The Debt Ceiling Hostage Crisis
January 29th, 2023 Barry Posted in Conservatives, Economic cartoons, Right-wingers | No Comments »
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TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON
This cartoon has nine panels.
PANEL ONE
At the top of the panel, there is a large caption, which says: THE DEBT CEILING HOSTAGE CRISIS.
The panel shows a middle-aged man, wearing a brown suit with a red necktie, standing in a deep trench that’s been cut into the floor. It’s reminiscent of defensive trenches dug by soldiers during war, but it’s very clean and abstract, rather than being a realistic trench.
The man is holding an old-fashioned comic book bomb – a perfectly round black sphere with a burning fuse – in one hand, and shaking a fist with the other. He’s yelling and looks angry.
MAN: Give me what I want – or I’ll blow us ALL up!
PANEL TWO
A far shot lets us see that there are actually two trenches here. In one trench is the man from panel one; in the other is a white-haired woman wearing a blue blazer over a red blouse. The two of them are facing each other.
WOMAN: What do you want?
PANEL THREE
The man holds up the bomb higher, and holds up the forefinger of his other hand. He’s still yelling angrily.
MAN: I want BIG cuts in Social Security and Medicare.
PANEL FOUR
Pretty much the same scene, except now we’re seeing the angry-looking man in profile.
MAN: I ALSO want big cuts for climate change spending. AND the IRS. AND welfare.
PANEL FIVE
A close-up of the man as he smiles.
MAN: Basically, if it’s not defense spending or tax cuts for the rich, I want it slashed.
PANEL SIX
The “camera” pulls back so we can see both trenches; the woman is in the foreground, the man (still grinning and holding up the bomb) is in the background.
MAN: And if I DON’T get EVERYTHING I want, I’m blowing up the economy!
MAN: Do we have a deal?
PANEL SEVEN
A shot of the woman, who has an angry expression as she stares at the man, her arms crossed.
WOMAN: No.
PANEL EIGHT
A shot of the two of them staring at each other, with the back of the woman’s head in the foreground. The man is thinking things over.
PANEL NINE
A shot of the man in his trench, looking a little surprised, and also like his feelings have been hurt.
MAN: You’re not even going to negotiate?
