A walk down memory lane. Some things never change. 1935 Dr Seuss (I believe)

[Hekate]

9. There was a nasty kerfuffle at DU year before last over the book collection of Seuss's WW II toons

According to some, his wartime efforts on behalf of the US could only be viewed through today's sensibilities, with no reference to historical nuance or to the fact that there might be some lessons to be drawn for our time. No, no, all those beloved children's books from The Cat in the Hat to The Butter Battle Book to The Lorix needed to be thrown on the ash heap of history as the products of a nasty racist mind.

It kind of bemused (and disheartened) me to see the ignorance on display. My after school cartoon fare in the 1950s was well-sprinkled with reruns of WW II era Loony Tunes (and others) characters kicking Tojo's ass and punching out Hitler. As of 9-11 all those old themes returned in new dress.

I picked up a copy of the WW II Seuss book at the public library a few months ago and leafed through it, shaking my head. All those cartoons about the America First movement could be printed today, and then some. The US has always had a strain of (white) nativism, ignorant populism, and isolationism, some eras worse than others. Seuss drew what he saw. We see it back again today, bolder and nastier than ever.

Seuss was no more racist than any propagandist. He caricatured ignorant Americans as well as our (then) mortal enemies. To a great extent He drew what he saw.