Friday, August 3, 2012

Jon McNaughton's art is big-government propaganda

Conservative Heritage Times
VERBATIM POST



At the recent League of the South National Conference in Alabama (see video here), I talked about the Tea Party’s utter failure to conduct and carry out a real campaign for liberty. Indeed, as I pointed out in my talk, the Tea Party is little more than a tool of the Republican party and the National Security state. One example: politicians the Tea Party helped elect have supported legislation that expands and consolidates the central government’s power over us, such as the Cybersecurity Intelligence Sharing And Protection Act, which gives the government the authority to monitor all online communications in the name of national security. That’s a helluva way to protect our rights.

Big, centralized government with no limits to its power is the greatest threat to liberty. It is therefore suicidal to support unconstitutional power grabs by that government. However, if we endorse that government’s claims to legitimacy, and even go as far as revering it as divinely sanctioned, we have undermined any attempt at limiting that government’s power.

Many supposedly conservative web sites have featured the art of Jon McNaughton. The authors of those sites see McNaughton’s work as patriotic statements against Obama’s agenda, and as supporting conservative opposition.

They’re wrong. McNaughton’s paintings are syrupy, pro big-government propaganda, pure and simple. It’s as if Norman Rockwell collaborated with Leni Riefenstahl.

Take a look at McNaughton’s “One Nation Under God.” The title alone should be a red flag for advocates of small government! (By the way, you can click on the picture at McNaughton’s site and verify my comments.) The Founding Fathers, famous Americans, and prominent US presidents stand in DC with a Mormon Jesus, the painting’s central figure. The image implies the federal government is an extension of the Christian faith, or at least the Mormon Christian faith. Worse, the painting is an endorsement of an all-powerful federal government as a force of liberation.

Notice the figures standing behind the Mormon Jesus. In addition to soldiers from all American wars, you’ll spot Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Ulysses S. Grant, and not just one, but two Union foot soldiers from the War To Prevent Southern Independence, one Black, one White. The White Union soldier has his hands over his face, apparently in the anguished realization that, in the artist’s words, “This is the only war in American history where American fought against American and brother against brother. [Not true! Remember the American Revolution?] Hopefully it will never happen again.” The “Great Emancipator” is shown on bended knee near Jesus. And the number of Confederate heroes? Zero.

The heavens have their say, too. Notice there are 50 stars over the US Capitol building.

That’s some scary symbolism, folks. So let’s call McNaughton’s art what it is: big-government propaganda.

18 responses

4 comments:

  1. My response, posted at that web site:
    _____________________________________

    Greetings:

    I saw this article at the FREE NORTH CAROLINA web site, and clicked on over here, curious about the comments.

    It's interesting to see that the artist, Jon McNaughton, also saw the article, and boldly responded with his own comment.

    This painting, "ONE NATION UNDER GOD", is presently my computer's desktop wallpaper, and a collection of Jon McNaughton's paintings can be seen in the archives of my personal web site, "OUR ETERNAL STRUGGLE".

    I am a convert in The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints.

    Yes, it is indeed a basic teaching within our faith that the Constitution of the United States of America is a sacred, divinely inspired document, written by men whom God raised up specifically for that purpose.

    The Book of Mormon teaches us that America is the "Promised Land", a land blessed above all other lands, a land of liberty where no king shall rule.

    The Book of Mormon points out that we have these blessings of liberty and prosperity only so long as we worship the God of this land, who is Jesus, the Christ.

    But, if we turn away from the God of this land, who is Jesus, the Christ, then we will forfeit our blessings, and this land will be given to a people who are more worthy than we are.

    My great great great grandfather served in the Confederate Army, and I agree that Abraham Lincoln was responsible for waging an unnecessary war, and for engineering so much lasting destruction of our Constitution and our republic.

    And no, I will NOT be voting for Mitt Romney, even if he is a fellow member of my church, for he is part of that elite cabal that will merely continue to perpetuate the same ol', same ol' status quo, which has destroyed, and is destroying our nation, our society, our traditions, our homes, and our families.

    Since our choices are evidently going to be limited to Barack Hussein Obama (a.k.a. Barry Soetoro, a.k.a. Bari Malik Shabazz, a.k.a. Steve Dunham, or whoever he is) or Mitt Romney, then how shall we vote?

    Frankly, I don't have an answer for that.

    I just know I refuse to vote for either one of those guys, because neither of them will be true to their sacred, publicly sworn oath to support and defend our divinely inspired Constitution of the United States of America.

    Thank you.

    John Robert Mallernee
    Armed Forces Retirement Home
    Gulfport, Mississippi 39507

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  2. Personally, to me, this smacks of fratricide.

    I see McNaughton as he describes himself - interested in a return to Judeo-Christian values, and small, Constitutional Government.

    Yeah - he's DEAD wrong about The War of Northern Aggression and tyrant abe, but... Is that enough to declare him an enemy of FreeFor? If so, we're pretty well FOOKED given how many people even in The South only know what they've been taught in their Public Indoctrination Center (AKA "School.")

    Let's educate the man - not run him off!!

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  3. Remove the Tyrant from the picture would be a good start..........

    ReplyDelete