Ziggy by Tom Wilson & Tom II for July 12, 2023

“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist.” – Bishop Hélder Câmara

HMMM! The last two Ziggy’s have been somewhat political. Has Tom II taken over for Tom 1? Curious people want to know.

after rubbing the lamp, Zig realized he had to be careful with his three wishes from this genie

“War, Injustice, and prosperity for the already wealthy” The new republican platform.

They say they want those things, but they deliver the opposite.

Have you noticed that cartoonists show genies as blue since Robin Williams in Aladdin…

Those qualities have NOTHING to do with Communism. The three guiding principals of Communism for all except the ruling elite are enslavement, poverty, and totalitarianism.

Who has a problem with peace, justice and prosperity?

I have never know a communist country to have peace, prosperity and justice.

A RepubliCON genie?

The main difference is that under communism, most property and economic resources are owned and controlled by the state (rather than individual citizens); under socialism, all citizens share equally in economic resources as allocated by a democratically-elected government.

There has not been a true communist in power in in russia since 1921 or in china since 1948; they are just oligarchies that replaced the old oligarchies only difference between them and the U.S. is we have two competing oligarchies they only have one each. Only true communist countries I know of are in Oceania, because of the small population sizes it is a workable form of government.

Kinda like the religious reich

Easy. 3 principles of Capitalism: Create a product or service, market it, sell it. If you succeed, you continue. If you don’t succeed, you don’t ask the gov’t to bail you out.

I have loved Ziggy since the 1970s… It is amazing how fresh he keeps it… That said, the politics are a bit confusing and, in my opinion, out of place… I don’t think he’s pushing a specific ideology, because the message is muddled… While I always want an artist to push and stretch, Ziggy has always been a place to come together, left and right, in a message of peace and understanding… I hope this is not a direction he will be taking the strip. I think it is better when it is removed from time and politics. If he wants to do more politically themed strips, perhaps he could start a new strip or do editorial cartoons?

Politics: the worst invention of mankind. Bar none.