New stamp paints a picture of a US in decline

Very interesting screed about the fracas surrounding the issuance of a new US stamp.
The salient points:

-Too cheap to hire a professional engraver or artist, the new design was taken from a stock photo. Yes, a stock photo that you can get free off the Internet.

-The stamp shows a photo of the Statue of Liberty. But not the real statue: It's a photograph of a replica of the statue in Las Vegas. The government is too cheap to recall the stamps (as they have always done in the past when mistakes occur) and will use them anyway.

This sadly amusing little tale is, as the author himself recognizses, not so much a problem with stamps themselves as a symbol of the decay of empire:

In and of itself, this is no big deal. These are lean times. Austerity abounds. Why not save a few bucks?

It matters because symbolism matters. 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 under the age of 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.

As for the symbolism of a phony Statue of Liberty that stands in front of a casino in the nation’s gambling capital—well, that’s obvious.

...Don’t get mad about the stamps. Get mad at what they mean.

More at source:
www.rall.com...

Wow, I heard about the stamps from a coworker. We get the 100 stamp rolls and this years have that exact stamp on it. i had no idea it was a stock photo off the internet. The way i heard it, however, was that they didn't know the difference. Apparently, whomever makes this decision picked the photo out of many of Lady Liberty not knowing it was the Las Vegas statue.

Oh that's just ducky lol

And yeah the statements in that article are dead on.

It really reminds me of a church my family used to attend. There was a time that we needed some serious help and were referred to go to the pastor to see about getting a bit of the food that was donated to the church to help out the poor.

Well, the pastor told us that there was nothing he could do and we should conserve as much as we could.

Then, got into his brand new Cadillac with his brand new 3 piece suit and drove away.

I did something about this on another site. This article you found is way more interesting. I really like how it went into depth showing us how it reflects the country.

As for the symbolism of a phony Statue of Liberty that stands in front of a casino in the nation’s gambling capital—well, that’s obvious. ...Don’t get mad about the stamps. Get mad at what they mean.

Exactly!!

I really cant believe its of the LA statue madness ahah

Any got a picture of the stamp?
As... I don't get out often and do all my bills and business online...
Whoever embeds one gets a star...

it was a stamp collector that discovered the mistake too lol

here you go, bought them today

Game recognize game America, and you lookin' mighty unfamiliar right now..

2nd line.

ringing and itaii you both get stars!!

Thanks!!!

and ringing, clever pic!


I want one of these stamps!
I might have to wait out for the mail man in the morning and buy one

Explain to this mere mortal what the difference is...I mean it's lady Liberty or a representation of her so what is the big deal? Plus...You want Govment to cut the spending, well...This is one way to do it, no ?

I saw this on the news and was surprised they didn't recall them. They have always recalled anything that was a misprint. I think it's even worse it's not even the real Statue of Liberty but the one in Vegas. Years ago they would have stopped all these and made a new one and those would be collectors items.

reply to post by mblahnikluver


Why should it be considered a misprint in the first place??? It's a picture of Lady Liberty or a representation of her. The stamp itself is but a mere homage to what the Statue represents in the first place....

This has an interesting effect in that it ups the profile of the model of the Statue of Liberty in Vegas. So, in essence, yet another statue of Liberty has been highlighted - and anytime Liberty or whatever Goddess she represents is given a boost, more power to her!

reply to post by Jomina

That is one of the most infuriating stories I've ever read. I hope things are better for your family now. If not I will find a way to get them food.

I guess I don't see this as a big deal... A picture of the real thing or a picture of a replica... Still looks like her to me.

It looks like a nice stamp to me. I like it better than the one that has the liberty bell on it. Hey, it could be a picture of anything. They decided on a picture of a representation of the statue of liberty.

How that paints a picture of a US in decline is beyond me... People have been making mistakes since long before we were having economic troubles... Even with stamps....

It was a mistake, but they like the way it looks ( So do I) and they decided to keep it that way... Would you prefer that they waste tax payer money to fix it? That to me would be a problem....