Euro anglais

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David HORSEY, September 8th, 2011

David HORSEY, September 8th, 2011

The document is a cartoon by David Horsey published on September 8th, 2011, ten years after 9/11 and the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City.

The tragic event, which caused the death of several thousands of American citizens and the destruction of the Twin Towers, is represented in the middle of the picture with Uncle Sam (representing the US) on all fours between the smoking buildings. That painful date is also referred to in the sentence in the top left-hand corner : “what a difference a day makes”, the title of a famous song.

The drawing is divided into two parts. On the left, in bright colours, people are enjoying a period of economic growth and plenty as the cornucopia illustrates. The sun shows Bill Clinton’s face, the post-cold war president.

The right part is obviously in stark contrast with its dark colours. The president symbolized by the moon is now George W. Bush and the landscape is plunged into a gloomy and bleak atmosphere of war and death as the skull and bones show. The planes that are dropping bombs refer to the war on terror initiated by Bush in Afghanistan and Iraq after 9/11 to fight and eliminate America’s foes.

Besides, a scared Uncle Sam in an inferior position is looking at a grinning Bin Laden represented by a vulture that feeds on death and destruction and made the country drop to its knees. It clearly shows the country’s vulnerability.

Finally, in one day, carefree days and prosperity were replaced with security concerns as the queue of people in front of a metal detector illustrates. What is ironic in the drawing is that the title of the song refers to a day which allowed someone’s life to take a turn for the better whereas the depicted scene symbolizesthe end of carefreeness and a descent into hell.

The question displayed on the wooden sign emphasizes the American disbelief facing the deadliest event on American soil ever and their inability to figure out the reasons why foreign countries may resent their policies and role in the world affairs and question their imperialistic and belligerent approach to international relationships.

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