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I always thought the ROD scene was not Bush, Jr, but Bush, Sr., and was a direct response to a state dinner in Japan where Pres. Bush had the flu and vomited on the Japanese Prime Minister ("to Bush" supposedly became Japanese slang for a while).

I think politics in anime is interesting, since it's another look into thinking across cultures. It can be illuminating, for example, to see ourselves through foreign eyes. It's also natural for artists to want to say something about the issues of their day.

My own favorite example of politics in anime is Nadesico, in which a major event gets written out of history spoiler[(namely, the existence of the Jovian colony)], and is forgotten (and comes back with a bite after a few decades). I always thought it was a comment on the controversy over teaching the history of WWII in Japanese schoolbooks that raged at the time Nadesico was being written. It was pretty clear which side of that controversy the Nadesico team sympathized with.

It's pretty funny that his own sister was like "yeah my brother sucks please fire him"

This thread reminds me of that one time when some Americans were talking and politics happened to come up, then when I started saying something a woman immediately threw insults at me and yelled that I should stay out because I’m not American. This kind of hypocrisy just defines America so well. And behind it this really shortsighted entitlement attitude. What the heck happened to free speech? And why so entitled to think that I shouldn’t have an opinion on it when Americans love talking about other countries themselves, and so dumb to be oblivious to the very obvious reality that what happens in America effects other countries a great deal?

A lot of users on this site also seem to be completely oblivious to the “news” and “interest” tags still.

On another note, it’s kinds of amazing how the Republicans are still able to show me that when I thought they had hit the bottom they can still go deeper.

That part with biden emerging as the colossal titan was pretty funny, ngl.

Jt94 wrote:

Mentioning Greene, Trump, and Gaetz negatively

Is there really something positive to be said about Greene though? The same person who harassed a shooting victim like a maniac? That went beyond anything anyone can call civilise.

FunkyDude88 wrote:

Both, but the latter is just turning the original statement around on itself. It shows people don't actually want media to be political, they just want media to broadcast a very specific set of politics they agree with and those that don't should either not exist or not have a prominent place in consumption. Which is fine to have as an opinion. I get people only wanting their side heard, but people could at least own up to it and say it that way rather than trying to chastise people when they say they don't like politics in anime like they're any different in terms of not wanting to see politics they disagree with. Two sides of the same coin.

Except it isn't two sides of the same coin. Criticizing reactionary political points and forms of bigotry is part and parcel of any film/lit. criticism. I'm not claiming that Konaka or anyone else can't include their viewpoints (and I love many of Konaka's works myself); I just think such specific political viewpoints are poorly stated at best or straight up wrong and bullshit at worst. There can be something to be said about particularly extreme political viewpoints (I'm not familiar with all the details regarding Germany's ban on certain depictions regarding Nazis, for example, but I can understand contextually why some of them might exist), but criticizing something and wishing that things like bigotry were less commonplace in media are not the same as "politics should be kept out of anime/video games/movies/whatever media."

Gosar's video goes even beyond even the more usually obvious examples, and ascribing any sense of demand for "neutrality" here as you did before is very disingenuous.

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and I'm not telling you to like Sugiyama or anyone else. Just that there's no real moral superiority to be had if people are going to try to argue that wishing ill on people is okay as long as it's the right person. Especially if said person isn't actually breaking any laws and is just expressing their opinions or something.

There are real world consequences to harmful views regarding whitewashing history, mass murder, actively oppression discrimination, etc. being shared in media at large. The more of a following a person has, the more that voice is amplified. This isn't an issue of "moral superiority"; it's an issue of marginalized people being grateful that harmful views by a person with a megaphone are no longer being shared (or worse). A sense of relief is entirely normal and understandable. Marginalized and discriminated people do not have to be sad or neutral at the deaths of those who oppress them, and they should not be told this from a viewpoint that is essentially just another form of "enlightened centrism."

mangamuscle wrote:

bones2039 wrote:

The video is stupid and the pearl clutching by Democrats over this is just as stupid.

In my opinion this is dangerous. After the mob attack on January 6, 2021@Washington D.C. it should be crystal clear that elected officials using the mass media to incite violent behavior is not just wrong, it can motivate people to do the unthinkable. I am the first one to wish to be wrong, but I will not be surprised if some unstable minds radicalize with this kind of propaganda and decide democrat elected leaders are monsters that should be killed.

It feels particularly telling to see folks dismiss such concerns, many of whom seem to be or are self-admitted rightwing in their political beliefs. They see it as "no big deal."

A person posted a video in which they kill a coworker of theirs. That is a big goddamn problem on its own. People get fired over shit like that. This all in the context of it coming from a politician with so much misinformation and violent rhetoric routinely being shared on social media and elsewhere. But somehow, again, some people see it as "no big deal."

Just got around to reading about this since I was largely tuned out of following any news yesterday. My thoughts to this have to be rather obvious hypocrisy considering Republicans were fuming a while back when Kathy Griffin tweeted a photo of herself with the severed, bloody head of Donald Trump. But considering largely everything Republicans have done in recent years is "sticking it to the Dems," many will likely praise this as some sort of dark humor riling the other side up.

I'm a big proponent for free speech, but I also believe it is fair to raise consequences for serious abuses of free speech such as this. While I don't believe we should pass laws to make this criminal, I do think consequences should include removal from office and/or being fired from their job. It is unethical. On top of that, it raises very serious workplace safety concerns. Not just from Gosar in this case, but also all the people who "hate" AOC that might feel motivated to do something now. That is why I think it important to make an example here, and show that public officials are held to a higher level of scrutiny. They are public figures that people from the outside can see and wonder if all Americans behave that way. They shouldn't be acting like children or sociopaths.

Seeing this unfold in real time really makes me realize how sensationalist mainstream American media is. Seeing articles framing this as a violent animated film of a guy murdering and decapitating his co-workers which makes you think it's some meticulously animated snuff film like the Randy Stair school shooting video, and then you find out it's a hasily edited meme clip of peoples faces over the Attack on Titan opening that people used to do years ago is very surprising and shows you how much hyperbole the news uses. I generally try to stay out of American politics, but this gives me the exact same feeling of the days when conservatives would freak out about Pokemon and Harry Potter promoting Satanism, or American games journalists would say a woman was sexually assaulted in an online video game because someone t-bagged her character's corpse in a game after they killed her and the video game company needed to act. Being able to see the hyperbole in real-time affecting a hobby I'm a part of is very eye opening to how people will use it to fulfill their own political needs. Perhaps the Republicans should do the same thing and the next time one of the Democrats play Among Us on Twitch they can frame it as them partaking in a serial killer simulator and violent murder fantasy. Especially if they end up killing a right-wing streamer and they can frame it as her violently killing Republicans or something. That seems to be the playbook for politics these days.

Overall I feel the best outcome for all this would be anime becoming stigamatized again and going back to being underground in America.

shabu shabu wrote:

Seeing this unfold in real time really makes me realize how sensationalist mainstream American media is. Seeing articles framing this as a violent animated film of a guy murdering and decapitating his co-workers which makes you think it's some meticulously animated snuff film like the Randy Stair school shooting video, and then you find out it's a hasily edited meme clip of peoples faces over the Attack on Titan opening that people used to do years ago is very surprising and shows you how much hyperbole the news uses. I generally try to stay out of American politics, but this gives me the exact same feeling of the days when conservatives would freak out about Pokemon and Harry Potter promoting Satanism, or American games journalists would say a woman was sexually assaulted in an online video game because someone t-bagged her character's corpse in a game after they killed her and the video game company needed to act. Being able to see the hyperbole in real-time affecting a hobby I'm a part of is very eye opening to how people will use it to fulfill their own political needs. Perhaps the Republicans should do the same thing and the next time one of the Democrats play Among Us on Twitch they can frame it as them partaking in a serial killer simulator and violent murder fantasy. Especially if they end up killing a right-wing streamer and they can frame it as her violently killing Republicans or something. That seems to be the playbook for politics these days.

Overall I feel the best outcome for all this would be anime becoming stigamatized again and going back to being underground in America.

Just FYI, the video shows Gosar's superimposed face on the one that kills the titan with AOC's superimposed face.

You're example is not equivalent nor is it part of some playbook between the parties. This is more equivalent to political assassination cartoons that we used to see in newspapers more often. There's a reason they are no longer popular.

Just like how Madonna and Johnny Depp caught a lot of flak for their comments on killing Presidents/blowing up the White House. It doesn't matter which party affiliation, if any, the person sides with. Comments like these stoke fears, aggression, and potentially violence. Again, I don't believe anyone is calling for these people to be arrested, but this violent rhetoric doesn't deserve a platform, let alone have a place in politics.

There is a way to respect free speech and workplace safety.

Also I believe Gosar could have used far more eloquent words to describe his feelings rather than promoting the brutish depiction of their stance on immigration.

For those arguing about free speech, I think a video like this crosses over to inciting violence. However, that is for a court to decide on the legal aspect. From a practical standpoint, I do see it as inciting violence.

NeoBasch wrote:

...While I don't believe we should pass laws to make this criminal, I do think consequences should include removal from office and/or being fired from their job. It is unethical. On top of that, it raises very serious workplace safety concerns....

I see a number of commentators here saying Gosar should be removed from office for this and possibly other offences, I would remind that the US still is a representative democracy and the question that the founding fathers mulled for such a situation is who will do that? Set up a "watchdog" person or group like the Supreme Court that gives them defacto more power and authority than the people themselves? And what if said watchdog takes a dislike to some representatives and just ousts them for "reasons" when the people voted them in? The answer exists as the process of impeachment. If the guy isn't properly representing his constituent's wishes, they can go through a process to remove him from office. If that isn't good or fast enough, then you would love living in China right now where they don't have to be bothered by that pesky thing called "due process". Otherwise, your real opponent are his constituents if they choose not to remove him....

Hiroki not Takuya wrote:

NeoBasch wrote:

...While I don't believe we should pass laws to make this criminal, I do think consequences should include removal from office and/or being fired from their job. It is unethical. On top of that, it raises very serious workplace safety concerns....

I see a number of commentators here saying Gosar should be removed from office for this and possibly other offences, I would remind that the US still is a representative democracy and the question that the founding fathers mulled for such a situation is who will do that? Set up a "watchdog" person or group like the Supreme Court that gives them defacto more power and authority than the people themselves? And what if said watchdog takes a dislike to some representatives and just ousts them for "reasons" when the people voted them in? The answer exists as the process of impeachment. If the guy isn't properly representing his constituent's wishes, they can go through a process to remove him from office. If that isn't good or fast enough, then you would love living in China right now. Otherwise, your real opponent are his constituents....

The Constitution allows for Congressmen to be removed through expulsion via reaching a two-thirds vote within their respective chambers. This has happened multiple times through U.S. history (including this century). It's an entirely reasonable measure for the House to vote to expel Gosar, despite how others have attempted to downplay the seriousness of what he did (something that would get you justifiably fired with damn near any other job).

I don't know what you intended to accomplish by obfuscating things (rhetorically asking others what they want to be done when the process is already in place, etc.).

Article is now updated with Gosar's statement about the video.

Hiroki not Takuya wrote:

I would remind that the US still is a representative democracy and the question that the founding fathers mulled for such a situation is who will do that? Set up a "watchdog" person or group like the Supreme Court that gives them defacto more power and authority than the people themselves?

As stated by Bonham, congress itself has the power to censure any congressman by a majority vote, or expel any congressman by a vote of 66%. Obviously the latter won't happen, but the former remains a very real possibility.

The US congress has a official code of conduct. The conde of conduct is open to interpretation, but I think most people would agree that he has not lived up to it. So a formal censure seems reasonable IMHO, but I have no idea how realistic it is to expect that to happen.

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If that isn't good or fast enough, then you would love living in China right now where they don't have to be bothered by that pesky thing called "due process".

There's a lot of middle ground between the USA and China (and neither are extremes, there are countries that allow elected politicians to get away with a lot more than the USA, and there are countries that allow politicians significantly less freedom than China).

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INTEREST: Far-Right Republican Representative Paul Gosar Posts Anti-Immigrant Parody of Attack on Ti