was too much sun from digging alongide the montagnards today at an orphanage, but the 4th here was pretty good.
Simple thing smatter here..and ought to matter at home, but your images re-minded me that it just ain't always so back in Disney land.
Political converasations here always seem to cycle back to "why isn't America doing more for the world" as we're --rightfully--thought to be so rich
Colleague tells the vilalge chief today thathe can't expect teh Americans to honor any prevoiuscommittment to them whrn America won't even take care of it's own.
The old man,80 looked at him ruefully and said, "Has their light gone out?

Shit..we looked at each other--speechless.

what's there to say?

Well,
plenty..
but nobody wants to hear it..
There it is..
Deryle

hope y'all shot off some bottle rockets

Monday, July 4, 2011 at 11:04:00 AM GMT-5  
Blogger Ghost Dansing said...

Chimera indeed... this mixed marriage with Red China's got me under pressure....

Monday, July 4, 2011 at 12:06:00 PM GMT-5  
Blogger rangeragainstwar said...

Deryl,
I'm not gonna put any rockets in a bottle, but i might put my head into one tonite.
Keep your flankers out.
jim

Monday, July 4, 2011 at 12:37:00 PM GMT-5  
Blogger Underground Carpenter said...

Hi Lisa and Jim,

That was a great Tour de Barrel!

Hecho En Vietnam, indeed. Sadly, if the label read "Hecho En Florida," the price would be double.

Go USA!

Dave

Monday, July 4, 2011 at 6:32:00 PM GMT-5  
Blogger FDChief said...

We have betrayed our past, defiled our present, and mortgaged our future.

The only question at this point appears to be how savagely historians will portray the generation that pulled down the pants of an entire nation and handed the switch to its foreign rivals, and for a handful of tax breaks and a ridiculous ghost-chase in the hustings of central Asia.

There's a wonderful scene in Bolt's "A Man for All Seasons" where More, who has just been betrayed and doomed by one of his former students and admirers, notices that this lying treacherous bastard is wearing a badge of rank. He asks to see it, and the pompous prime minister announces "Sir Richard has been appointed attorney general for Wales!"

More looks this worm up and down and announces, in that perfectly dry Paul Scofield voice:

"Richard, it avails a man nothing to sell his soul for the entire world..."

And then his voice hardens into complete contempt as he adds:

"...but for WALES..?"

What avail our selling our souls for a crateful of cheap Chinese T-shirts..?

Monday, July 4, 2011 at 10:28:00 PM GMT-5  
Blogger rangeragainstwar said...

Dave,
We have some more CB stuff to be published.
Stand by.
jim

Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 10:57:00 AM GMT-5  
Blogger Lisa said...

FDC,

Wonderful movie, wonderful quote; for Wales, indeed! A country w/o the decency to have readable language :)

Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 12:53:00 PM GMT-5  
Anonymous xlpharmacy coupons said...

One thing for sure. Everybody is struggling to make thing better. It is quite hard but at least they are trying even developing countries that things don't look so good.

Monday, December 12, 2011 at 12:45:00 PM GMT-5  

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