Signaling Strangelove: The New Yorker Cover's Brilliant Take on SignalGate
Barry Blitt’s masterpiece perfectly captures the essence of the Trump administration. It's a visual terror warning worthy of Kubrick himself.
Barry Blitt’s latest New Yorker cover masterfully captures the essence of the SignalGate scandal. The illustration, depicting administration officials gleefully riding a missile downward like deranged bronco busters, smartphones replacing ten-gallon hats, unmistakably references Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove.” The cover’s title, “Left to Their Own Devices,” is a stroke of genius - a clever play on words that not only nods to the technological aspect of the scandal but also suggests the dangerous consequences of leaving Trump and his proxies unchecked.
What the cover encapsulates is this administration’s behavior on all fronts: act first, communicate poorly, and damn the consequences. The SignalGate scandal reveals not just technological and procedural carelessness but an absence of coherent policy regarding the Yemen bombing campaign and the protection of vital shipping lanes in the Red Sea. It’s not about officials misusing technology; it’s about treating matters of war and peace with shocking nonchalance.
With Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense—a man whose hot-headed temperament and lack of experience make him genuinely dangerous—we’re witnessing a perfect storm of incompetence and aggression. The casual mention of targeting a “top Houthi missile guy” as he entered a residential building, followed by congratulatory messages and emojis, reveals a disturbing lack of gravity in decision-making. And with not one military official on the thread, Vance’s political concerns about the timing are a serious tell.
What we’re seeing isn’t just a security lapse—it’s a fundamental failure in governance that puts lives at risk. The illustration captures this perfectly, showing those in power hurtling us towards potential disaster while seemingly oblivious to the gravity of their actions.
Blitt’s cover and David Remnick’s accompanying article offer a scathing critique of the administration’s Strangelovian approach to global affairs. Because what we’re witnessing in this theatrical mirror is Pete, J.D., Tulsi, Mike, Susie, Stephen, and the rest—Signal or no Signal—quite literally not worrying and loving the bomb.
Hey everyone,
Exciting news! Next Thursday, I’ll be doing an online talk hosted by the foundation of the world-renowned VII Photo agency. I’ll be speaking with their education director and brilliant analyst of photojournalism, Dr. David Campbell.
RE-FRAMING THE NARRATIVE: UNCONVENTIONAL IMAGERY FROM TRUMP’S NOT-NORMAL FIRST 100 DAYS
The first 100 days of a U.S. presidential election are a marker that elicits a flood of media analysis, including photo features highlighting what editors judge as the top images of the new term. But given the despotic, transgressive, and destructive nature of Trump’s assault on democracy, this edit will look different than the others you’ll see in the media.
Our discussion will focus on images that serve as a counterpoint or outright defy the normalization of the constitutional crisis and the extreme, often unlawful actions taken by Donald Trump based on his presidential victory with less than a majority of the popular vote.
Are you craving to see these hand-picked visuals and an unvarnished exercise of speaking truth to power? Join David and me on this unique visual tour. Check out the link to register.
https://theviifoundation.org/event/re-framing-the-narrative-unconventional-imagery-from-trumps-not-normal-first-100-days/
I can’t wait to see you there!
Cheers,
Michael
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Is the April 10th talk at 0900 or 1000; and what time-zone -- east coast, pacific, or other?