The Welcome Mat Is a Trapdoor
There is a special kind of optimism that shows up right before really bad decisions, the kind that mistakes momentum for control.
Often, it wears a suit, carries briefing papers, and believes very sincerely that this time will be different.
History, meanwhile, is off to the side, quietly clearing its throat and checking its watch. Today’s cartoon nails it. You can feel the eagerness, the righteousness, and the absolute certainty that walking forward is the moral high ground, even if the floor plan suggests otherwise.
Allies, Enemies, and the Long Hallway
Nothing says strategic clarity like deciding the best way to spite your neighbor is to burn your own house to the ground and call it principle. That is the vibe here.
There is a strange comfort some leaders find in collective indignation, the belief that if enough people are angry together, the laws of physics, economics, and power politics will politely stand aside. It is the geopolitical equivalent of grabbing hands and chanting while the exit signs flicker off one by one.
No Exit, Plenty of Applause
The sharpest part of the joke is not the threat. It is the confidence.
The assumption that you can borrow danger, make a statement, and then simply step away when the lesson has been taught.
But leverage does not work like that, and neither do predators. Once you commit, the room gets smaller, the lights get dimmer, and suddenly the applause fades into chewing sounds.
Our cartoon does not shout this. It does not have to. It just smiles and lets the reader connect the dots, which is always where the real punchline lives.
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The Welcome Mat Is a Trapdoor
There is a special kind of optimism that shows up right before really bad decisions, the kind that mistakes momentum for control.
Often, it wears a suit, carries briefing papers, and believes very sincerely that this time will be different.
History, meanwhile, is off to the side, quietly clearing its throat and checking its watch. Today’s cartoon nails it. You can feel the eagerness, the righteousness, and the absolute certainty that walking forward is the moral high ground, even if the floor plan suggests otherwise.
Allies, Enemies, and the Long Hallway
Nothing says strategic clarity like deciding the best way to spite your neighbor is to burn your own house to the ground and call it principle. That is the vibe here.
There is a strange comfort some leaders find in collective indignation, the belief that if enough people are angry together, the laws of physics, economics, and power politics will politely stand aside. It is the geopolitical equivalent of grabbing hands and chanting while the exit signs flicker off one by one.
No Exit, Plenty of Applause
The sharpest part of the joke is not the threat. It is the confidence.
The assumption that you can borrow danger, make a statement, and then simply step away when the lesson has been taught.
But leverage does not work like that, and neither do predators. Once you commit, the room gets smaller, the lights get dimmer, and suddenly the applause fades into chewing sounds.
Our cartoon does not shout this. It does not have to. It just smiles and lets the reader connect the dots, which is always where the real punchline lives.
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