Life — July 10, 1902 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis This appears to be a satirical commentary on the Philippine-American War. The central exhibit shows a wooden crate labeled "EXHIBIT B - FILIPINO WAR" containing piled human figures, with signs reading "GIVE ME LIBERTY" and "GIVE ME DEATH" — inverting Patrick Henry's famous American revolutionary motto to suggest the grim choice faced by Filipinos. On the left, "Poor Lo Nearly Killed by Kindness" references historical depictions of Native Americans, suggesting parallel colonial exploitation. On the right, the "U.S. Congress" figure appears bloated or complacent, labeled "House Exhibits C." The cartoon criticizes American military actions in the Philippines as contradicting stated American values of liberty, while drawing uncomfortable parallels between U.S. treatment of Native Americans and current Philippine policy.