Life — April 13, 1916 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Humiliation This satirical piece critiques American prosperity and complacency during World War I. The border imagery includes the Statue of Liberty (marked "1776-1812"), an eagle, and a warship (marked "1916"), alongside banners reading "PEACE AT ANY PRICE" and "TOO PROUD TO FIGHT"—likely referencing President Wilson's pre-war pacifist rhetoric. The text argues that America has profited from others' suffering in the war while avoiding combat, enriching itself through trade with distressed nations. The cartoonist suggests this is morally problematic—we've "hardly a scratch" while others suffer terribly. The piece questions whether America's luck and financial gain come at the cost of moral responsibility, framing American neutrality and profit as a form of national humiliation rather than fortune.