Sunday Funnies 140216

Starting today, I'm going to try something new. Instead of posting a bunch of comics and cartoons to my Facebook page throughout the week, I'll be saving them up and posting them here along with the comments that would have accompanied them.

1. Same Old Thong and Dance

I'm guessing that thong is attached to a tea bag. Polly, put the kettle on...

Link to Source

2. SOS? Not Necessarily.

Link to Source

Although I appreciate this comic as a work of satire, I am unwilling to accept as valid the condemnation it heaps upon the entirety of the (unfortunately) non-endangered species known as politicus mendacium – (thanks be to Google for the Latin translations).

In its stead, I offer a substitute in which I assign the full measure of scorn only to the sub-species politicus ideologicis and exempt the sub-species politicus pragmaticam from blanket denunciation.

The ideologue's success is directly proportional to his ability to generate shit that his constituents find palatable. Maggots, of course, must eat shit to live. Thus, the sentiments expressed in the cartoon describe perfectly the symbiotic relationship between the ideologue and his base of blind, uncritical maggots, who consume whatever shit their champion feeds them, even if it is devoid of any connection to reality. They would never question their leader, for to do so would earn them the indelible stamp of disloyalty - the unforgivable sin among the truly faithful.

The pragmatic politician, on the other hand, follows a more difficult path to success. He generates a mix of shit and sustenance in an attempt to lead not only his base, but also the general population, to embracing practical solutions for real problems. Supporters of the pragmatic politician are not maggots. They tend to be more discriminating in what they swallow and what they recognize as shit to be passed over. They are also willing to call out their leader when the mix he gives them becomes too shitty. Of course, any mix is much less palatable to maggots than what is served by the ideologue; but, the pragmatic politician's mix can be effective if it contains enough shit to get at least a few maggots to nibble and thereby discover the nourishment found in truth.

Notes:

1. Today's edition of Sunday Funnies is abbreviated because I had already posted my comic favorites to Facebook during the preceding week. Next week's edition should be a bit longer.

2. The "140216" in the title is today's date in YYMMDD format. Future "Sunday Funnies" posts will follow this naming convention to make them more easily searchable on my blog.