2013-06-10

A multi-panel SMBC comic about the tradeoff between liberty and safety. The first panels present a caption: "There is an oft-repeated quote that's generally attributed to Ben Franklin," followed by the quote, "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." A red caption argues that in truth very few of us are actually unwilling to trade SOME liberty for SOME safety. To illustrate, a bearded man in sunglasses tells a balding clerk, "Hi, I need some weapons-grade plutonium," the clerk replies, "I'll need some I.D.," and the bearded man snaps, "Tyrant!" Another red caption says we just think the exchange rate has gotten really bad lately. In the final panel, a woman at a microphone asks a man at a podium, "Sir, what is your response to the revelation that the NSA has a secret camera up everyone's ass?" and he deflects, "Oh, so I guess you want colon cancer to win." Votey: a woman shown in profile looking unimpressed mutters, "Also the no buy-back rule kinda sucks," and a voice booms back, "Buyer beware!"