This, I like
Ribbon-based economy
The ribbons annoy me for the simple reason that they are trite, ugly, and ubiquitous. "Support Our Troops!" they bleat. Is there any reasonable person who doesn't want our troops home and safe? I mean, come on!! I should start a ribbon campaign called "Food Is Important!" I will offer no helpful insights on how all the people of the world can have access to affordable food. My statement of obviousness is enough, I think.

But the cartoon reminds me of the big conflict back at Alma during the Gulf War, my sophomore year, when I was a member of SPAN (Students for Peace and Non-Violence). A group of students had tied yellow ribbons to all the trees along Superior, in support of our troops. SPAN decided that plastic (i.e. oil-based) ribbons were the height of irony in an oil-based war, and we tied our own ribbons, made of white cotton, to the same trees. Members of the yellow-ribbon group went out at night and ripped down all our ribbons because they somehow viewed our independent show of support as some sort of aggressive, anti-American statement. It seems rather silly in retrospect but at the time there were a lot of tears and anger on both sides. "We care more!" "No, WE care more!!"

My days as a radical were short-lived. I just didn't have the energy for it. Plus, I had homework to do.
- posted by Diane @ 5:32 PM