The political upheaval in the US mirrors broader societal issues in the 2024 and previous elections
TL/DR –
The article discusses the statement “we have met the enemy and he is us” from the “Pogo” comic strip by Walt Kelly, used to refer to significant moments of societal unrest and discord in US history. The phrase is said to encapsulate the intermittently tumultuous nature of American democratic politics, illustrated by periods of drastic political realignment like that which occurred in the presidential elections of 1860, 1912, and 1968. The author concludes by noting the importance of satire in critiquing established powers, referencing Garry Trudeau’s long history of satirizing Donald Trump in his comic strip “Doonesbury”.
Here is the content:
Understanding Our Democracy and Current Political Climate
The famed phrase from cartoonist Walt Kelly’s comic strip “Pogo” – “We have met the enemy and he is us” – mirrors the essence of our democracy. Since its inception, American politics have been fraught with conflict, with significant upheaval occurring every 50 years or so.
Pogo’s phrase echoes Admiral William Hazard Perry’s declaration after the US Navy’s victory over the British in the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie. Kelly’s comic employed this pithy statement to address anti-communist hysteria in the 1950s and later, environmental concerns.
It’s a fitting commentary for today’s controversial US presidential politics. The contentious 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns have been marked by hostility and insults, leading many to decry our times as unprecedented.
However, history shows us that tumultuous periods aren’t unique. Notably, the 1860 presidential race, which contributed to the Civil War, featured four parties vying for power. Likewise, the Whigs replaced the Federalists following the War of 1812, and Theodore Roosevelt’s breakaway Bull Moose Party triggered a major political shift during the 1912 presidential election.
Roosevelt’s leadership redirected the Republican Party towards progressive values, bolstering anti-trust laws, worker protection, wilderness conservation, and wildlife preservation.
The 1930s saw a reformist Democratic Party majority under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This period signaled sweeping economic, social, and political changes, later mirrored in the turbulent 1960s, a time of civil rights movements and anti-Vietnam War protests.
The extraordinary 1968 presidential election, marked by the tragic assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, illustrates another instance of our democracy’s enduring resilience.
The role of satire during these tumultuous times is significant. Cartoonist Garry Trudeau has been including Donald Trump in his comic strip since 1987, publishing a collection of these strips titled “Yuge!”
Further Reading
For more on this topic, check out Luke A. Nichter’s book, “The Year That Broke Politics: Collusion and Chaos in the Presidential Election of 1968,” published by Yale University Press.
Article by Arthur I. Cyr, author of “After the Cold War” (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan). Reach out at acyr@carthage.edu
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