Urban Art Association

You can't just be against everything. Here's what he said:

“People like to categorize—it makes for better posturing—and not to engage. They say ‘Oh, if voting made a difference then it would be illegal,’ but someone like Obama can infiltrate the system. A government, like capitalism, can be ethical. If I only criticize but don’t try and get a candidate into the system then I have no justification. I have an opportunity to help change the system.”

Only time will tell the differences and changes he will make, they will come for sure. After all he is a democrat unlike Bush.

To being with he want´s to pull out of Iraq, that is one huge change if he manages to do so in a reasonable amount of time.

The true character of a leader truly shows when he meets challenges, Obama has a very big challenge ahead of him and that´s the economy, if he can get it back on track he has already come a long way.

What the hell are you all talking about???

Do any of you have half a brain to realize the difference between the United States under Bush versus the United States of 8 years ago???

We now run a torture camp which we placed in Cuba so we can skirt the Geneva convention! Say what you will about CIA covert ops during the Reagan and Bush I administrations, the US has never so blatantly flaunted international human rights to the point of loosing all credibility on human rights matters world wide!

That's a major change.

Secondly, the US is at war and currently occupying two nations, one with not a shred of legitimate reason - I don't see an Obama administration being a warhawk President who will rush to war.

That's a major change.

Thirdly, graft and corruption in the US has increased precipitously... The list here is soooo long, and all because of the Bush administration and its policies, that I won't begin to list them - suffice to say, this was largely due to the politicization of the US Executive Branch and gross abuse in dispensing jobs for political contributions -- a policy that Obama has steered far clear from, to the point of appointing political rivals.

That's a major change.

THE UNITED STATES IS A MESS!!! Who do YOU think Obama should nominate for his cabinet? Yes he's appointed ex-Clinton administration officials - these people are some of the most competent people out there and <<GASP>>> many are by and large diametrically opposed to the policies of Bush and have said so vocally in the media for 8 years.

This idea that appointing executive branch members who served in the Clinton administration A DECADE AGO equals business as usual is ridiculous... and may I say, A LOT has happened in that decade. Might I remind you, Clinton was generally a progressive reformer after the gross excesses of 12 years of Reagan and Bush, when we heard many of the same things we're hearing now about the long-term viability of the US economy. (Albeit W fucked things up way, way worse)

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY...

CALM THE FUCK DOWN ABOUT OBAMA.... The man hasn't had any authority as President yet and already everyone is complaining he hasn't brought enough change?!? WTF... Trust the man a little.

As for Shepard, we talked about Obama a couple times, and there really wasn't much to say.... It boils down to this - Obama was a relatively political outsider candidate who spelled the biggest shift away from the Neo-Conservativism of Bush of any viable candidate. Furthermore, ideologically, he's far more akin to classic progressive liberals on policy after policy than Clinton, who was a centrist DLC moderate - albeit, both appear almost equal distant to the left because our nation swung so far to the right...

I think Obama IS Change because he's pretty diametrically opposed to the majority of Bush's policy positions.

Shep, myself, others all supported him because we wanted the farthest thing from Bush (that was offered and viable) and Obama is an extremely motivating orator. (not to mention the many policy positions we stand lock step on)

IMO Shepard should stick to art just because he made a print that helped Obama doesn't mean s**t other than he's an artist. This whole thing has really gone to his head and he's speaking like anyone cares....

from his site:

"Stop…Obama Time! Stop… intolerance!

Tomorrow my illustration for Time Magazine’s “Person of The Year” hits the newsstands. While I’m very honored to be validated by a periodical that is nothing short of an American institution, the moment is bittersweet because I’m very disappointed by Obama’s appointment of Rick Warren to deliver his invocation during Obama’s inaugural address. Rick Warren is against gay marriage and reproductive rights, and he does not believe in evolution (maybe he offers himself as proof of lack of evolution). I understand that Obama is trying to appeal to conservatives and evangelicals, but this move is symbolically a slap in the face to many people. Warren is not a uniter, but a divider… he is intolerant in many of his views. I still think Obama is the best choice for president, but I can’t condone Warren’s involvement in Obama’s inauguration, no matter how insignificant it is. While I’m on the subject of gay marriage, I will be donating a chunk of the proceeds from an inauguration poster of Obama I was asked to create to the movement to overturn Prop 8. At first I was considering pulling my inauguration poster, but I think re-directing funds from it to put into a cause I care about is actually more constructive. Plus, I wouldn’t want withdrawing the image to come across as a blanket boycott of Obama. I’m sure I will ultimately disagree with Obama about many things, but I think I will agree with him on more. I think it is important to speak one’s mind, but also to not let the narcissism of petty differences sabotage our unity and progress.

-Shepard"

wtf isn't this the guy that breaks laws to hang his art and got started making stickers of andre the giant.....

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9AvSQuqQb5c&feature=related

this one is good

First, Shep is a statement artist who has always been vaguely political. Albeit "Andre the Giant Had a Posse" was less political than what evolved into, it still was a vaguely skate culture critique of consumer society, the idea of popular followings, and a subversive statement of what it is to get behind something.

Fast forward to recent era, and Shep embraces a politician that at the moment was probably polling 8th in general election polling - not to mention was a black man who was always anti-Iraq war and talked against corruption and restoring power to the people. Hardly the most "establishment" decision - it just ended up working out that Barack went from dark horse candidate with 1/5th the money of Hillary and no name recognition outside of Illinois and political junkies like me, to being President.

leumasdarnley... shame on your statement about "IMO Shepard should stick to art just because he made a print that helped Obama doesn't mean s**t other than he's an artist. This whole thing has really gone to his head and he's speaking like anyone cares...."

As an artist, I expect you to make statements, particularly as a street artist. I salute Shep's genuine desire to use his art and the money he makes from it to advance progressive political causes he feels strongly about.

But what you're also wrong about leumasdarnley, is that Shep has been political for years. That's the nature of his art - long before his "Obama Hope" image.

Now as for real change....

Moleman, you're video is a ridiculous amalgamation of mainline conspiracist clap trap that draws non-sequitur conclusions based upon dubious use of evidence taken out of context - for example citing a 10th string Obama economic adviser as a member of "Skull and Bones" and then drawing the comparison that Bush was Skull and Bones... get over it. Yes, skull and bones is a secret organization, but its pretty much a glorified Yale fraternity that hand picks the best and brightest of Yale for its membership. It doesn't have an extremely cohesive New World Order plan that your video seems to suggest.

Suddenly clipping in scenes of "Silence of the Lambs" into the video? What is this? Some sort of crude use of "Soviet Montage Theory"? What a laughable piece of propaganda.

Frankly, its just drawing non-existent links between David Icke-level conspiracy theories with zero evidence to link Obama to any of the policy positions being discussed - but using crude montage to somehow draw a link.


Finally... snausages... you raise a lot of good points. Totally agree... Obama is a politicians - and might I add a very brilliant one and very good one (you don't get to where he is at 47 if you're not!)

I personally do not think Obama's cabinent singles there won't be big changes - or even less change than I anticipated. But I will say that in the desperate times the US is in, there has been a tendency to look to almost a Messianic figure and expect all things from him. If someone has gotten to that level of fanaticism from him, well then they'll be disappointed... but, like you point out, that's bound to happen with any politician. Even Bush's radical pro-Life supporters are probably disappointed he didn't do more.

Similarly, in some areas, I concede Obama has an uphill battle bringing sweeping change - namely I think he may fail on healthcare in his first term. But on energy, every indication is that Obama will bring more change than we expected. Same on drug control policy. Verdict is out on Iraq.... I can go down the list of issues...

As for his cabinet, I don't think appointing former Clinton administration appointments at all hurts change - especially when you consider their capabilities and the fact that many of the appointees Obama is selecting were every bit more liberal than Bill was and probably were stymied from going much further by his distinctly more moderate tilt than Obama's.

Amazingly, Obama is in fact the first true liberal who has been elected President in my lifetime. That alone is a significant change.

Anti iraq was but pro iran check the second film. It may all be bull who knows alot of conspiracy stuff comes true ( check john lindon). And i think the silence of the lambs is to do with sheeple all people following each other. Im not saying its my view its just interesting to bring other views to small minded people