Tensions persist in the Strait of Hormuz where US naval forces maintain a presence amid ongoing disputes with Iran over shipping access and regional influence. The narrow waterway remains a critical chokepoint for global oil transit between the Persian Gulf and open seas. No single triggering incident stands out in the days before July 22 2026 yet the strategic standoff continues. The cartoon frames the US carrier as physically immobilized by the surrounding geography and neighboring states.
The cartoon by Pat Bagley published August 28, 2017, depicts three Texas figures in cowboy hats voicing classic anti-government slogans in the top panel. Below, a FEMA worker in a raft approaches as the same figures, now perched on a Texas sign, exclaim that God heard their prayers and praise the Lord. The work responds to Hurricane Harvey's landfall and flooding in Houston and the Gulf Coast, where federal disaster response clashed with longstanding small-government rhetoric from Texas officials and some evangelical voices. It underscores the tension between ideological opposition to federal programs and practical reliance on them during a major natural disaster.
The cartoon shows a map of southern states with a large black rain boot marked LA. positioned over Louisiana, its sole touching the Gulf of Mexico. Published amid the August 2016 floods that inundated Baton Rouge and surrounding areas, the image uses the boot to represent the state's immersion in rising waters. The floods, triggered by extreme rainfall, caused widespread damage and prompted discussions on climate change contributions. The visual ties the disaster directly to the Gulf region without additional figures or text beyond state labels.
