King of the Beasties

One of my favorite cartoon series is Disney's Winnie the Pooh. Not the series with the marionettes (Book of Pooh) or the latest, computer-animated series. Just the good old-fashioned cartoons that we've all become accustomed to watching (why did they have to go and change it?). I love the different, distinct characters: Winnie, the phlegmatic, jolly, absent-minded bear; Piglet, the worrisome, self-conscious little pig: Eeyore, the gloomy-but-wise donkey; Rabbit, fastidious and proud; and Tigger, the happy-go-lucky, bouncing tiger. They all live in a fantasy world of little boy Christopher Robin called the Hundred Acre Wood.

In one episode, aptly titled King of the Beasties, Tigger decides that, being a big cat, he deserves the title of "King of the Beasties", and as such, merits the adoration and servitude of all those living around him. When nobody wants to go along with this "great" idea, Tigger concocts the scheme of being the "great rescuer", delivering everyone from the clutches of the evil Jagula (supposedly a jaguar). And this he repeatedly does, thus winning the title (and power) that he had been coveting. Only those who are adoring the new king are unaware that the Jagula that King Tigger has been beating up is just an assemblage of assorted items that Tigger had pilfered from others (chiefly Rabbit). When this is finally discovered, Tigger's "kingdom" goes down like a house of cards!

This episode has stuck with me more than the others since 9/11, for it seems to me that our current President has exploited this terrible attack and tragedy to augment his own power. After 9/11, the country experienced a roller-coaster ride of color-coded terror alerts and exhortations to "keep your eyes open, but go on being Americans" (whatever that was supposed to mean). The upshot was that Dubya, King of the Beasties, was protecting us little people from the dreaded terrorists (Jagula). And from time to time, the specter of these dastardly folks (Bin-Laden and his ilk) would be brought out to bring the wayward out there back into the "king's court".

In this election year, we are continually being reminded that George Bush has protected us from any more home-soil terrorist attacks from Bin-Laden since 9/11. With the implied message that a Democrat wouldn't (or couldn't) accomplish this feat. But note that Bin-Laden is still out there somewhere, the elusive but convenient enemy, always ready to be thrust out in the public eye, just as Tigger did with his Jagula, in order to keep a certain someone (and his party) in power. Only I think those performing this cynical manipulation in the real world are playing with fire: Bin-Laden and his terror organization are real, not the product of some little boy's imagination!