Political Cartoons from The Economist II: criticism of George Bush's Iraq policies

George Bush has been criticized through numerous media for his light treatment of terrorism and his saturnine attempts at spreading democracy throughout historically undemocratic parts of the world.

This political cartoon from The Economist uses allegory for irony. It depicts the Commander-in-Chief leaning over his painting project with a tired look of precision, yet indifference of intent. The scrolls he paints are neatly rolled up into Chinese take-out boxes labeled "Freedom for all." You will recognize the brush which "Uncle Sam" is holding as the same type used by subway officers removing old advertisements; yet this third-party "Sam" is using it to wipe clear the entire globe--a not-so-simple task, and not one Bush will personally undertake. With his back turned to the catastrophe he has ordered, Bush lazily drawls, "Sam, I think my message will appeal." Notice the lack of any preposition to compliment the verb phrase and acknowledge a specific audience to whom "the message" will "appeal" (George Bush and his administration have a distinctive taste in cheap puns and bad humor--this one puns on the words peal and apply, Sam's job).

Caricature, a comical portrait-method which exaggerates the subject's physical appearance to suggest their salient interests and nature, is usually a critical component to political cartoons and one which cartoonists work hard to perfect, like comedians at impersonations. Exaggeration of size is also important: notice that Bush, crouched, is about the same size as the globe of the entire world. The suggestion of power is the artist's intention, just as the suggestion of "headiness" should arrive from the disproportionate size of the head, and just as Sam is truly "spread thin" in every sense of the word.

The truth is that this image was published just before the 2004 election, and the character of Bush is hoping his message of freedom will help him win the election, which it did, despite the accusations of ineptitude and correlated strains on the economy.

How are political cartoons, which typically have just one frame, different from comic strips?

Do you think they are more or less effective than the animated French version, les guignols? In what ways, like style, subject, and audience, are they similar, or could they be different?