2011-11-12
Explanation
This comic takes the common expression "the Founding Fathers would be spinning in their graves" -- used to express outrage at perceived violations of constitutional principles -- and imagines it as a literal energy source. Set in Washington D.C. in the early twentieth century, a politician protests a bill by declaring that the Founding Fathers would be spinning in their graves. His colleague responds with "Precisely" and takes him to a secret underground facility.
There, it is revealed that dynamos have been attached to the heads and feet of all the Founders in their coffins. The more outrageous the government'''s actions, the faster the Founders spin, and the more electrical power is generated. The colleague explains that "Americans believe their power comes from coal and oil, but they ran out decades ago." This means that every rights violation, illegal war, and unfair tax actually keeps the country running by generating energy through posthumous Founder outrage.
The final panels show the politician being confronted with this dilemma -- "So... about that bill..." -- followed by a newspaper headline reading "Nicaragua Invaded! Energy Prices in Sharp Decline," suggesting the government continues to commit outrages specifically to keep the power grid running. The votey shows the cartoonist thinking "Hehe! People LOVE Nicaraguan occupation humor!" -- a self-deprecating joke about the obscurity of the historical reference (the U.S. actually did occupy Nicaragua in the early twentieth century).