War Party playing cards
War Party playing cards, in opposition to the Iraq War, USA, 2003.
One of several packs published around 2003 in opposition to the Iraq War (2003-2011). This particular pack was produced by the Heartland Journal, Chicago, with a subtitle of “55 most wanted hawks” (the original website www.55mostwantedhawks.com is no longer accessible). The individuals on these cards are “responsible for planning, promoting, and executing the Bush Doctrine of unilateralism and pre-emptive war” [Box]. While mainly politicians are shown, the cards also show figures from right-wing think tanks, the industrial-military complex, and the right-wing media. There are 2 jokers and one extra wild card – Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel. See the box►
Above: War Party playing cards produced by the Heartland Journal, Chicago, USA, 2003.
By Peter Burnett
Member since July 27, 2022
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
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