Life — January 22, 1920 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Satire Analysis This page presents two satirical pieces about class conflict and economic inequality, likely from the early 20th century. **"Tertium Quid"** (Latin: "a third thing") uses three parallel verses to mock competing claims: capitalists demand higher profits, workers demand higher wages, and the poor demand basic food and clothing. The accompanying illustration shows two men crouching over a wooden fence labeled "LIFE"—suggesting both groups are positioned above ordinary people. **"The Merry Profiteers"** below depicts a well-dressed businessman returning home after attending a fashionable hotel banquet while his wife stands hungry in their modest kitchen. The satire targets the hypocrisy of the wealthy enjoying lavish meals while claiming ignorance of the poor's deprivation—a critique of Gilded Age inequality and indifference.