THE WEEK IN EDITORIAL CARTOONS
This weekly diary takes a look at the past week's important news stories from the perspective of our leading editorial cartoonists (including a few foreign ones) with a bit of commentary added in by me.
When evaluating a cartoon, ask yourself these questions:
- Does a cartoon add to my existing knowledge and help crystallize my thinking about the issue depicted?
- Does the cartoonist have any obvious biases that distort reality?
- Is the cartoonist reflecting prevailing public opinion or trying to shape it?
The answers will help determine the effectiveness of the cartoonist's message.
:: ::
Well we're movin on up,
To the east side.
To a deluxe apartment in the sky.
Movin on up,
To the east side.
We finally got a piece of the pie.
Patrick O'Connor, Los Angeles Daily News
CARTOON OF THE WEEK
All the World's a Stage
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances...
Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
William Shakespeare, As You Like it
Stuart Carlson, Universal Press Syndicate
:: ::
- Where is this torturous debate headed? As they say, it's early and only time will. I think what we need as a country is a long, hard, collective look in the mirror. That might determine if we are still the prettiest of them all
Tom Toles, Washington Post
Is this Barack Obama's 'Heckuva job, Brownie' moment or does the C.I.A really have his support?
R.J. Matson, New York Observer and Roll Call
Chip Bok, Akron Beacon-Journal
Pvt Lynndie England surely knows that a few bad apples are found not only in rural America but also at the highest levels of our government
Nick Anderson, Houston Chronicle
Always, always avoid blind dates arranged through online services. It might be exciting but after it is over, you'll spend an awful lot of time scrubbing away your sins in the shower
Kevin Siers, Charlotte Observer
Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal Constitution
:: ::
- Has any president since FDR in 1933 been dealt a worse hand than Barack Obama in 2009? Task #1: to restore honor and dignity to the Oval Office in the White House
Peter Lewis, Newcastle Herald (Australia)
One of the easiest things in life to do is to be a critic. Whatever happened to the concept of the loyal opposition?
Bob Englehart, Hartford Courant
"The "war on terror" has created a culture of fear in America. The Bush administration's elevation of these three words into a national mantra since the horrific events of 9/11 has had a pernicious impact on American democracy, on America's psyche and on U.S. standing in the world. Using this phrase has actually undermined our ability to effectively confront the real challenges we face from fanatics who may use terrorism against us."
Zbigniew Brzezinski, Terrorized by 'War on Terror'
Patrick Chappatte, Neue Zurcher Zeitung (Zurich) and International Herald Tribune
Small minds achieve only small things. The saga of the hapless Republicans continues with no end in sight
David Fitzsimmons, Arizona Daily Star
Reality sets in for the opposition party. This is going to be a long four eight years for them
Joe Heller, Green Bay Press-Gazette
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- In the past, the Democratic Party underestimated the Republicans' ability to conjure up imaginary external and internal demons and the supposed threats they posed to this country. "Middle America" could be easily persuaded and manufacturing consent was not all that difficult when running on fear and its unanticipated consequences. No more! This is the beginning of a new era in this country's history and politics
Don Wright, Palm Beach Post
Bruce Beattie, Daytona Beach News-Journal
Dick Locher, Chicago Tribune
Steve Benson, Arizona Republic
flail
v. flailed, flail·ing, flails
v.tr.
- To beat or strike with or as if with a flail: flailed our horses with the reins.
- To wave or swing vigorously; thrash: flailed my arms to get their attention.
- To thresh using a flail.
v.intr.
- To move vigorously or erratically; thrash about: arms flailing helplessly in the water.
- To strike or lash out violently: boxers flailing at each other in the ring.
- To thresh grain.
R.J. Matson, New York Observer and Roll Call
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- To paraphrase a joke commonly known in Eastern European capitals in the Soviet-dominated era: if communism is the exploitation of man by man, surely capitalism is just the opposite!
Bruce Beattie, Daytona Beach News-Journal
Rob Rogers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Does foreign success off the shores of Africa breed success against domestic pirates? We'll find out soon
John Trever, Albuquerque Journal
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- Do you ever use craigslist? Be careful, for it could be absolutely fatal to your heath
J.D. Crowe, Mobile Register
Dan Wasserman, Boston Globe
Jimmy Margulies, New Jersey Record
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- Finally, with recent Taliban gains in the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan, U.S. Uberenvoy to Afghanistan-Pakistan Richard Holbrooke has had his hands full nowadays. As this Washington Post article pointed out, nervousness is on the rise amongst Pakistan's political and military elites
Robert Ariail, The State (SC)
Steve Greenberg, Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
As tv's Kojak might ask Sarah Palin, "Who Loves Ya, Baby?" Certainly not the Afghanis. In this hypothetical scenario, even they consider her to be a radical extremist
Matt Bors, Idiot Box
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A Note About the Diary Poll:
Some dinner parties are enjoyable, others tolerable, and, yet others, a total disaster. A couple of months before he was inaugurated, the one in which Barack Obama invited Bill and Hillary Clinton George and Weezie Jefferson proved to be far more successful than perhaps even the participants imagined. Difficult foreign policy choices lie ahead but in a relatively short period, Hillary has quickly established herself to be a popular, competent, and very good U.S. Secretary of State.
So, which of these groups of people would you most like to have dinner with? As for me, it was a difficult choice but I chose the quartet of Che Guevara, Augusto Pinochet, Karl Marx, and Margaret Thatcher.