I woke up this morning to
this political cartoon in the Columbus Dispatch.
And I gagged.
(Then I glanced across the page and gagged again--seeing that the Dispatch is continuing its long-time endorsement rule: If it's Republican and not in prison yet, we support it for public office.)
Anyway, I don't get it. I gather they are trying to tell us that trolling for the kiddees ain't so bad...if you just put it in perspective. But just how does that related to the forest-and-trees metaphor? Some of my guesses on the flip.
My guesses:
- Assuming the labels on the big trees are ironic; "If you think we Republicans have screwed the economy and national security, just wait until we get our mitts on your children."
- Assuming the labels are UNINTENTIONALLY ironic; "Hey! We give you dollars, you give us your kids's asses. Fair trade!"
- Shorter version of the same: "Screw the future--I got mine."
- Meta version: "Look. We're a big Republican newspaper, and if we can portray $10 trillion in debt, and thousands of soldiers dead, and loose nukes, and a slave-wage economy, as GOOD, then when it comes to this Foley thing, you might as well dress your kids up like JonBenet Ramsey and hope we leave you a nice tip."
Anybody got a better caption for the cartoon?
Anyway, I think THIS cartoon says it much more succinctly.
If anyone out there wants to join me in yet another (never to be published) letter to the editor, the Dispatch LTE email is letters(at)dispatch.com.