Back around the time I was leaving high school a new comic strip came to my local paper. I won’t name it because it ended over a decade ago, I believe, and it doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page.

But it’s always stuck in my mind because it was, from the very beginning, so uninspired that I had to wonder how the guy behind it thought that he had what it took to make a daily strip. The first strip that ran in my paper, possibly the first strip period, showed the main character pouring himself a cup of coffee. Pause. Then he starts drinking from the coffee pot.

That’s the best he had to offer out of the gate. That’s his ‘Hi, I’m a comedic artist’ introduction, something I’m almost positive came from a Garfield strip. And it never got better than that.

I didn’t wonder how he got printed; ‘tepid’ is the mean all producers and publishers strive for. But as I asked, how did this guy not have any self-doubt or self-criticism? Did he never stop and say to himself ‘This is garbage. I have no ideas even halfway funny.’?

Part of me envies that. I’m in the middle of Camp NaNoWriMo now, and from the first day I’ve been telling myself my story is shit and no one will want to read it.

But really, for all the crap Millennials get for being the ‘Everyone gets a trophy’ generation, there’s nothing new about unqualified artists, entertainers or leaders being elevated beyond their merit.

Which brings us back to Jerry Holbert. Yet again. Up above there’s two consecutive cartoons, neither of which have an opinion or adequately make a joke. An editorial cartoon only needs to hit one mark, and Holbert so  consistently can’t manage either.

Republicans don’t like trade wars? Maybe point out none of them are challenging Trump on kicking one off. Aliens were behind the chemical attack in Syria? I hope that made sense to Holbert when he jotted the idea down after waking up in the middle of the night.

I honestly want to know where Holbert got the idea that he could hack it as an editorial cartoonist. Does he not know what this medium requires? Does he think political humor is just ‘Look at this silly thing happening today?’

The funny thing is: I’m sure he told this story so he could sound like some bad-ass Alpha Male. “I coldly and calmly organize bombings over frigging chocolate cake!” *cue action hero music*

But instead it just comes off as...disturbing. 

There are probably some of you out there who are too young to remember 2003 and the run-up to the Iraq war. You don’t remember – though maybe you’ve already been told in history class – what it was like to see journalists and pundits drop all critical thinking skills and slavishly trumpet how awesome the might of the American military is and how virtuous and justified we were to be taking down Saddam’s regime, long-term planning be damned.

Well now you get to experience it yourself, as history enters its ‘farce’ stage. Any person with two brain cells to rub together can see that Trump’s much ballyhooed strike on Syria was an impulsive gesture divorced from any cogent and comprehensive vision for America’s role in the region, but try telling that to the media. The supposed watchdogs for the American public are too busy trying to hide their stiffies to ask basic questions like ‘After this pre-announced bombing of a single air field, what next?’ or ‘If Trump is so concerned about Syrian babies being killed, why doesn’t he change his position on allowing refugees into America?’

And now the poison is free, instead of contained.

Tulsi Gabbard is the nominee for Office of the Director of National Intelligence. She is in the bag for Russia and has ties to Bashar al-Assad. She is generally considered a major intelligence threat. None of our secret intelligence or that of any allies foolish enough to share information with us will be safe. I beg of you fight this one.

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