Political Memes, Comics, and other Shenanigans, Part 43

[CTRLZero]

2 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Creative note: This was published Sunday morning and in all that time between now and then, nobody noticed the one Easter egg I hid in this cartoon. Shame on you. Shame on the lot of you. Hint: It’s amongst the crudités

All right, I give up.  What is it?  😄  I thought it might be in the orange section, but… 🤷‍♀️ 

[GreyhoundFan]

34 minutes ago, CTRLZero said:

All right, I give up.  What is it?  😄  I thought it might be in the orange section, but… 🤷‍♀️ 

I couldn't find it either. I was hoping one of my eagle-eyed FJ friends would spot it.

[fraurosena]

I found it! Trump is amongst the oranges, at the top of the pile on the right next to the carrots. I'm on my phone or I'd take a pic and blow it up.

[GreyhoundFan]

[thoughtful]

52 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

I found it! Trump is amongst the oranges, at the top of the pile on the right next to the carrots. I'm on my phone or I'd take a pic and blow it up.

[GreyhoundFan]

[GreyhoundFan]

 

"Teacher Shortage"

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There is a national teacher shortage in the United States and just because you’re only hearing about it now doesn’t mean it’s new. Teachers have been leaving the profession for years, it was only exacerbated by COVID and the politicization from the GOP that followed.

States and school districts are getting creative in handling the crisis, some offering bonuses, others cutting school days down to four, and in fascist Florida, they’re allowing veterans to teach without the requirement of a bachelor’s degree, but while pursuing one.

It’s funny that it’s Florida taking the shortcut with teachers as those veterans don’t have to have teaching experience, which shows maybe just how much Ron DeSantis respects education and the teaching profession. Just because you don’t need any experience to be elected president or governor doesn’t mean you can wing it as a teacher.

What’s funny about this in the not-so-funny ha-ha way is that its Republican assholes like Ron DeSantis who should be given a lot of the blame for teacher shortages.

First, they politicized COVID. They didn’t want vaccine or face mask mandates for schools, thus putting your kids’ lives in danger…and your entire family’s in danger as well. They didn’t care because it made good politics. Look what fascist Democrats are doing! They’re mandating personal choice with your children! Bleah! Bleah! Bleah!

Then, they started making laws that schools can’t teach Critical Race Theory, which no school in the United States is teaching. But, Republicans are redefining what is and isn’t Critical Race Theory and in Florida, Ron DeSantis has put out a list of textbooks for the state to ban. They’ve also banned anything that mentions “gay.” Somehow, they found a textbook that teaches “gay math.” No, seriously. And, not to mention all the book bans.

We’re discovering you don’t need any actual experience that pertains to the job to be elected as a school board member either.

In Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, who had zero experience in public office before being elected governor, ran on a campaign that teachers were indoctrinating children into liberalism. He claimed President Biden was sending the FBI after parents who spoke out at school board meetings, which went national despite the fact it wasn’t fact. He won on this bullshit.

Republicans nationwide are demanding that parents, not teachers, set the curriculum for public school students. But the thing is, they have a say in how they vote, from school board elections to state representatives to stupid-ass troglodyte governors like Ron DeSantis, Greg Abbott, and Glenn Youngkin.

Youngkin has actually set up a snitch line for parents to call and tell on teachers who are doing bad things, like teaching Critical Race Theory or other divisive topics. The Washington Post and a dozen other media outlets have filed suit under the Freedom of Information Act seeking records related to this snitch line.

Some wisenheimers have published the tipline, which is helpeducation@governor.virginia.gov, and have encouraged its critics to flood it with faux complaints like schools are teaching Arabic numerals. We here at the Research and Other Things Department of Claytoonz Conglomerated maintain the utmost seriousness and a straight face when dealing with today’s top issues and would never encourage such a juvenile, sophomoric, and immature tactic as sending faux complaints about schools to helpeducation@governor.virginia.gov. Things like “Ms. Amanda Hunginkiss is teaching her second grade class about gay frog sex with bananas.” Or, “Mr. Seymour Butz is teaching a history class that Glenn Youngkin is Virginia’s first governor who’s a truck stop glory-hole aficionado. Be sure to spell out “aficionado” for them.

People like Glenn Youngkin and Ron DeSantis are destroying education in this nation by swapping it for propaganda. They’re the real groomers. They’re using children to manipulate parents, and Republicans and many moderate parents are dumb enough to fall for it.

When parents are leaving death threats for teachers, it’s no wonder nobody wants the job anymore.

Pretty soon, it won’t matter that a bachelor’s degree is no longer required to teach education…because all they’ll be teaching is right-wing propaganda.

 

[AlmostSavedAtTacoBell]

14 hours ago, Xan said:

He started playing with the fingerprint pad.  They're still cleaning him up.

You win the internet today!!

[GreyhoundFan]

[GreyhoundFan]

[GreyhoundFan]

[GreyhoundFan]

[GreyhoundFan]

[GreyhoundFan]

[GreyhoundFan]

[GreyhoundFan]

[GreyhoundFan]

[GreyhoundFan]

 

"New Boogie Wanted"

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With the kinda-sorta retirement of Dr. Anthony Fauci, Republicans are going to need a new boogieman. They probably have it in Attorney General Merrick Garland. And just like they did with Dr. Fauci, they’ll do it by vilifying and making a bunch of horrible shit up to the point that his life will be in danger. Maybe they should put Rand Paul in charge of the operation since he did such a great job of exposing what an asshole he is while trying to discredit Dr. Fauci.

Dr. Fauci is an American hero and the top infectious-disease expert in the country. He guided us through the coronavirus pandemic. For that, he was attacked by fans of the guy who downplayed the virus while hundreds of thousands of Americans died. Dr. Fauci was vilified by fans of the guy who promoted fake cures and told us to ingest bleach.

Talking to Fox News’ Neil Cavuto this week, Fauci said, “If somebody says that hydroxychloroquine works and is the miracle cure and I say it’s not, then I’m the bad guy to some people. When in fact it never did work, and it doesn’t work now.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Fauci told us that science changes as we learn more. When our knowledge of the virus grew, and strategies, advice, and policy changed, Republicans accused Fauci of being inconsistent and even of lying. There are still people who believe the Earth is flat.

Republicans blamed Fauci for face mask mandates, the closing of schools, and the closing of businesses despite the fact he never set any of those policies. Yet, Tucker Carlson has called him a “Mussolini-type dictator.” Lara Logan directly compared him to Nazi physician Josef Mengele. The jab for the vaccines to the virus were even nicknamed after him, Fauci-Ouchie.

It gets worse. Many Republicans like Rand Paul either insinuated, suggested, or outright claimed that Dr. Fauci created the coronavirus. Conspiracy theorists in Qanon claim he created the virus in a Wuhan lab and unleashed it upon the world, most likely to hurt Donald Trump. How did Dr. Fauci know that Donald Trump would bungle the government’s response to the pandemic so badly? Some have even accused him of giving Trump the coronavirus that nearly killed him.

Taking a shot at Fauci, and missing, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said yesterday, “I just have one rule of thumb. I really don’t trust anyone that keeps a mural of themselves in their office.” I guess he missed all those Trump murals when he was down at Mar-a-Lago kissing the orange ass. Fortunately for McCarthy, Trump’s ass was an easier target for his lips to hit.

Fauci does have a mural of himself in his office, probably less because it’s of him and more because it was painted by Joan Baez and presented as a gift. Donald Trump buys murals of himself, usually with money that was donated to his fake charity with the intention of helping children with cancer. Donald Trump even has fake Time Magazine covers featuring him in his resorts. Does McCarthy have a rule of thumb for that?

You know Fauci is a good guy because the bad guys hate him. They vilified him to the point that he was receiving death threats, which is something Republicans do now. They trash heroes to the point that their followers attempt to kill them. Last Thursday, a man was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for sending threatening emails. One of the emails featured the subject line: “Hope you get a bullet in your compromised satanic skull today.” Another one, out of the seven he sent, said, “You and your entire family will be dragged into the street, beaten to death, and set on fire.” I usually just get, “hope your dick falls off, Libtard.” It hasn’t.

Two weeks ago, a MAGAt heard all the Trump and Republican attacks on the FBI and decided to visit the bureau in Cincinnati with an AR-15 and a nail gun. He was killed. Donald Trump actually told Attorney General Merrick Garland that he wants to turn the heat down, yet he’s the one sending goons to kill the attorney general and FBI agents. Trump has NOT made any public statements calling his goons off. Of course, this is the same guy who ordered white nationalist terrorists to attack the Capital to overturn the election he lost.

Dr. Fauci will leave his position as chief medical adviser to President Biden and will step down from his job for the last 38 years as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He plans to teach, write, and mentor the next generation of scientists. Republicans need a new boogieman. They have one in Merrick Garland.

One member of Congress claimed Garland was personally going after Trump because it was Trump who denied him a seat on the Supreme Court. No. That person was Mitch McConnell. Garland is doing his job, and like Fauci, he’s being vilified for it.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin warning of “an increase in threats and acts of violence” directed at FBI personnel. The bulletin said the threats were “occurring primarily online and across multiple platforms,” and that some were specific in identifying proposed targets and tactics, as well as weaponry. You know, shit like AR-15s and nail guns.

These threats were instigated by Trump and Republicans attacking the FBI, DOJ, and Merrick Garland, with many claiming the search of Trump’s home was political and that they’ve even planted evidence. Many have asked Trump, “How did you declassify planted evidence?”

Republicans are demanding that Garland release everything he knows about the investigation while not asking Trump, “Hey…why did you steal classified government documents?”

If Republicans take Congress in November, then you can expect a lot of hearings calling the Attorney General to testify. These hearings will be public gotcha political posturing that will only serve to waste time. They’re also talking about hearings on Hunter Biden’s laptop and….more hearings for private citizen Dr. Fauci.

Dr. Fauci says he’s changing roles and not retiring. He’s definitely not retiring as the Republican’s boogieman, but I’m sure it’s a role he’ll be capable of sharing with Merrick Garland.

 

[Black Aliss]

[GreyhoundFan]

[GreyhoundFan]

 

"Student Loan Forgiveness"

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I’m dedicating today’s cartoon to my friend Karen because she isn’t just glad to see President Biden forgive a lot of student debt for 43 million Americans, she’s relieved. President Biden just took a huge weight off her tiny little shoulders.

As soon as it was announced, Karen messaged me about the news in case I had missed it. Did I mention she was really happy about this?

Karen wrote, “Wiping away $10K for me would definitely help and make a huge difference in my life. Since the interest rate changes from year to year my student loans have different interest rates. What gets to me is how the loans accrue interest too. You may not have to pay your loans while in school but they are accruing interest. So a loan from freshman year has been accruing interest for four years. That adds up especially considering those loans are for thousands of dollars. Same thing if you have to temporarily stop making payments and get approved for that. The loan is still accruing interest and that could be thousands of dollars.”

As this move relieves stress and takes weight off the shoulders of millions of Americans, there are complaints. Some complain it goes too far while others are complaining it doesn’t do enough. It’s like the bailouts of Wall Street, banks, car companies, and the COVID relief packages.

A lot of Democrats complain this isn’t enough and we should have free college in this country. And there are moderate Democrats who say we can’t afford this. And of course, there are Republicans who say we can’t afford this.

When Democrats complain about this and say we can’t afford it, listen to them. They’re making valid points, even if you don’t agree. When Republicans grouse about this, ignore them. For Republicans, it’s just politics.

Republicans say this is a move to buy votes before the midterms. But, isn’t everything people in Congress vote for an attempt to curry favor with voters? It’s the GOP’s own fault that they’re not going to get the great big red wave they were salivating over in November.

Republicans say this will increase the federal debt. Yeah, ignore that shit from Republicans who are the kings of debt.

They say it’s unfair to people who’ve already paid off their loans, This is true but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t help others. If anything, this argument gives weight to making college free.

They say it’ll make inflation worse. It won’t.

They complain it’s not fair to people who didn’t go to college. Actually, it is. If you don’t have kids, or you send yours to private schools so they can be groomed to be future entitled assholes, you still still pay taxes that support public schools. Here’s the thing kids: We’re working toward a better future that will benefit people who are not you. It’s good to live in an educated society. And, someone paid taxes that supported schools when you were a kid.

President Biden said, “I understand that not everything I’m announcing today is going to make everybody happy. But I believe my plan is responsible and fair.”

For Republicans, they don’t think it’s fair because it won’t affect their voters as much as it’ll affect Democratic and Independent voters. Why? Because the uneducated is the base for the Republican Party. Don’t take my word for it. Take Donald Trump’s who said, “I love the uneducated.”

President Biden won 60 percent of college-educated voters. Trump won 63 percent of non-college educated white voters.

Why do the uneducated vote Republican? Because Republicans appeal to the lowest common denominator. And Donald Trump showed the Republican Party they weren’t going low enough. Educated people don’t fall for, “We’re gonna build a wall and Mexico is going to pay for it.” And you shouldn’t have to go to college to recognize a grifter when you see one.

Why do you think chants at Trump rallies are no longer than three words? “Space force.” “Lock her up.” “Build the wall.” “Send them back.” “Fire Fauci.” “Mmmghrrmarrr.” That last one was from the chanters with their heads stuck in peanut butter jars.

Support for Trump and the GOP is especially strong among uneducated white people. I mean, what goes better with stupid than racism?

We can’t forgive student loans all the time, so don’t take a huge loan expecting it to be forgiven down the road. Also, a Republican could steal the White House in 2024 and if that happens, he’s not going to help people with college debt, I assure you.

But we can afford free college. If we can afford 20 aircraft carriers and a military budget of over $800 billion, we can afford free college. President Biden had a five-year plan for free community college (in case you’re a Republican, that’s two years of higher education) that would have cost a little over $45 billion over five years, but it was taken out to get a bill passed. Damn, we could just scrape off the top of the military budget and get free community college and maybe throw in a few dog parks.

Republicans arguing that student loan forgiveness doesn’t benefit everyone are the same people who gave tax cuts to corporations and billionaire assholes that cost our nation around $2 trillion. And, they were told it would cost that much before they voted for it. They didn’t care about debt or fairness when they did that. Those tax cuts didn’t benefit the entire country. Who’d they benefit the most? Billionaire assholes.

Donald Trump’s greatest legislative accomplishment was giving himself a huge tax cut and eliminating the tax his trust fund babies would have had to pay when they inherit all his shit after he croaks.

Karen also wrote about her loan forgiveness, “It would make more of a difference to me than the big corporations that had their loans turned into grants and the right didn’t complain about that. They pretend it never happened.”

When Republicans pretend like they care about all Americans, don’t listen to them. Like with everything else Republicans say, they’re lying.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

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