Operation Hidden Agenda
“Operation Hidden Agenda” playing cards designed by Kathy Eder, USA, 2003.
Published by Liberty Playing Card Company and designed by Kathy Eder in July 2003 in San Jose, California. Eder, a high school teacher, deplored the "messages of hate" contained in the cards of the Iraqi Most Wanted pack produced by the US Dept of Defense, so decided to make her own pack, which features photos of members of the Bush administration beneath which are ironic comments relating to the precise motives for and conduct of the US-led coalition invasion and occupation of Iraq. The quotes are factual and mostly from attributed journalists and other media questioning the rationale for the US-led war. The pack contains 54 cards plus an extra card which details the photo credits on one side, and on the other side, Eder’s reasons for producing the pack. The back of the cards shows a 1983 photo of Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam Hussain.
Above: “Operation Hidden Agenda” playing cards designed by Kathy Eder and published by Liberty Playing Card Company, USA, 2003.
Further Reference
By Peter Burnett
United Kingdom • Member since July 27, 2022 • Contact
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.
Related Articles
K Deck
“K Deck” political playing cards, USA, c. 2004.
Politicards 1996
Politicards ’96 with satirical caricatures on every card by Peter Green, USA.
Know your deplorables
Photographs of political and media figures associated with the Presidency of Donald Trump (2017-2021...
Game Over
‘Game Over’ political playing cards from Israel, 2006.
Texas Democrats Missing in Action
“Texas Democrats Missing in Action” playing cards published by Bernsen Consulting, Austin, Texas, 20...
Kennedy Kards
‘Kennedy Kards’ playing cards with satirical portrayals of the Kennedy clan, USA, 1963
World’s Most Wanted Criminals
“World’s Most Wanted Criminals” playing cards published by the World Without Criminals Organization,...
America’s Most Wanted
“America’s Most Wanted” playing cards based on the anti-crime reality TV show. 2003.
Le Régime Bush
“Le Régime Bush” anti-war playing cards designed by Thierry Meyssan, France, 2003.
Stacked Deck
“Stacked Deck” business caricature playing cards, USA, c. 2003.
Operation Iraqi Freedom playing cards
Operation Iraqi Freedom: U.S. Military heroes playing cards, 2003.
Liberated: America's Most Unwanted
“Liberated: America's Most Unwanted” playing cards published in support of the Iraqi War, c.2003.
War Profiteers playing cards
“War Profiteers” playing cards, USA, c. 2004.
United Nations of Weasels
“United Nations of Weasels” anti-war political playing cards, USA, 2003.
Try’em playing cards
Try’em: the U.S. Regime Change, or “52 Most Wanted Criminals” c. 2003.
War Party playing cards
War Party playing cards, in opposition to the Iraq War, USA, 2003.
Republican Chickenhawks of America
“Republican Chickenhawks of America” playing cards by Jerry A. Vasilatos, USA, 2003.
Iraqi Most Wanted Playing Cards
Playing cards used to help troops identify the most-wanted members of Saddam Hussein's government. 2...
Wall Street Most Wanted
“Wall Street Most Wanted” playing cards, USA, 2003.
Anti-Fascist cards, 1943
Satirical Anti-Fascist cards designed in 1943 by Ivan Ivanovich Kharkevich.
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
