Mr. and Mrs. P’s Holiday Stroll

For many years during the holidays, I had a running theme in which Mr. and Mrs. Perkins were featured doing their gift shopping. This comic is actually a reflection of my own wishes for the season: more than anything, I just want peace, an end to the constant chaos, and a return to basic norms of human decency. It occurred to me that even the phrase “peace on earth and goodwill toward men” now feels strangely controversial. Indeed, the values of the holiday season seem very much in conflict with the brutal social Darwinism that seems to be everywhere now. (Although I will say, on a personal level, I have encountered people being very kind and helpful.)

MurderKorp

As regulations protecting the health and safety of Americans are stripped away, I find myself thinking a lot about the amorality of the marketplace. If the logic of unfettered capitalism is to maximize profits no matter what, and laws enacted in the public interest either no longer exist or are no longer enforced, then we quickly find ourselves in a state of anything-goes anarchy (or anarcho-capitalism, as the sophomoric philosophy is known). Without a responsible government creating ethical boundaries, you get a machine out of control. 

Yes, this is an absurd exaggeration. But there are plenty of corporations whose horrific misdeeds become sanitized when reduced to numbers announced by cheerleaders on a CNBC broadcast. I find this normalization weird and troubling.

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The Listeria League

This comic was inspired by a recent ProPublica analysis that found inspections of overseas food plants had dropped significantly under Trump despite unsanitary conditions found at several facilities. From the article:

About two dozen current and former Food and Drug Administration officials blame the pullback on deep staffing cuts under the Trump administration. The stark reduction marks a dramatic shift in oversight at a time when the United States has never been more dependent on foreign food, which accounts for the vast majority of the nation’s seafood and more than half its fresh fruit.

The stakes are high: Foreign products have been increasingly linked to outbreaks of foodborne illness.

This is not only gross, but completely deranged. These actions affect everyone who eats food, unless you rely completely on your own farm.

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Climate Silence

The COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil has been largely overshadowed by the Epstein files, but I thought it was worth reminding ourselves that humans are destroying the planet. Here in the states, it now feels almost taboo to mention these things. Even Bill Gates, a longtime funder of climate projects, has issued a widely-criticized memo suggesting a “strategic pivot” to helping poor countries develop rather than reduce carbon emissions, as though these two are mutually exclusive.

Of course, the usual oligarchic outlets had a field day with Gates’ comments, using them to promote fossil fuel usage and climate denialism. These unscientific falsehoods are being beamed into millions of American homes all day long, so that’s all many people hear. It’s not like this is a passive process, with no profit motive shaping public opinion. 

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Will to Cower

This would be about the recent vote by eight Senate Democrats to end the government shutdown without any concessions from the GOP. One of the better takes I’ve read about this is a post by Marcy Wheeler, who makes the case that the cave should have been at least postponed a while longer. 

One thing that is clear: the Democratic base, and I suspect many swing voters, respond positively to candidates who possess a certain amount of confidence and clarity about their beliefs. Mushy, mealy-mouthed triangulation doesn’t work! 

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Lead and Circuses

Consumer Reports recently made headlines with a new study showing high levels of lead in many protein powders and shakes. The average amount of lead detected had increased from a previous study done 15 years ago. It’s ironic that this particular wellness fad, like many others, may actually be compromising people’s health.

Ultimately, this cartoon is about more than just one scientific finding. If we look at what happened with COVID, or childhood vaccinations, or even climate change or January 6, we can see how easily conventional wisdom gets turned on its head by bad faith actors, especially in a media environment lacking responsible editors.

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When Worlds Collide

It feels like the gap has widened significantly between these two planes of reality within the last week or so. The demolition of the East Wing of the White House seems like the sort of thing that would generate 128-point font headlines for weeks had it been the handiwork of terrorists, a foreign adversary, or let’s be honest: a Democrat. Can you imagine if Hillary Clinton had torn down a huge chunk of the White House without permission? Seriously, can you even imagine the response? Yet a few prominent pundits and editorial boards were just fine with Trump reducing a large portion of the people’s house to rubble. I’m pretty sure the Washington Post of 25 years ago would not have been so nonchalant.

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Government Sh*tdown

If the health care tax credits are not extended, ACA premiums will more than double for a majority of the 24 million people who buy their insurance directly through the marketplace. Republicans have done nothing to address this and could end the shutdown by reaching an agreement with Democrats. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation article linked above, half the voters who purchase plans through the marketplace are small business owners or work for a small business; a quarter of all farmers are also insured this way. Given the already high costs and precariousness of American healthcare, the increased premiums will cause massive disruptions and chaos, sending prices even higher.

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War of the Worlds 2025

The other day, Trump said of Portland: “Every time I look at that place it’s burning down, there are fires all over the place” and “when a store owner rebuilds a store they build it out of plywood, they don’t put up storefronts anymore, they just put wood up.” I feel silly for even typing this, but that is not happening in reality. In the real world, a smattering of people are dressing up in animal costumes to protest outside the ICE facility. Portlanders are also expressing themselves through naked (or semi-clothed) bike rides. These are excellent ways of demonstrating in my opinion.

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America: What Does Not Belong?

The seed of this cartoon was planted when Jimmy Kimmel was temporarily taken off the air by Disney in an effort to appease the White House. It occurred to me that making fun of our political leaders is about as American as hot dogs and apple pie. When you take a step back, it’s breathtaking how many profoundly un-American oddities have crept into daily life. And by un-American, I mean ideas or actions that most of us agreed were not normal — at least while I was growing up.

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Pundit Bro Doom Loop

There’s been a fair amount of discussion lately about certain prominent liberal pundits being cozy with far-right commentators who would have been considered beyond the pale just a few years ago. Our corporate-friendly system wants performative displays of open-mindedness to right-wing ideology and endless trolling of progressives.

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