Why Does Captain America Hate America?

by Liberty and Power

I recently stumbled across an important paper by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies that identifies the latest threat to our nation's yout': comic books.

The Defense Department must face international terrorism without the aid of a celebrated hero of past victories – comics figure Captain America.
Even after September 11th, Marvel Comics and other publishers are disseminating comic books that actively promote a destructive cynicism and mistrust of the United States Government.
They express anti-war sentiments, condemn America as a racist state, liken the actions of our Armed Forces to the murderous crimes of Islamic terrorists, portray terrorists as advocates for sympathetic causes, show others to be victims of U.S. aggression, and reveal our Government officials to be scheming, evil villains.

The last thing we need right now is" cynicism and mistrust of the United States Government," that's for sure. Taking a page from the EC Comics hearings of the '50s, Medved and the other guy note:

For nearly three generations, comic books have exploited dark, disturbing, and violent themes – painful transformations, isolated freaks and killers, corruption in high places, and criminal conspiracies. The new emphasis, however, goes further than ever before – imputing guilt not only to a few malevolent tycoons and their henchmen, but to the American military establishment and the nation at large.

I haven't read the comics assailed in the paper, but they sound kind of silly (surprise!) But at least Marvel Comics does its work without the benefit of government largesse, and without any grants from the State Department or US-AID.

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Roderick T. Long - 12/7/2005

It's true, alas, that I haven't read your essay yet, but it's certainly not true that I meant to imply that I hadn't.

Incidentally, a third option (besides being pursued or co-opted) is that super-powered characters might take over the government, as was the theme of the original Squadron Supreme. (See this page.)

Aeon J. Skoble - 12/7/2005

Right, Miller's TDKR is one of the two main subjects of my analysis (the other being Alan Moore's Watchmen). Goodness, Roderick, do you mean to imply you haven't read my essay yet??

Roderick T. Long - 12/7/2005

> Of course, in reality, superheroes
> would either be aggressively
> pursued as illegal vigilantes or
> co-opted by the state to become
> government operatives

Two themes that have been explored in a number of comics, such as Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns (Batman pursued, Superman co-opted) or J. M. Straczynski's recent series Rising Stars or his current series Supreme Power.

Aeon J. Skoble - 12/7/2005

Embarrassing? < prof jennings voice> This is my job!
Of course, in reality, superheroes would either be aggressively pursued as illegal vigilantes or co-opted by the state to become government operatives. I discuss this, among other things, in this essay from this book.

Steven Horwitz - 12/7/2005

And people think MY pop culture related hobbies/interests are geeky!

What an embarrassing bunch this is. ;)

David T. Beito - 12/6/2005

2000? Did he initially promise a "more humble" foreign policy?

Roderick T. Long - 12/6/2005

DC Comics, which pulled off the marvelous stroke of having one of the DC universe's chief super-villains, Lex Luthor, be elected President of the United States -- and hold that office from 2000 to 2004.

David T. Beito - 12/6/2005

As I recall, Tony Stark also went through a guilt phase and shifted his factory production line from armaments to tampons, or something.

Aeon J. Skoble - 12/6/2005

Yes, and Col. Ross always looked bad too. But there were always coutervailing trends: Tony Stark, a defense contractor, was a force for good, and of couse S.H.I.E.L.D. was a government agency dedicated to good and led by a good guy. There are good and bad aspects to our country, and the comics have, at least since the Lee era, have documented both. (Hmm, I sense imminent geeking - bring it on!)

David T. Beito - 12/6/2005

This is nothing new. According to my early 1970s issues, Captain America had already broken with the Military-Industrial Complex.