2014-09-28
Explanation
The Joke
The comic presents a "browser plugin idea" that automatically replaces mentions of military hardware with their equivalent value expressed in scholarships. The example shown on a news website reads: "3,428 full rides to Harvard were dropped on Syria early this morning."
The Humor
The humor comes from the jarring reframing of military spending. By replacing "bombs" or "missiles" with their educational equivalent in dollar value, the comic forces the reader to confront the enormous cost of military operations in human-potential terms. The specific phrasing is darkly funny because "dropped on Syria" works literally for both bombs and (absurdly) for scholarships, creating a surreal image. The comic is a form of political satire that highlights the opportunity cost of military spending -- the idea that the money spent on weapons could instead fund thousands of college educations. The man staring at his screen with a stunned expression reinforces the intended emotional impact of seeing war costs reframed this way.
References
This comic was published during the period of U.S. military operations against ISIS in Syria, which began with airstrikes in September 2014. The cost comparison between military spending and education funding is a common talking point in debates about government budget priorities.