Question

What is ironic about Johnson's statement

Answer 1

This question is incomplete, here´s the complete question.  

First cartoon: “Our Position Hasn’t Changed at All,” Herblock, 1965.

Second cartoon: “Asia,” Herblock, 1968, ©A 1968 Herblock Cartoon, copyright The Herb Block Foundation.

What is ironic about Johnson’s statement?

What is Uncle Sam doing in the second cartoon? What does this tell

you about the U.S. government’s war effort?

Taken together, what do the two cartoons tell you about the U.S.

war effort in Vietnam?

Answer:

The first cartoon shows President Johnson saying “Our Position Hasn’t Changed at All,” to an advisor while they are riding up the "Viet-Nam escalator".

The irony lays on the fact that After the government maintained that there had been no change in policy, despite the announcement of a possible direct attack over Vietnam, and the eventual approval by Johnson of the escalation.

The second cartoon shows Uncle Sam, raising his rifle over his head while moving into the swamp that represents Southeast Asia with an expression of worry on his face, which represents the American concern and vacillation about Johnson´s war policies.

Explanation:

Taken together, the cartoons represent the government´s failure to get Americans on board with the continuity and escalation of the war effort in Vietnam, as the fight had reached a stalemate that made them doubt about the worthiness of the military actions, and Johnson´s actions and speeches were no longer trustworthy.