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Auchter's Art: foreign wars

Panel 1: A child helps their grandfather clean out an attic and holds up an old newspaper, asking, “This is fun cleaning up your attic, Grandpa. Hey, what’s this?” The grandfather replies, “Ha! That’s a newspaper, kiddo.”

Panel 2: The grandfather explains, “When I was your age, folks read a daily newspaper that was delivered to your house — I guess everything has changed these days.”

Panel 3: The child asks, “What’s this one say?” The grandfather reads the headline: “America leaders confident new foreign war necessary to prevent future foreign wars.”

Panel 4: The grandfather reflects, “I guess nothing has changed these days.”
John Auchter
/
For Michigan Public
But as it turns out, there's a war going on. Actually, multiple ones. And if you are listening to the rhetoric coming out the Trump administration, there are more coming.

Every week, I try to settle on a topic specific to Michigan. There certainly never is a lack of topics — especially in an election year — worthy of debate and discussion. Others are more just observations. For example, could the camera possibly pull in any tighter on those Perry Johnson ads?

But as it turns out, there's a war going on. Actually, multiple ones. And if you are listening to the rhetoric coming out the Trump administration, there are more coming.

So even though I couldn't come up with an angle on the Iran War specific to our state, I felt an overwhelming need to comment on it. And in case my point isn't obvious, I'll spell it out: We as a country appear to be completely incapable of learning lessons from our history.

Since 1995 John has created Michigan-based editorial cartoons for the Grand Rapids Business Journal, the Grand Rapids Press, and MLive Newspapers. His cartoons are currently featured at MichiganPublic.org and are syndicated to newspapers through the Michigan Press Association. John is an active member of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. You can view an archive of his editorial work and other cartoons at Auchtoon.com.
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