I thought that the use of Albert Einstein's Image in this political cartoon to be disturbing and inappropriate:

 

See: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/05/16/3244059/jpmorgan.html

 

The image the cartoonist used is clearly derived from a well known portrait of Albert Einstein by Yousuf Karsh:

 

 

So what are some of the problems that I see this political cartoon's usage of Einstein's image?

 

Einstein was a theoretical physicist, not an experimental chemist.

Einstein never wore a white lab coat while working.

Einstein was not pre-occupied with money, and never worked for a bank.

Einstein was not dumb.

The biggest insult in equating Einstein with JP Morgan Chase is Einstein had scruples.

Einstein was not dumb.

That's the point.

Is it really true that Americans don't understand irony?

That's the point.

Is it really true that Americans don't understand irony?

 

By the power vested in me by Uncle Sam:

 

Yes.

That's the point.

Is it really true that Americans don't understand irony?

Could you or someone else explain to this dumb American the element of irony present in this cartoon?

The banks claim that they are so clever that they don't need regulating- they can do it themselves.

Yet they screwed the whole world's economy.

It's ironic to compare them to Einstein precisely because he was actually clever whereas the banks just claim to be clever.

The fact that it's an entirely different field (finance vs. physics) isn't the point.

Could you or someone else explain to this dumb American the element of irony present in this cartoon?

 

Calling Einstein dumb, for starters. Does that not register as irony for you?

Grasping irony requires non-superficial thought. In the US, that's a chall.... Oh, look! McDonald's.

I assume it is hinting at Einstein's theoretical contribution to the Manhattan project - great Nobel prize winning thinking used/misused/abused (del per political views) to potentially world destroying consequences, and they used this Einstein parallel cos no one would recognize Fischer Black or Myron Scholes

My guess would have been that JPMorgan Chase was relatively well-regarded among banks for a while, until it had an "oops." If even the good banks screw up occasionally, what does that say about the bad ones?

 

Funny how everyone's interpretation of the irony is different.

Can we ask the cartoonist?

Is it really true that Americans don't understand irony?

Yes. It is also true that people who go by the name of John make massive generalizations about Americans.

Yes. It is also true that people who go by the name of John make massive generalizations about Americans.

Yes.

But you need to remember that all sweeping generalisations are wrong.