An Ungrateful Immigrant

Superman comes to Earth in a spaceship from the far-off planet of Krypton, which explodes after his flight in 1932, when the comic book created by Jerry Siegel appeared for the first time. So he’s a long-lived character, around 80 years old now. However, thanks to the magic that illuminates fictional heroes, he always remains youthful, without any risk of getting old or dying.

In many ways he has embodied the proclaimed values of the United States and the fight for justice, democracy, and freedom. Others will say that he has represented the system and defended its conservative values. He’s a loyal immigrant and an ideal example for the youth: He doesn’t smoke, drink or use drugs. He’s monogamous. The ineffable Sarah Palin, former Alaskan beauty queen, and all of the tea party hawks have found in him a complete representation of the traditional United States. However, that may not be true anymore.

This year, in the 900th comic in which his adventures are featured, Superman says, disappointed, that he’s tired of being used as a political tool and preparing to announce before the General Assembly of the United Nations his intention to renounce his United States citizenship. According to his words to the White House national security advisor, written in the respective speech bubble: “truth, justice and the American way — it’s not enough anymore.”

Times have changed. Superman is now apart of the global era. “The world’s too small, too connected,” he says. He participated in a protest in Tehran’s Azadi Square against the Iran regime, which was attended by a million people. The ayatollahs consider his presence to be an act of aggression on the part of the United States; the U.S. State Department sees him as inconvenient for diplomatic reasons. However, Superman does not want to be identified with the current government in Washington.

The ultra-conservative right in the United States has taken this seriously. Mike Huckabee, aspiring Republican presidential candidate, stated on Fox that this is not a trivial matter. “It is disturbing that Superman, who has always been an American icon, is now saying ‘I’m not going to be a citizen.’ I think it’s a part of a bigger trend of Americans almost apologizing for being Americans.”

Another spokesperson for Republican hardliners, Angie Meyer, also confirmed on Fox that Superman’s ignoble gesture represents a total lack of patriotism and respect for the country that once welcomed him, as well as “an eerie metaphor for the current economic and power status the country holds worldwide.” That is to say, the credibility of America’s military and economic power, which the ungrateful traitor Superman prefers to renounce, has weakened. The tea party blog literally says “Now Superman is saying that he renounces his American citizenship, and he will only be a citizen of the world. That is very socialist on Superman’s part, the desire for a socialist world with people like Obama guiding the movement.”*

Obama. His furious adversaries also see him as a comic book character and have never forgiven him for being a black citizen. For that reason, he is as alien as Superman, as if he had also arrived from the galaxies where Krypton exploded and slipped into the White House. Now, they want to demand he prove that was really born in the United States, not Kenya, if he wants to be a candidate again. In other words, they want him to prove that he was not born on Krypton.

Superman’s most bitter enemy is Lex Luthor; he’s capable of the most evil tricks. The perfect candidate to oppose Obama in the next presidential election.

*Editor’s Note: This quotation, accurately translated, could not be verified.