DC Missile Tow (or: A Pointed Thought on News Photos, War and Repression)

Maybe what really makes this pic of the Capitol Christmas tree, and why this particular shot was all over the news galleries on Monday, is because, after looking at photos from Gaza and Israel for a week, its easy to associate to this (if just for a millisecond) as a rocket launcher.

Putting on my shrink hat, it’s worth saying a brief word about (war, media and) repression. Simply, that’s a phenomenon in which you try and bury something you don’t want to see or think about. The thing is, it doesn’t work all that well as those things keep finding other ways to tap you on the shoulder — especially when physical and emotional violence is involved. Maybe that’s what the rocket association is about, the media and the internets being so full of noise and holiday datum at the same time the Gaza War, joining Afghanistan, Syria and the foment in Tahrir — not to mention, the endless cold war in Congress — can just be turned on and off like a tap.

Ho, ho, ho.

(photo: Jason Reed/Reuters caption: HO HO HO: The U.S. Capitol Christmas tree was lifted off a flatbed truck on the west side of the Capitol in Washington Monday. The Engelmann Spruce is from Meeker, Colo., and will be decorated in the coming days for the holidays.)