Nate Beeler's Government Is Watching

In his cartoon, “Government is Watching”, Nate Beeler establishes an accusatory tone using critical irony and an exaggerated symbolism to condemn the American government’s intrusive spying and deprivation of its citizens’ right to privacy.

Nate Beeler evidently displays, in his work, a frustrated sentiment towards the American federal government, indirectly addressing the National Security Agency. Deliberately, one evident technique added into this cartoon is the use of pathos. Bluntly, Beeler included a scared and anxious man sweating on his forehead to emphasize the paranoia effect excessive surveillance induces. From the man’s face itself, it is apparent that he is urgently searching for a safe place where the eyes cannot track him. Indisputably, through irony, Nate Beeler exhibits his stance

Likewise, Beeler used the exaggerated symbolism of eyes intimidatingly watching from every possible angle to represent that all of our actions are witnessed by the government. Alarmingly, with the domineering capacity of the government to spy on civilian lives, this can develop a society consumed of poisoning suspicion with one another. Furthermore, this analogy was highlighted to appeal for a defined boundary that restricts the government to snoop and have access to Americans’ private lives. Significantly, the inclusion of this analogical symbolism was intentionally used to accentuate the government violation of the fourth amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Notably, the fourth amendment states that without a warrant and probable cause or suspicion, the NSA has no power to access and invade a citizen’s privacy. Although government surveillance supporters may argue that the Americans should just cooperate for the greater good to prevent domestic terrorism, they fail to protect individual liberties. Hence, Nate Beeler bestow upon his audience one serious question: Is it acceptable to live in a