Military Budget Grows While Social Programs Face Reductions
Peter Kuper, PoliticalCartoons.com
The cartoon shows a large bird wearing an Uncle Sam hat placing dollar bills into the beak of a smaller bird nestled with military hardware. This imagery addresses the ongoing federal budget debate where defense allocations increase while funding for social programs such as SNAP, school lunches, and healthcare faces reductions. The work responds to recent policy discussions involving figures like Pete Hegseth and Kristi Noem on immigration enforcement and military matters. It underscores tensions between national security spending and domestic welfare needs as of the September 2025 publication date.

About Peter Kuper
Peter Kuper is a regular contributor to The New Yorker, The Nation and MAD magazine where he has written and illustrated SPY vs. SPY every issue since 1997. He is the co-founder and editor of World War 3 Illustrated a political graphics magazine that has given a forum to political artists for 40 years. He has produced over two dozen books including The System, Diario de Oaxaca, Ruins (winner of the 2016 Eisner Award) and adaptations of many of Franz Kafka's works into comics including The Metamorphosisand Kafkaesque (winner of the 2018 Reuben Award) . His latest graphic novel is an adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. He has lectured around the world and has taught comics courses at The School of Visual Arts in NYC and Harvard University.
Peter Kuper's Newsletter
Get Peter's cartoons and comments in your inbox for free!