But of COURSE tfg is only interested in the wealthy and what benefits them,and the empty headed yutzes who voted him in are in for several nasty surprises.They don't yet understand what they will lose,alongside everyone else.They won't be exceptions to any of his policies,only his wealthy friends and benefactors will.
The day will come when all those enthusiastic voters will have buyers remorse,and wish they had never heard of him,forget wishing they never listened to his lies.He is infamous for backing out on his word,acting like he"don't remember"saying thus and so,and stabbing people in the back as easily as breathing.Had these same people bothered to remember his antics in the 70s,80s and 90s,how he cheated contractors out of the money he promised them,and when taken to court,he put off the hearings for months,finally either bankrupting these contractors until they had nothing left,or else going bankrupt himself,to avoid the debts,and paying these people literally pennies on the dollar of what he owed them.There have been reports of some people commiting suicide because of him.He is ruthless and heartless,as his supporters will soon find out.He is loyal to no one but himself.
I plan on supporting the ACLU and the NAACP, because they will fight back on tfg and his minions trying to run roughshod over our rights.We need people like them,to keep these people in check.We will need our rights as much intact as possible, because eventually we will need those to rebuild when these people are gone(and yes,someday they will be.)
Find people and organizations to support,even volunteer for if you can,that will help us fight back.And let the rest of us know who we can help support as well.We all need all the help we can get.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I can tell you’re really passionate about this. Staying engaged and supporting organizations that protect our rights is something we can all get behind.
Great cartoons! The public back then was getting accessible information about what policies meant but I wonder if all our media are doing ever half as good a job today. We have a lot of technology nut scant actual information seems to break through the attention barrier. In there any equivalent outreach to “low information” voters today? People who do not have the time or energy of (frankly) interest to get policy impacts explained in podcasts and posts are ready targets for disinformation, and it’s tough to think about how to be as concise, amusing and unforgettable as these cartoons are. Maybe memes? Are we building a reservoir of explanatory and unforgettable memes to put out every time T mentions tariffs?
What a thoughtful comment—thank you for sharing it! You’re absolutely right about the power of those cartoons. They managed to distill complex policy impacts into concise, unforgettable visuals that could speak to everyone, even non-literate people of the time. The humor, symbolism, and exaggeration made the message accessible to a broad audience in a way that text alone often couldn’t achieve. Your point about modern outreach is spot-on—there’s a real need for more engaging, clear, and shareable explanations of policy today. Cartoons were the memes of their time, and they show us how effective storytelling can transcend barriers.
There's one data point to add about the cartoon illustrating the differing costs of steel (Britain, $24/ton – US, $36/ton). That is an example of a production cartel (in this case American) jacking up prices internally and (because local demand does not meet supply) dumping product elsewhere to undercut foreign competition. I recognize that pattern from my (limited) experience observing the US bearing industry's precipitous decline in the 1970's while Japan's industry overproduced, leading to US demand for foreign sources of bearings and Japan's willingness to sell (perfectly good) bearings below cost.
So in the cartoon, Britain purchasing cheap American steel is Britain chopping off at the knees its own manufacturers (and of course US Steel is happy to help).
Bern, guess that's how cartels manipulate pricing and use foreign markets to dump excess product, even if it undercuts local industries. It’s a pattern that shows how so-called “protectionist” policies can create unintended vulnerabilities both at home and abroad, as monopolies seek profit at the expense of broader economic health. Appreciate your insight.
There’s so much history that we missed that is useful as we navigate the future. Each generation obviously has the same amount of time to learn during our formative years, but the volume of history grows disproportionately to our available time.
Instead of allocating so much of our 24-hour days to entertainment, should we allocate more time to a deeper understanding of current events and what led up to the issues of today? Big question mark there!
A success Democracy has never been an easy path for its citizens. Being informed is critical for us, “We the people”, and that means we must take the time required to be educated. The school years are an ever shrinking proportion of our lives. Time to be educated must be a priority in how we live in a democracy.
Adult seminars, continuing education classes, podcasts, documentaries, and of course, books are certainly out there…do we allocate enough time to learn from them? I am thankful for all the history buffs on line that have stepped up in this digital era to help teach us as the historical record grows. We must invest the time to be informed voters in a viable democracy.
Oh my, the buck stops here! Thank you, Peter Pappas for your postings.
Jane, Thank you for your thoughtful comment. You’ve captured exactly why history matters: it’s essential context for understanding the present and navigating the future. Democracy doesn’t thrive on autopilot—it demands informed, active citizens. While the sheer volume of history can feel overwhelming, platforms like this aim to distill the past into usable insights.
I’m glad the Forgotten Files resonates with you and appreciate your reminder that staying informed is a choice we all need to make. Thanks again for engaging so deeply.
But of COURSE tfg is only interested in the wealthy and what benefits them,and the empty headed yutzes who voted him in are in for several nasty surprises.They don't yet understand what they will lose,alongside everyone else.They won't be exceptions to any of his policies,only his wealthy friends and benefactors will.
The day will come when all those enthusiastic voters will have buyers remorse,and wish they had never heard of him,forget wishing they never listened to his lies.He is infamous for backing out on his word,acting like he"don't remember"saying thus and so,and stabbing people in the back as easily as breathing.Had these same people bothered to remember his antics in the 70s,80s and 90s,how he cheated contractors out of the money he promised them,and when taken to court,he put off the hearings for months,finally either bankrupting these contractors until they had nothing left,or else going bankrupt himself,to avoid the debts,and paying these people literally pennies on the dollar of what he owed them.There have been reports of some people commiting suicide because of him.He is ruthless and heartless,as his supporters will soon find out.He is loyal to no one but himself.
I plan on supporting the ACLU and the NAACP, because they will fight back on tfg and his minions trying to run roughshod over our rights.We need people like them,to keep these people in check.We will need our rights as much intact as possible, because eventually we will need those to rebuild when these people are gone(and yes,someday they will be.)
Find people and organizations to support,even volunteer for if you can,that will help us fight back.And let the rest of us know who we can help support as well.We all need all the help we can get.
Don't give up.Fight back!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I can tell you’re really passionate about this. Staying engaged and supporting organizations that protect our rights is something we can all get behind.
❤️ empty headed yutzes.
This post exemplifies the kind of informed history and economics teaching that more Americans need to have!
The irony of course being that millions of low or no or mis-information Americans voted for Trump solely because they thought he'll bring down prices.
I suspect there will be widespread buyers' remorse.
Great cartoons! The public back then was getting accessible information about what policies meant but I wonder if all our media are doing ever half as good a job today. We have a lot of technology nut scant actual information seems to break through the attention barrier. In there any equivalent outreach to “low information” voters today? People who do not have the time or energy of (frankly) interest to get policy impacts explained in podcasts and posts are ready targets for disinformation, and it’s tough to think about how to be as concise, amusing and unforgettable as these cartoons are. Maybe memes? Are we building a reservoir of explanatory and unforgettable memes to put out every time T mentions tariffs?
What a thoughtful comment—thank you for sharing it! You’re absolutely right about the power of those cartoons. They managed to distill complex policy impacts into concise, unforgettable visuals that could speak to everyone, even non-literate people of the time. The humor, symbolism, and exaggeration made the message accessible to a broad audience in a way that text alone often couldn’t achieve. Your point about modern outreach is spot-on—there’s a real need for more engaging, clear, and shareable explanations of policy today. Cartoons were the memes of their time, and they show us how effective storytelling can transcend barriers.
Wow. But “ illegals” and “trans”. SMH
A Republican never saw an idea they were not willing to steal and call their on!
I suspect the same, but this ain't Les Schwab and there's no getting your vote back.
the punchline of every historical joke is GOTCHA AGAIN!
Terrific post, PP!
Blush
Thanks, Peter. This is a really well done post.
There's one data point to add about the cartoon illustrating the differing costs of steel (Britain, $24/ton – US, $36/ton). That is an example of a production cartel (in this case American) jacking up prices internally and (because local demand does not meet supply) dumping product elsewhere to undercut foreign competition. I recognize that pattern from my (limited) experience observing the US bearing industry's precipitous decline in the 1970's while Japan's industry overproduced, leading to US demand for foreign sources of bearings and Japan's willingness to sell (perfectly good) bearings below cost.
So in the cartoon, Britain purchasing cheap American steel is Britain chopping off at the knees its own manufacturers (and of course US Steel is happy to help).
Bern, guess that's how cartels manipulate pricing and use foreign markets to dump excess product, even if it undercuts local industries. It’s a pattern that shows how so-called “protectionist” policies can create unintended vulnerabilities both at home and abroad, as monopolies seek profit at the expense of broader economic health. Appreciate your insight.
Wow, those cartoons are so relevant today!
There’s so much history that we missed that is useful as we navigate the future. Each generation obviously has the same amount of time to learn during our formative years, but the volume of history grows disproportionately to our available time.
Instead of allocating so much of our 24-hour days to entertainment, should we allocate more time to a deeper understanding of current events and what led up to the issues of today? Big question mark there!
A success Democracy has never been an easy path for its citizens. Being informed is critical for us, “We the people”, and that means we must take the time required to be educated. The school years are an ever shrinking proportion of our lives. Time to be educated must be a priority in how we live in a democracy.
Adult seminars, continuing education classes, podcasts, documentaries, and of course, books are certainly out there…do we allocate enough time to learn from them? I am thankful for all the history buffs on line that have stepped up in this digital era to help teach us as the historical record grows. We must invest the time to be informed voters in a viable democracy.
Oh my, the buck stops here! Thank you, Peter Pappas for your postings.
Jane, Thank you for your thoughtful comment. You’ve captured exactly why history matters: it’s essential context for understanding the present and navigating the future. Democracy doesn’t thrive on autopilot—it demands informed, active citizens. While the sheer volume of history can feel overwhelming, platforms like this aim to distill the past into usable insights.
I’m glad the Forgotten Files resonates with you and appreciate your reminder that staying informed is a choice we all need to make. Thanks again for engaging so deeply.