What I want to know is why he didn’t do this after the Bush administration lied through its teeth in order to launch two never-ending preemptive wars. Needless to say the usual suspects are outraged at Superman’s perceived lack of patriotism. The Guardian reports (thanks to Lynne C. for sending us the link):
After years of declaring he stood for “truth, justice and the American way,” Superman has provoked the ire of rightwingers by threatening to renounce his US citizenship.
In the latest issue of Action Comics, which went on sale on Wednesday, the Man of Steel decides to take the step after he intervenes in a protest against the Iranian government.
After the Islamic regime brands his non-violent protest as an act of war taken on behalf of the US president, the DC comic hero says he will renounce his citizenship before the United Nations.
“I’m tired of having my actions construed as instruments of US policy,” he says.
Although Superman never actually renounces his citizenship in the story, conservative commentators reacted with disgust.
In a blogpost at The Weekly Standard, senior writer Jonathan Last questioned Superman’s beliefs, now that he seems to have rejected the United States. “Does he believe in British interventionism or Swiss neutrality?” Last wrote. “You see where I’m going with this: If Superman doesn’t believe in America, then he doesn’t believe in anything.”
Posters on comic book discussion forums drew parallels between the superhero’s doubts about his citizenship and the conspiracy theories about Barack Obama’s nationality.
Several posters branded conservative critics of the storyline “Earthers” – a reference to the Birthers – the nickname for the rightwingers who have questioned Obama’s citizenship…
[continues in the Guardian]
