It was quite a day yesterday, wouldn’t you agree? An Icon was created, one that will live longer than we will. After that, the image will become associated with time travel, or the virtual representation of the public circus that is our current national life.

There is plenty of other material to go through as this week draws to a close. The image overshadows most of it, and The Daily doesn’t claim to be “breaking news.” What we have is the emergence of a new icon in the astonishing show down in Georgia. It is the image of a man scowling with contempt at a camera held by law enforcement personnel on a bunch of felonious charges.

Some context is useful here, so bear with us. The President of the United States had a pretty good run as “The Most Powerful Man on Earth.” Now, apparently a local District Attorney can lasso a former holder of that office, drag him in front of a judge and schedule the legal procedures in a manner that will prevent a coherent campaign to return to the Oval Office.

It is a bit bewildering, what with all the other stuff going on. All of it has a relation to the Next Big Thing, which of course is the campaign for the 2024 election. Yesterday’s drama was striking in a tawdry sort of way since it had never happened in this Constitutional Republic. That would be dragging a political opponent in front of a judge, facing the jaws of justice.

It has happened in many places before and we recall first seeing the creation of another icon.

Our version was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with an image that became an icon of the times. The great swirl of events that produced it stretch back to a time of strife. Vietnam was becoming a military problem in which the United States decided to become involved. It was not long after Fidel Castro harnessed the energy and ruthless ambition of an Argentinian fellow named Che Guevara to spread the victorious Cuban revolution to the rest of Latin America.

He made a start at it, and the iconic t-shirts worn around the globe were part of a theme that transmitted a message of triumph even over death. Which brings us around to the plane crash in Russia yesterday. We have not sorted that out as yet. Initial reports were simple if a bit prosaic:

“Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin led a brief uprising against Russia’s military in June. A plane crashed in Russia Wednesday, and he may be among the people who died.” Apparently he was. That wasn’t the only breaking news yesterday, though it did overshadow some of the carnival events in progress. Additional detail was provided this morning, which is the usual process of correcting the meme to become what we agree is “history.”

That development- the transmission of “breaking news” and “established truth” is still in progress. There is much more, of course, captured in the Weekly Weather Report. Remember the pandemic? It is back with mandates and masks. Like the Che Guevara shirts, some of it will provide context for new interpretations of old things.

The Trump mug shot? It was intended to demonstrate he was just a common crook. Instead, the Donald already has shirts on the market featuring the actual booking photo. The shirts are 100% cotton and are supposed to be comfy. The campaign folks added two words to the caption on the photo: “Not Guilty.” We prefer to leave the words off and let the icon stand in its stark determination. As is normal for the rest of the litany of “breaking” and “artificial” news, it is all going on. We will try to keep it straight as things lurch forward.

Because those lurches are abrupt, we looked for the shirts with Che’s image. They are available and most are less than twenty bucks. There is no accounting for taste and messaging, but we suspect both shirts will continue to serve as icons for the moments in time when a scowl or a smirk emblazoned on 100% cotton will stand for Truth.

Copyright 2023 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com