Why do I like one cartoon and not the other?

LEUNIG

TRUDEAU

Both are by well known cartoonists, politically left of centre. Leunig is an Aussie cartoonist who’s been around all my life. We might even have gone to Uni together. Trudeau I’ve enjoyed his cartoons a lot. Didn’t we all love Doonesbury in our student days? 

So, Why do I like Leunig's cartoon, above, but not Trudeau’s?

First because Leunig's plays to my priors and Trudeau’s doesn’t. Leunig mocks cancel culture, which I believe is real. (see my later post above, on the cancellation of professor Fryer). Trudeau mocks a mother who is upset at Critical Race Theory being taught in the classroom, which I believe it is. Leunig supports my priors; Trudeau doesn’t. There, I’ve said it.

That’s fine. I mean, I guess we all react to cartoons on the basis of our priors. Cartoons like these are political statements after all, just that they’re humorous (or meant to be). No doubt we shouldn’t react just basis our priors. But we all do. We should rise above our priors, but it’s hard. We’re doing well enough if we recognise we have priors!

With the LeunIg cartoon, If the thing he’s mocking is not real, if there really is no such thing as cancel culture, then fine. So be it. And Leunig's take would just looks silly. No damage done.

With the Trudeau cartoon, if the thing he’s mocking is not real, if CRT really is being taught in the classroom — as there is plenty of evidence that it is, e.g. here, here, here and here— then there is damage. Because his mocking emboldens those who deny CRT existence in schools. Either Trudeau doesn’t know or doesn’t care. My guess is he does know, but supports it. And his cartoon cynically playing to his progressive audience, enabling the ongoing spread of a very nasty, very racist, theory in the classrooms of America, by snarky mocking. 

That ain’t no joke!

ADDED: A Leung we we can all love: