"publicity to promote something: information or publicity put out by an organization or government to spread and promote a policy, idea, doctrine, or cause"
This is the opinion of ONE MAN. Remember that. Secondly, I don't think anyone really found this cartoon humorous. Personally I found it terrifying, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate it for its message. It's not MEANT to be funny like Calvin and Hobbes or Foxtrot. YOU obviously didn't find it funny, and just because it's a cartoon you automatically assume that we do.
You're crossing genres in ways that make little sense.
"You may be intellectually strong enough to read between the lines, but many are easily swayed, and we must address opinions with the weight that they indeed carry. Again, you are wrong that opinions can not be propaganda, they have been, and will continue to be, that is a fact."
Finally, a cohesive argument. However, even if opinions go against the norm, or become detrimental to our society, blocking them out solves very little. It is all of your (oir Trajan's) right to disagree with Tom's opinion, but not at all to block it out (just as I cannot stop you from arguing against him).
If every opinion becomes some sort of propaganda, then everything is propaganda and the word loses all meaning. Most understandings of propaganda include some sort of governmental will forcing its opinion upon the people, usually through censorship. In a country where we have a free press, I find the argument that a political cartoon qualifies as 'propaganda' is a flimsy propsition.
I would like to continue this discussion further, but unfortunately, I have to go to class. Some other time, maybe.