Calling Wilcox’s cartoon “unacceptable” misunderstands both satire and journalism. Political cartoons are meant to be provocative, compressed and confronting. They exaggerate power relationships to expose hypocrisy and danger, not to offer polite balance.
This cartoon does exactly that. It highlights unchecked US imperial behaviour and the hollow language of “freedom and security” used by institutions like NATO while aggression proceeds regardless. Discomfort is not a flaw, it is the point.
If a cartoon criticising military power is deemed unacceptable simply because it offends those aligned with that power, then the problem is not the cartoon. It is a shrinking tolerance for dissent and satire in public debate.
Wilcox is doing a great job.
#politicalcartoons #satire #pressfreedom #imperialism #media #theage
