Is Disney’s Robin Hood a right-wing parable in disguise?
Are the anti-tax heroes of Disney’s Robin Hood actually right-wing Tea Partiers in disguise? They all speak with southern drawls and play country ditties while doing their best to avoid paying taxes. They’re in league with the apparently not-tax-exempt-at-the-time Catholic church and even go so far as to rescue the poor friar from certain death at the hands of Prince John (read: Big Government).
It may be a stretch, but Eric at The Edge of the American West, does make a good point. I would say that if it is indeed a parable of Big Government and the evils of taxes and the value of property rights, then it does a good job at portraying conservatism in a good light. I mean, who doesn’t like Robin Hood?
Then again, Robin Hood did rob the rich to feed the poor. That sounds like socialism to me. Of course, the rich at the time were directly in league with the government – which isn’t at all like the system we have today…right?
(h/t Will)
Post Your Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment
T/S Members
Log in with your True/Slant account.
Mr. Kain,
Just a historical note, the real Robin Hood (and, yes, there was one), did not “rob the rich to feed the poor”. Rather, he was bandit operating in Barnsdale Forrest (just south of Nottingham near “Saylis”) who “robbed from the rich and not from the poor” under the reign of a King Edward (which one is unknown). Most bandits robbed from everyone but “Robyn Hode” only laid in wait for “som bolde baron” or “a lord or sire”. There was never any question of him feeding anyone other than himself and his gang (Litell Johnn, Willyam Scarlok, and Much, the millers son). However, since he was himself but “a gode yeman” the common people got a kick out of one of their own giving the nobles a bit of comeuppance while the much feared bandit left them alone. However he was no socialist. Indeed without the taxes collected by the nobility, poor Robin would have had nothing to steal.