politics-3
Explanation
The Joke
An alien has come to Earth and is frustrated that despite sending perfectly crafted political videos, violating all of humanity's most cherished taboos, people still do not agree on anything and the opinion polls have not shifted. A human explains that the alien's opponents have already accused the opposing side of being baby-eating, gap-supporting monsters, "but that we should see where they're going with it." The alien is advised to try "political moderation" by conquering planets through breaking them from within, and then someone suggests doing "the opposite."
The comic satirizes the absurdity of modern political polarization, where no revelation or scandal, no matter how extreme, actually changes anyone's mind. Even an alien literally trying to manipulate humanity through the most outrageous propaganda finds that the political landscape is already so entrenched and absurd that nothing moves the needle.
The Humor
The humor comes from layering absurdity upon absurdity. The alien is essentially a stand-in for anyone who thinks that presenting the right evidence or making the right argument will change political opinions. The joke is that political discourse has already become so extreme and tribal that even an alien invasion force cannot outdo what partisan commentators are already saying about each other. The punchline about "political moderation" being seen as radical and unprecedented adds another layer, suggesting that in a world of constant extremism, the truly shocking move would be to take a reasonable middle position.
References
The comic reflects ongoing discussions about political polarization, filter bubbles, and the ineffectiveness of fact-checking or persuasion in changing deeply held political views. The "baby-eating" reference is a nod to how political opponents are frequently demonized with the most extreme accusations imaginable.