Right-wing bloggers in the US have criticised Google for changing its logo to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sputnik’s launch.

The search giant occasionally produces “Google doodles” – variations on its homepage logo that mark significant anniversaries or the birthdays of historical figures, often with a scientific twist – and on 4 October it celebrated the 50th anniversary of one of humanity’s greatest achievements, putting a man-made satellite into orbit around the earth.

But one or two right-wing bloggers weren’t happy. You see, Sputnik was made by Communists – that’s right, REDS! – which meant that acknowledging its importance apparently seemed downright un-American. Much was made of the fact that Google hasn’t yet changed its logo for Veterans’ Day or Memorial Day, though it does mark Independence Day every 4 July. Google said it didn’t think the medium was appropriate for sombre messages.

“When they ignore Veterans’ Day and Memorial Day, I think they're telling us something about the way they view America,” said Joseph Farah of WorldNetDaily.com, keeping things firmly in perspective.

Mind you, he may be right: past logos celebrating the Chinese New Year, Louis Braille’s birthday and Bastille Day suggests that they see America as part of a global community. For some people, that’s clearly a problem.

(Image: from dannysullivan’s Flickr stream)