I created this about a month ago but never got around to posting the link.  It’s a play on the 'Feel the Bern' campaign slogan and how context matters when hearing the words as opposed to seeing them in print.  

Hearing ‘Feel the burn’ has a positive connotation with regard to physical activity.  Although the activity causes momentary pain or discomfort, it’s that pain that the athlete seeks in order to grow in strength, endurance, etc.  'Feel the Bern’ makes use of that phrase to denote the same sort of second wind or runner’s high you would get by voting for Bernie Sanders.  There might be some momentary pain from his election, e.g. higher taxes, but the end result is positive growth.

I’m not here campaigning or advocating for Bernie.  I’m just explaining my interpretation of the slogan and why it inspired me to create this double caricature / political statement.  

If I were pressed I would say I trust Bernie Sanders and think he’s the most qualified of the present nominees.  He has an integrity, honesty, and consistency that has been sorely lacking in our elected representatives.  And in my opinion he’s the most, if not the only, honest person running for the office of President in 2016.

Donald Trump doesn’t even register on my radar.  He doesn’t frighten me or inspire me.  Of the Republican candidates he was the least objectionable to me only because he comes off as a carnival barker.  He’s there to draw people into the Trump Show and nothing more.  There is no substance to his campaign.  The other (R) candidates were objectionable to me in every way.  I just don’t think like them nor do I trust them.  Trump says objectionable things as well I just don’t think he’s sincere about his comments or beliefs.  He just says them to get press.

I don’t understand his popularity but I understand the anger and contempt that has fueled his supporters.  The phrase ‘Some people just want to watch the world burn’ from the movie The Dark Knight sums up for me what is, I think, the underlying sentiment of the people supporting Donald Trump.  I’m not saying they want everything to crash and burn.  They obviously want things to get better.  They just want to see the D.C. establishment burn to the ground.  And I’d guess they’re taking a perverse pleasure in seeing Washington squirm at Trump’s nomination.

One of the last "hard" UN Checkpoints in Mogadishu. Entry into the city was tightly controlled through armed checkpoints on the city perimeter. With implementation of the automated security systems, the need for 24 hour armed guard at the city limits has been reduced considerably.