Statue of Liberty Stamp Represents Why America is Going Downhill

Ted Rall writes in an opinion piece titled, Statue of Liberty Stamp Error, the End of America, "It may seem like a minor thing. But the Great Statue of Liberty Stamp Screw-up of 2011 presents a picture-perfect portrait of a society in the midst of collapse."

According to Ted, "You can tell a lot about the state of a country from its stamps and currency. At a nation's peak, its graphic iconography is striking, elegant and original. As it begins to wane, abstraction gives way to caricature, innovative design to self-parody, high art to kitsch."

Referring to the case of mistaken identity in which USPS did not realize the photo that was used to represent the Statue of Liberty was in front of a Las Vegas Casino and not New York harbor (until it was pointed out to them by a stamp collector), Ted comments,  "Quality standards? Can't afford them. Incredibly, postal officials are allowing this monstrosity, this artistic obscenity--the face is clearly the wrong one--to be sold at your local post office"

He goes say, "The kind of country that puts stock photos on its stamps is the kind of country that puts a single air traffic controller in charge of one of its biggest airports. The kind of country that doesn't fix its mistakes is the kind that tells people younger than 55 that they can go to hell and die when they get old and sick because it's more important to cut taxes for rich scum than to fund Medicare."

To read the enitre piece, click here.