Tank Man

The iconic figure of tank man has gotten Michael Leunig fired from his long time position of cartoonist at The Age because of a recent cartoon that he has now posted to his Instagram account.

Here is the story as reported by RECLAIM THE NET:

A Melbourne-based newspaper, The Age, fired a political cartoonist after he compared COVID-19 vaccine mandates to the Tiananmen Square tanks threatening “Tank Man.”

Michael Leunig, a cartoonist referred to as a “living national treasure,” lost his role after he posted the cartoon. He included a drawing of a man staring at a large injection (vaccine) alongside a widely used photo from the Tiananmen pro-democracy protests of 1989 where a man is staring at a tanker.

The newspaper rejected the cartoon. Leunig proceeded to post the cartoon on his Instagram, drawing a lot of criticism from those who support vaccine mandates.

Amid the controversy, Leunig was fired by the newspaper’s political section, where he had worked for more than two decades.

The Age’s editor, Gay Alcorn, allegedly described Leunig as “brilliant.” He confirmed that Leunig’s talent would no longer be featured in the paper’s editorial page.

Leunig accused The Age of “wokeism and humorlessness.” He insisted that the cartoon was an accurate representation of the situation in Melbourne.

“The Tiananmen Square image is often used in cartoons around the world as a Charlie Chaplin-like metaphor for overwhelming force meeting the innocent powerless individual. In my view, it is a fair enough issue to raise in the most locked-down city in the world,” the cartoonist said.

Melbourne has had the longest cumulative lockdown of 262 days.

Yet another indicator of how bad the situation in Australia has become and, judging by the negative comments to his Instagram post, it's sad to see how many are simply accepting it. Here are some examples:

• Embarrassed to have ever been a fan
• This is grossly offensive to the memory of those killed at Tiananmen Square. Sincerely, a former fan.
• It is so sad when your heroes fall. This post is shameful
• You’ve lost the plot mate. This makes me so sad
• Get the needle, get on with your life and focus your attention on the many more pressing issues this world has to offer.
• Ugh. I used to idolise you.
• This is the dumbest thing I’ve seen for a while

There are many more comments in support of course but it's interesting to note how divisive the reaction to the post has been. Michael Leunig was born on June 2nd 1945 and is now 76 years old and at least one candle confronting the darkness that has settled upon us.

The vaccine mandates remind me of the conscription in Australia back in the 60s and early 70s. Michael Leunig posted this about twelve weeks ago:

ON THIS DAY IN 1965...

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A young Australian male protests in public about being conscripted into a disastrous war he cannot believe in.

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He is abused by passers-by. He is called a selfish coward, a shameful traitor and a threat to the common good.

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Politicians and the media defame and insult him. He is ridiculed, threatened and spat on. He feels the shock of a police baton.

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Eventually the atrocious war becomes a debacle and a tragedy. Millions are killed. In Australia anti-war protests fill the streets in the big cities.

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The young man takes part but is solemn. "Where were you all seven years ago" he says to himself. Australia retreats from the conflict.

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To this day he is skeptical about those who seek political power. He has more respect for the instincts of protest than the edicts of government.

Back when I was conscripted in 1970, support for the war was widespread and any opposition was ridiculed. I spoke more about this in an earlier post on another blog titled Everything Old Is New Again.

Here is another of his posts with comments following:

1. Join the tourist hordes swarming over the cities of Europe where the citizens will hate them for destroying local culture.

2. Go to football stadiums and watch young athletes inflicting concussion injuries upon each other.

3. Go to art galleries and take selfies while jostling for position in front of Van Gogh and Monet paintings.

4. Go to night clubs, drink bad alcohol, suffer hearing damage and risk a coward punch while leaving the premises.

5. Go to the theatre and see Phantom of the Opera or Cats as often as you like.

6. Look down upon the unvaccinated and call them idiots, morons and nut-jobs.