Political Cartoon 4

•    “Atlas Shared” is the caption of this political cartoon.  This title is appropriate to describe the action going on in this cartoon.  In architecture atlas can mean a sculptural figure of a man used as a column and in Classical Mythology atlas can mean a person who supports a heavy burden. These define the picture well because a group of men (nation’s icons) are physically drawn holding up the world, sharing the load. 
• A lot of people are displayed in this cartoon; President Obama, the President of France Nicolas Sarkozy, the Prime Minister of U.K., David Cameron, a figure representing the Arab League of Nations, and Muammar Gaddafi.  The elephant in the suit symbolizes the Republican Party.  Other objects that are what they seem in the cartoon are the globe and planes. 
• Fo ur of the world’s biggest leaders have taken action on the situation currently happening in Libya.  There are planes flying over Libya coming from all directions of the globe.  Libya is currently under a no fly zone that has restricted the Libyan government from sending up planes after the U.S., France, U.K., and Arab League dropped missiles over Libya.  In result of their actions that they felt necessary an elephant (a republican) is yelling “Socialism” at the men holding up the world.    
• The ideology of this cartoon is Liberal.  There is a Liberal biased because the elephant, which represents the republican party, is yelling “socialism” at the four men, clearly opposed to their decisions to take action in Libya.   
• This cartoon relates to current politics because it is about a current event that is ongoing.  
• The satire in the cartoon makes you question whether it is worth being called a socialist in order to intervene with a bloody civil war.
• I found this cartoon on Daryl Cagle Political Cartoon Index, and it was posted March 21, 2011.  http://www.cagle.com/politicalcartoons/