Make America great again? Tribune political cartoons remind of not-so-rosy past
“Make America great again” is the perfect empty political marketing slogan.
It is hollow enough for people to fill with their own aspirations and enrobed in a vaguely patriotic sentiment.
Anyone who questions the catchphrase sets themselves up for the followup question, “Why do you hate America?”
But when was America great?
I’m assuming it was great sometime within living memory. Problem is people’s memories aren’t perfect.
A lot of us forget the difficult things that were going on should we take a nostalgic look back through rose-colored glasses.
Hey, I’ve got the time machine warmed up, let’s take a trip back in time when things were better.
Our tour guides will be the political cartoonists. Their sharp pens recorded some of the angst of their eras.
First, let’s go back to the Roaring 20s: Jazz bands, dancing the Charleston and liquor was illegal. Good times!
But oh boy, how about those taxes? Too high. And politicians, they just like to play political football. Amirite? Like in 1925 in this cartoon by Dorman H. Smith.
Flash forward, and things were so much better in 1947 when housing was cheap. Oh, what’s that you say? Inflation? Dorman H. Smith again May 31, 1947.
Well at least the Russians were easy to deal with during World War II when we were allies against the Axis powers! That Stalin was a cuddly guy, as I recall.
Another Dorman H. Smith cartoon from Aug. 11, 1944.
OK maybe I need to go back further in time. Things were great as 1920 came over the horizon. Times were slower and easier to keep up with. Like this Bob Satterfield cartoon from Dec. 13, 1919.
Sorry too far back, let’s spin forward to July 1, 1959, and relax. The only thing we had to fear was total nuclear war. John R. Fischetti was the cartoonist.
I know things were great in 1963. Except, well, uhm, Civil Rights needed attention. That has been a struggle since the nation was founded.
Bill Mauldin was famed cartoonist of the Willie and Joe infantrymen of World War II and he combines powerful symbols to show the fight against racism is patriotic.
On Oct. 4, 1968, Paul Conrad created a near perfect illustration of the politics of culture war as he contrasted the viewpoints of Olympic sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos who protested racial discrimination and injustice. In the audience was a flag-waving Olympic official Avery Brundage.
The official, was nicknamed “Slavery Avery” for his racist views; he argued that politics and sports should not mix. NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick heard the same arguments in 2016 when he also protested inequality during the national anthem.
How about 1970? Things must have been great then.
Richard Nixon was struggling with economic crisis, anti-war protests and the consequences of escalating the war in Vietnam over the border into Cambodia. Herbert Block who cartooned under the name Herblock, would draw Nixon over his three decades of national political life. As Nixon’s troubled presidency faltered under the weight of his ethical failures, Herblock drew Nixon’s 5 o’clock shadow darker and more jowly.
So maybe things have never been settled and perfect.
My most carefree nostalgic days were when I was a kid and not having to keep up with utility bills, insurance or any of the hundreds of things involved in adulting.
Though they often promise the moon, no politician has the power to turn back time.
And frankly, I also remember as a kid wishing I was older and able to do things older people could do, so careful what you wish for.
Maybe we are always restless. Greatness isn’t a fixed place in time, a narrow pinnacle, on which we will all have to tippy toe balance upon.
Perhaps greatness can be found in our journey.
A classic story-line in sports is that greatness is the result of a growth, the effort to improve, not stagnation.
Democratic governance does not come in a tidy box. It requires active management.
Staying informed, finding common ground if possible, voicing opinions, protest and showing up at the polls are necessary components.
Power brokers are always in the game with money and lobbyists; so failing to be engaged is much like the meme cartoon.
A dog sitting the burning coffee shop, telling ourselves “This is fine.”
