Iraq Surge
Iraq Surge
Daryl Cagle
10/08/07
http://cagle.msnbc.com/news/IraqSurge/main.asp
What issue, event or idea does the cartoon address?
This cartoon addresses the troop surge put in Iraq and Bush’s mentality towards the war and its outcome thus far.
What key people or groups are part of the cartoon’s message?
The key person in the message for this cartoon is President George W. Bush. Also, the war in Iraq in general is perceived in the form of the gambling machine.
Choose one technique (symbolism, exaggeration, labeling, humor/irony, or stereotype) and briefly explain how the artist used it in the cartoon.
The cartoonist used symbolism to show the message. The gambling machine symbolizes the war in Iraq, and Bush’s actions in Iraq are symbolized by his gambling. The symbol of gambling in this cartoon effectively shows how the troop surge is just another bet that Bush is gambling on. It is showing that Bush is a gambling addict, and wont stop until he wins, even if he never does.
What is the message of the cartoon? What do you think is the cartoonist’s opinion or point of view on this issue?
The point of this cartoon is to show that George Bush will not stop the war in Iraq, or withdraw troops until something good happens (or he wins). It is showing that Bush will spend more and more money, and put more and more resources into the war, but will not stop until it all pays of, even if the chances of this are very slim. He is dazed by his own desire to continue the war that he does not see the damages it has done. The cartoonist is comparing George Bush’s situation with Iraq, to that of a gambling addict.
Filed under: Political Cartoons
I agree with Dana, that Bush is portrayed as nothing more than a helpless addict. The key to solving this addiction would have been to never get into it in the first place, but retroactive thinking gets you nowhere. The word best describing Bush is dazed, as his choice of action is devoid of any tangible, attainable incentive or reward. He cranks out the troops as he cranks the handle, with no thought other than an unlikely future pay off. His entire strategy in Iraq is uncertain, just as it’s pay-off is. I’m also intrigued by the minor details of this cartoon, such as the eagle and the flag. The eagle looks somehow bothered, almost wondering why it is facing the olive branch instead of the arrow bunch. The tiny flag represents how inconsequential American well-being or choice affects his choices, his “addiction.” I also wonder about the change over Bush’s shoulder, and if it symbolizes the money disappeared or lost. Jackpot for Bush looks dangerously like triple bombs, and this cartoon portrays Bush’s inability to relent from playing the game, or spending tax-payers dollars.
This cartoon is pretty deeply flawed. It attempts to make the point that Bush is wasting endless money and time on something he has no reason to believe he can win, but that point is undercut by the cartoonist’s choice of gambling method. Perhaps a game of blackjack would have been a wiser choice, because there is, as it happens, a reason that people say things like, “I’m due!”
Slot machines, you see, will eventually pay out. You don’t know when, but you know that it has to happen at some point — and the longer you’ve been doing it, the more likely it becomes that the next one is the one. So while the cartoonist intended to depict Bush throwing money at something unwinnable, he inadvertently implied that victory is, in fact, assured if Bush continues. The choice of gambling type makes this cartoon extremely ineffective to anyone who has a passing familiarity with how slots works.
Had he chosen a different game, he may at least have had a bad point well made. As it stands, however, it’s a bad point badly made. I’ve already addressed why I feel the point was badly made, so now let me explain why it’s a bad point, as well.
The idea that saying that someone won’t stop until he is successful might be a criticism is rather bewildering. As far as I know, people rarely if ever achieve success by giving up. We’re all taught as children not to quit just because we don’t want to do something, and not to give up just because things are looking bad now. Trying things that you think will work until one of them does is how I thought people were supposed to behave when they wanted to succeed.