In the December 1921 issue of Printer’s Ink, Frederick R. Barnard published a piece titled “One Look is Worth a Thousand Words.” His article focused on how an image is often more effective than writing thousands of words on the same topic. From that article came the well-known saying that “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

The phrase came to mind on December 17, when Democrat strategist Chris D. Jackson tweeted a photo of a “youthful looking” Joe Biden leaving the White House with his grandson Beau and First Nurse Jill. As many pointed out, the since-deleted image of Joe appears to have been photoshopped to make the elderly 80-year-old look like a younger, healthier man in his 60s:

You can see the original photograph here.

Democrats are worried that if Joe “Big Guy” Biden runs for re-election in 2024, his age, frailty, and dementia-like comments will be a constant focus.

From past to current dictators, there never were or will be published photos that show them in a bad light.

For instance, Josef Stalin, the violently cruel dictator who ruled the Soviet Union with an evil vengeance duplicated by Adolph Hitler in Germany. Stalin suffered from smallpox when he was a child. His pockmarked face can be seen in a 1924 photo. However, when the photo was republished in 1939, at the height of Stalin’s power, his skin is smooth, and he has thick, healthy hair and a mustache:

In pre-Photoshop days, communist leaders that fell out of step with the regime (arrested or shot) were erased from photos. Why? Stalin knew that a picture was worth a thousand historical words. He understood that people make determinations based on pictures before they read the words that go with the image.

In today’s tweet world, where people only have a few seconds to absorb important information, images become even more critical. This could be why some Biden administration supporters manipulate photos.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Robin M. Itzler is a regular contributor to American Thinker. She can be reached at PatriotNeighbors@yahoo.com.