Sure, memes are used for easy laughs. But they're also a platform for some lighthearted diplomatic criticism.

The younger generation of Americans may have made headlines for eating Tide Pods, but it's also been the generation to use social media to advocate for stricter gun control laws. It's not surprising that they have something to say about U.S. foreign policy, even if they share it through memes.

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American oil memes have become increasingly popular on social media this month -- whether it's the mere mention of oil in cooking or a reconstructed spelling of the word oil, Photoshopped U.S. troops, drones, and flags are guaranteed to be there. The trend started on Reddit earlier in March, and quickly spread to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Here are a few examples of how quickly the United States springs into action for oil:

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The popular meme even inspired a Facebook page called American Oil Memes, that grew to more than 145,000 followers in just a few weeks.

The meme doesn't just apply to mentions of the black gold -- it also works for anagrams of oil.

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It's even inspired some crossovers with classic memes.

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Baby Boomers and Gen Xers may look to network TV like Fox News and MSNBC for their political commentary, but the younger generations are putting theirs out through the most easily distributed platform: memes.

[h/t:DailyDot]

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