What the hell, some G.I. Joe!

[seriousfic]

So the Joes are in South America to do something involving a coup. This being G.I. Joe, Cobra, Destro, a fruit company cartel, and other sinister forces are at work. But in the midst of all that, our boys pay a visit to the embassy.







Happy Memorial Day everyone, and remember to check for angry gun-wielding soldiers before you do any flag-burning.



Tags: creator: larry hama, publisher: marvel comics, title: g.i. joe

Comments

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

"There's a big difference between Inside and Outside when it comes to an embassy, of course. But is that your only response? That if they had been burning the flag on the street outside it would be A-Okay, but since they're inside the building it's wrong?"

Maybe because they're rioters who are attacking an American Embassy, and not merely protesters? The fact that they have no legal or moral right to be there?

What about that is so hard to understand? That guy is on American territory, destroying/threatening American property. While I wouldn't condone Roadblock actually shooting him, he is acting illegally and immorally. Destruction of other people's property is not a valid form of protest (for civilians and only for governments in time of war). It's not that complicated a stance.

[geoffsebesta]

Hey, if that's your opinion, I agree.

But do you think Roadblock would agree? I think he feels there's a lot more going on than a destruction of property and illegal entrance issue. He doesn't have any problem with the guy trampling a picture of Reagan on the way out.

I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, I'm just saying you're looking at this very narrowly. From my reading of GI Joe Roadblock would do about the same thing any time he saw anyone burning a flag, regardless of who owns it. You can't judge this situation too narrowly, because, as other people have pointed out in the comments, the entire situation is ridiculous:

http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/1984551.html?thread=66738983#cmt66738983


The point of this sequence is to illustrate that Hama feels it is acceptable to use force to stop a foreign national from burning the American flag. Yes, they are inside the embassy, yes, Roadblock is wildly derelict in his priorities, and we honestly have no way of knowing if that flag was there already or if they brought it (as feyandstrange points out, it's displayed inappropriately, a mistake that American soldiers would probably not make (but American artists would)). So we're left with what we have here -- an foreign commando threatens a citizen for disrespecting their flag. That's the emotional meat of the scene.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

Frankly, I don't much care. As others have pointed out, that scene was more a Roadblock thing than a GI Joe thing.

I don't much care for a comparison between perfectly legal protests and forms of expression, vs. obviously criminal actions.

"Well, the Joe team is at an embassy. They aren't in America. They're in a sovereign country, threatening a local protester. Do you see my meaning now?"

...is the premise of your comments and is wrong on several levels. I think it's a disservice to those protesting against Israeli policies

[jlbarnett]

considering the fact he didn't shoot him for just putting the lighter up don't be to so quick to criticize him for being to gung ho. I think the character's generally portrayed a pretty good judge of people and I'd say that when he pointed that gun he realized the flag wasn't going to burn and he wasn't going to shoot.