Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Three Wise Men on Egypt

Events in Egypt have given a field day to the cartoonists around the world.

I now have seen tens of cartoons on the subject. Most of them very funny.

But these are the three I liked most. They told me a lot while poking me in the rib.

I salute their creators.

The first one is about Mr. Mubarak's plans to continue in the office:


Artist: Steve Breen

The pun on The Nile...De nial!

(For my most favourite picture of Mr. Breen, click here.)

The second one is about the role of US in supporting despots around the world and the eternal conflict that is at the heart of America's foreign policy: Uncle Sam Vs. The Statue of Liberty.

Artist: R J Matson

And the thrid one is closest to my heart.

It reminded me of my hometown Miraj (मिरज). This is how the ordinary people of that town treated old structures that had fallen into disuse. And that is largely true of the rest of India.

These people help me understand how Mubarak's of the world turn into P B Shelley's 'Ozymandias':

“ My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”



Artist: Amr Okasha, Egyptian political cartoonist