Life — December 10, 1914 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The New Order" (1920) — Life Magazine Satire This page satirizes post-WWI social reforms, specifically the "Medical Trust" movement advocated by progressives. The dialogue depicts a young doctor treating a wealthy patient who initially refuses care, then learns the doctor must serve "desirable citizens" and bring "no revenue" — mocking the contradiction between socialist ideals and practical implementation. The accompanying illustration ("The Horse Show of 1920") depicts a chaotic scene with skeleton horses, suggesting the satire extends to the absurdity of implementing these new social orders. The skeletons imply that such reforms would result in economic or social "death." The magazine ridicules both progressive healthcare reform and the wealthy's resistance to redistribution of medical services, presenting the "New Order" as fundamentally impractical and ridiculous.