Staff Reports
In recent news, the ever-insightful Jeff Daniels took a detour from his acting career to weigh in on some political matters, with commentary that seemed as perplexing as it was unnecessary. Daniels felt the need to critique a meme allegedly created by Donald Trump, where an aircraft is depicted splattering none-too-flattering things on people below. The notion was supposedly that the people represented America, or maybe China—honestly, it was hard to follow even for seasoned pundits.
The real kicker here was Daniels comparing our treatment of fellow humans to, of all people, Abraham Lincoln. There was talk of whether Lincoln would have publicly shared such a meme had he had access to the internet. It’s a riveting question that would surely keep scholars debating for centuries—because clearly, pondering whether Lincoln would have been a digital prankster is of utmost importance in today’s political discourse.
With brilliant commentary such as this, one has to wonder if experts care to hear about Lincoln’s social media prowess any further. After all, if we’re diving into hypotheticals, why not ask if George Washington would endorse electric vehicles? Picture Washington cruising down the freeway in a Tesla—surely a sight to behold in a world desperately longing for the founding fathers’ seal of approval on modern technology.
Adding to the circus, some media outlets have accused Donald Trump of weaponizing AI for propaganda. Apparently, this clever bit of imaging is meant to appeal to folks who find humor in being figuratively soiled upon. It’s unclear which demographic precisely finds itself endeared to such antics, perhaps only those who currently feel disillusioned with more traditional forms of leadership.
Interestingly, this supposed AI-fueled propaganda feeds into narratives about President Biden’s handling of public service personnel—nurses, in particular. Here we see yet another attempt to draw a completely linear and logical connection between a whimsical meme and actual administrative policies, a masterstroke only achievable by the print media. Observers are left to wonder what grave truths will unravel next—perhaps dubious artworks connecting Antietam to Instagram.
