Categories
Blog Syndicate

Belts and Roads and Xi

As part of China’s drive to dominate Asia, Xi Jinping’s “Belts and Roads” initiative is tying up third world countries with unsustainable debt for dubious infrastructure improvements. Here’s my cartoon.

This cartoon will surely be banned in China. In fact, images of Winnie the Pooh are broadly censored in China because of memes depicting Chinese president Xi Jinping as Winnie the Pooh. This seems like a benign metaphor, but Winnie isn’t very smart and often gets his head stuck in the honey jar, so I can see why Winnie might annoy Xi. Here’s another recent one …

I think I’ll keep drawing Xi as Winnie the Pooh, just because of the allure of being censored in China. Xi is a great cartoon character, not just because he murders America’s spies and imprisons millions of Muslims and political dissidents, but because of Winnie the Pooh. This guy just makes me smile.  Here’s another Xi cartoon, showing Xi with his despot friends …

Xi’s not as funny when he’s not Winnie the Pooh.

If anyone in China can see my Xi the Pooh cartoons, please let me know and send me a screenshot – or send me a screenshot of what it looks like when my cartoons are censored in China.

I shouldn’t bash China too hard, lots of places censor my cartoons. Our whole site is blocked in Pakistan and Iran, and occasionally in other nations.  If Cagle.com or particular cartoons on our site are blocked in your country, please let me know and send me a screenshot!

Categories
Blog Syndicate

Tariffs for China

In the crush of cartoons criticizing President Trump for his trade war with China, I haven’t noticed any that are supportive of Trump’s tariffs. Trump’s promises about tariffs and renegotiating more favorable trade agreements around the world were a driving force in his election. Frankly, I don’t mind the tariffs and the approach.  I consider this to be a mildly pro-Trump cartoon.

China had all they wanted in their trade relationship with the USA; Trump’s tariffs give China new and different things they want from America, that Trump should be willing to give up. That’s a negotiating tactic I see all the time as an artist working with businesses, but it seems to be lost on the pundits.

And I love drawing Xi Jinping as Winnie the Pooh – I’m going to stick with that. Here’s an earlier one.

 

Categories
Blog Syndicate

Xi the Pooh

limWinnie the Pooh is banned on the internet in China because the lovable bear, with a crown on his head, was used as a symbol to criticize Chinese president-for-life, Xi Jinping.

Xi really does look like Winnie the Pooh. China’s parliament recently voted to rescind term limits, allowing Xi to be president as long as he wants. The famous “great firewall of China” came to life to censor all references to Pooh to squelch any possible dissent. China also banned the letter “N” because it was being used in the equation “N > 2” with “N” being the number of terms that the president is allowed as “2” has been changed to infinity. Search terms were also banned, including “my emperor,” “lifelong” and “shameless.”

The great firewall of China also censored the term “#MeToo.” I suppose there must be many sexual abusers in China who feel they need broad protection from criticism. The emojis for bunnies and rice, and the term “#RiceBunny” are censored because “rice, bunny” (米兔) is pronounced “mi tu” in Chinese.

Most of the population of the world lives in nations, like China, where cartoonists are not allowed to draw the leaders of their countries. Cartoonists in some of these nations, such as Egypt, have invented little kings or generals to represent their leaders. I admire the passion of those who struggle to speak truth to power where truth is banned.