Life, 1919-04-24 · page 30 of 46
Life — April 24, 1919 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This *Life* magazine page satirizes bureaucratic absurdity and governance by the "opposite principle." A courtier advises the "mighty ruler of the great Kingdom of Nowhere" that to maintain their national character, they must do the *opposite* of what sensible kingdoms do. Specifically: fire competent employees rather than hire them—because Somewhere (an obvious stand-in for rational governance) does the opposite. The humor targets political leaders who prioritize ideology or tradition over competence, making deliberately poor decisions to assert national distinctiveness. The lower cartoon, "The Cruel Animal Trainer," shows a man beating a donkey, illustrating the theme that illogical punishment doesn't fit the crime—mirroring the dialogue's absurd logic. The side-dialogue about smoking coupons provides contrasting domestic absurdity, suggesting irrationality pervades all levels.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
producing results, they disband that or- ganization. If they get a man who seems to be competent, and isn’t netent, why, off goes his head.” “Don't! You make me shy Tell it to me more gently. D, mean to say, my dear fellow, the actually discharge anyone?” “Right and left. They appar atly have no sense about this sort of (ing. And this is my point, my very creat point. Sire, they do this in Somey Now, inasmuch as you are the hig t mighty ruler of the great Kingdon of Nowhere, in order to keep the sacred spirit of Nowhereness which our tore- fathers have handed down to us, why, don’t you see that we must do the very opposite?” “You mean—” “Toimean that when we we have a really competent man « hands, or one who is growing s« must fire him. Yes, Sire, you must firm! You mustn't let your feelings get the better of you, nor influence you, nor party you should by any chance hap; have any—turn you away. If \ going to continue to live in Nowhere “ALICE! YoU ARE SMOKING TOO MUCH!” all the rest of our days, then you must “BUT, MAMMA, L ONLY NEED TWO HUNDRED MORE COUPONS TO GET THAT do as I have so logically—I trast LOVELY TOILETTE Set.” explained.” ° (Continued on page our sacred. institutions we must. in- evitably do just the opposite of w they do in the Kingdom of Somewhere. Do you follow me “Do I follow you? I should say 4 did! Do you know, my dear Bottle: what I have always loved about you is your marvelously logical mind. Let's sce; we were talking about Somewhere. First, we must know what they do there.” That’s it, Sire. Your wonderfully acute mind is grasping the situation, and the ultimate solution. Now, in the Kingdom of Somewhere, when they wish to accomplish a definite result, they just reach out and get the very best people to do it, no matter how much pride they may have to swallow, or whose feelings may be hurt, or any- thing else. And the king always stays at home on the ~ How horrible “y Those people in Somewhere don't care what they do, so long they get what they go after. If it ha THE CRUEL ANIMAL TRAINER pens io be a ganization which isn LET THE PUNISHMENT FIT THE CRIME Comicbooks.com