Blog

THE DONALD TRUMP IMPERIAL BRIGADE
Sunday, August 02, 2020 (40 reads)

Who were those unidentified federal troops?

Read More

MORE HOAXES
Saturday, July 25, 2020 (51 reads)

A bad patch for Trump

Read More

RISING CHINA
Monday, July 13, 2020 (122 reads)

Capitalistic communism

Read More (Rating-3.00)

BACK TO BOLTON
Friday, June 26, 2020 (181 reads)

Bolton's back

Read More

YOUR PRESIDENT OF LAW AND ORDER
Tuesday, June 09, 2020 (303 reads)

Race: the big change

Read More

To Your Health!
Monday, May 25, 2020 (455 reads)

Great health care!

Read More

DR. TRUMP
Monday, May 04, 2020 (573 reads)

Pharmacist-in-chief

Read More

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS
Tuesday, April 14, 2020 (653 reads)

Coronavirus here and elsewhere.

Read More

ON CORONAVIRUS
Sunday, March 22, 2020 (759 reads)

Aka covid 10

Read More

TRUMP'S TWEETS
Friday, February 28, 2020 (886 reads)

Barr's sad complaint

Read More

THE BRITISH ROYALS
Saturday, February 01, 2020 (1117 reads)

More British royal problems

Read More (Rating-5.00)

DEADLOCK IN ISRAEL
Friday, January 17, 2020 (1066 reads)

Election deadlock in Israel

Read More (Rating-5.00)

BORIS AND BREXIT
Wednesday, December 25, 2019 (1198 reads)

A triumph for Boris: now comes the hard part.

Read More (Rating-4.00)

ACCORDING TO FOX
Monday, November 25, 2019 (1433 reads)

More testimony on impeachment.

Read More (Rating-4.00)

THE PEOPLE, MAYBE
Saturday, November 09, 2019 (1496 reads)

Democracy in trouble.

Read More

"PERFECT"
Tuesday, October 22, 2019 (1957 reads)

Impeachment -- then and now.

Read More

ONE COUNTRY FOUR SYSTEMS
Wednesday, October 09, 2019 (1865 reads)

Hong Kong v China

Read More (Rating-5.00)

Dumb
Saturday, September 21, 2019 (2190 reads)

He says he's really smart.

Read More

WHY THE G7?
Sunday, September 01, 2019 (2462 reads)

Trump v. the G7

Read More

MUELLER SPOKE!!!
Monday, August 12, 2019 (2815 reads)

Another Mueller disappointment.

Read More

GOODBYE THERESA, HELLO BORIS
Monday, August 05, 2019 (2574 reads)

Will Johnson be a Winston or a May?

Read More (Rating-3.00)

RACIST TRUMP?
Tuesday, July 23, 2019 (2801 reads)

Is Donald Trump a racist?

Read More (Rating-3.00)

THE EMBASSADOR REGRETS
Monday, July 15, 2019 (3086 reads)

Farewell, British Ambassador

Read More (Rating-3.00)

DEMOCRATS DEBATING
Saturday, July 06, 2019 (3290 reads)

Too many debaters

Read More (Rating-3.00)

A BETTER TRUMP?
Thursday, June 27, 2019 (2938 reads)

Is a better Trump possible?

Read More (Rating-3.00)

A TIME FOR BILLIONAIRES
Friday, June 07, 2019 (3618 reads)

In America today it's not enough to be a millionaire.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

CLIMATE CHANGE: THAT'S FUNNY?
Saturday, May 18, 2019 (3405 reads)

Laughing all the way to extinction.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

IMPEACH OR ???
Wednesday, May 01, 2019 (3675 reads)

One way or the other.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

ARE WE FULL?
Tuesday, April 16, 2019 (3822 reads)

No, we're not nearly full

Read More (Rating-3.00)

NO COLLUSION?
Sunday, March 31, 2019 (4134 reads)

No collusion? And what about obstruction?

Read More (Rating-3.50)

THE SELLING OF HIGHER ED
Wednesday, March 20, 2019 (4331 reads)

The universities' admissions scam.

Read More (Rating-4.00)

WHO'S NOT LYING?
Friday, March 08, 2019 (4638 reads)

Who, if anyone, is not lying?

Read More (Rating-4.00)

EMERGENCY!!!!
Monday, February 18, 2019 (4455 reads)

What's The Emergency?

Read More (Rating-3.00)

BREXIT BLUES
Saturday, January 19, 2019 (4775 reads)

Almost as bad as us.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

SHUT IT DOWN!
Sunday, December 30, 2018 (4740 reads)

We're shutting down the government
Said Trump it makes me proud.

Read More (Rating-4.00)

MURDER MOST FOUL
Saturday, December 08, 2018 (4612 reads)

The Saudis join the 21st century.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

THE MID-TERMS
Friday, November 16, 2018 (4701 reads)

Definitely a blue wave.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

PITTSBURGH
Thursday, November 01, 2018 (4973 reads)

And now -- the Jews.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

IT'S OVER
Friday, October 12, 2018 (4981 reads)

Kavanaugh's appointed -- was there ever any doubt?

Read More (Rating-4.00)

WHAT A WEEK!
Tuesday, September 11, 2018 (5215 reads)

An incredible week, even by Trump's standard.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

RACISM, BRITISH STYLE
Tuesday, August 21, 2018 (5449 reads)

Both British parties are caught up in charges of racism.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

FARTHER STILL BEYOND SATIRE
Friday, August 10, 2018 (5300 reads)

How do you satirize the already ludicrous?

Read More (Rating-4.00)

"INCREDIBLE"
Sunday, July 22, 2018 (5169 reads)

Putin's "incredible offer."

Read More (Rating-3.67)

TRUMP IN BRITAIN
Sunday, July 15, 2018 (5254 reads)

Trump in Britain was his usual diplomatic self.

Read More (Rating-3.67)

BEYOND SATIRE
Sunday, July 01, 2018 (5864 reads)

Satirizing Trump grows more difficult every day.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

GROUP OF SEVEN (MORE OR LESS)
Sunday, June 10, 2018 (5850 reads)

Should the group of 7 be 8? Or less?

Read More (Rating-3.00)

NEWS OF THE WORLD
Tuesday, May 29, 2018 (5384 reads)

A quick round-up of world news, mostly bad.

Read More (Rating-3.67)

TRUMP-OBAMA: THE LEGACIES
Wednesday, May 16, 2018 (5989 reads)

Trump's agenda: destroy Obama's legacy!

Read More (Rating-3.67)

TRUMP'S RULES
Thursday, May 03, 2018 (4089 reads)

Consistency for Trump is no virtue.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

JUDGING JAMES COMEY
Saturday, April 21, 2018 (5828 reads)

Comey v. Trump -- no end of satire.

Read More (Rating-3.67)

BOLTON
Monday, April 02, 2018 (4538 reads)

OH NO! NOT BOLTON!

Read More (Rating-3.67)

THERE GOES TILLERSON
Thursday, March 15, 2018 (5489 reads)

Almost everyone is feeling sorry for Rex Tillerson

Read More (Rating-3.00)

GUNS GALORE
Sunday, March 04, 2018 (4384 reads)

Is the mass murder of children a fit subject for satire?

Read More (Rating-3.00)

A THOUSAND LIES
Friday, February 09, 2018 (4879 reads)

Already they're claiming he's told a thousand lies.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

SHITHOLERY
Sunday, January 21, 2018 (5019 reads)

Suddenly the word is everywhere.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

STABLE GENIUS
Monday, January 08, 2018 (4723 reads)

It's official: Trump is a stable genius!

Read More (Rating-3.00)

TAX DEFORM
Monday, December 25, 2017 (5485 reads)

What this country needs -- tax cuts for the rich.

Read More (Rating-3.67)

ALABAMA!
Sunday, December 17, 2017 (4991 reads)

It really happened in Alabama!

Read More (Rating-3.67)

GROPINGS
Friday, November 24, 2017 (5335 reads)

Sex and politics, again.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

TWO COUPS
Sunday, November 19, 2017 (6328 reads)

Upheaval in Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe.

Read More (Rating-3.00)

SHOULD WE TONE DOWN THE SATIRE? 1-18-2011
Friday, February 04, 2011 (25342 reads)

SHOULD WE TONE DOWN THE SATIRE? 1-18-2011

The Arizona shooting has added more and more voices to the demand to restore civility to political discourse. Over and over we hear the demand to stop the vitriolic exchange of insults driven by mutual hostility.

What does this mean for political satire? By definition, satire is hostile and offensive. Even Art Buchwald, whose satire was relatively mellow and genial, said “Satire is malicious”. Holding people up to ridicule is not a friendly act. It doesn’t seem consistent with the proposal to lower the temperature of political discourse. So should satirists now blunt the edge of their wit when commenting on political issues and leaders?