Humor is a rhetorical device that writers use to induce laughter or amusement in their readers, or more seriously, to highlight societal flaws
This Brave New World, LXIV
written in response to Republican Governor Doug Ducey's end-of-term, 97-million-dollars gift to his beloved "Land of the Free"
mile after mile
of stacked shipping containers
topped by razor wire
under the desert sun
this Border Wall of Hate | Fear
mindless culture wars
On the Brink of Trumperica, XIII
woke mind virus ...
this double-masked man mumbles
in the psych ward
(FYI:
‘woke’ just means you give a damn about other people...We must stay in community. We must help the vulnerable. We must find ways to project an inspiring vision of the future
political corruption, which is rampant in Trumpland (CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) is tracking Trump’s unprecedented corruption (again),
Feb. 3, 2025),
On the Brink of Trumperica, XII
the people of Trump
by the people of Musk
for the people of the SuperRich ...
sun-bleached stars and stripes
atop the Capitol fencing
Or complete incompetence.
Between Heaven and Hell, VI
ka-kis-to-cracy ...
my English teacher's voice
quivering
as U-S-A! chants get louder
from the crowd outside the school
(FYI: The first part of the word comes from the Greek kákisto(s), meaning “worst.” So kakistocracy means “government by the worst.” The earliest known use of the word was in the 1600s by Paul Gosnold, a loyalist to King Charles I during the English Civil War.)
Now, what literary device is being used for humorous effect?
Hyperbole is one of the commonly used devices with a focus, thematic or visual, on exaggeration for humorous effect, or the effective use of
pun,
irony,
sarcasm, or the combination of these devices, can also achieve the same effect.
For example, see the titling, structure, political jargons, and "scientific fact " (as shown in the third haiku 😆) of the following haiku sequence:
Trump Empire, Inc., IX
written in response to Bob Newhart's claim: "Humor’s a weapon if you want to make it one"
Easy as 1-2-3 When Humor Bombs
MAGA bar brawl between Trump jokes a thunderous echo-fart
floodafterfloodoftariffstaxcutMARA
King Trump's Castro-length shit-words
raising chickens for eggs
since wave after wave of DOGE cuts
I fart so often
(FYI: The noun shit-word has been obsolete since its recorded usage only in the Middle English period (1150—1500) (shit-word entry, Oxford English Dictionary). Now, it's revived by King Trump.
DOGE stands for the "Department of Government Efficiency", and MARA for "Make America Rich Again."
And eggs contain sulfur, which can contribute to the sulfurous smell of gas. 😂)
To conclude today's post, I would like to share with you the following remarks:
Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.
-- Mark Twain
Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other.
-- Oscar Ameringer
One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.
-- Plato
Added: Trump Empire, Inc., X
wall-mounted TV
blasting Putin demands to keep
captured territories
as we buy stinky tofu ...
one adds, "including the White House"
FYI: Stinky tofu, also known as "chou doufu" in Chinese, is a fermented bean curd dish popular in China and Taiwan, known for its strong, pungent odor and unique flavor.
