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 analysis and commentary added in by me.
When evaluating a cartoon, ask yourself these questions:
- Does a cartoon add to my existing knowledge base 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.
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Bill Day, Comics.com (Memphis Commercial-Appeal)
INTRODUCTION
- Special Earth Day 2010 Coverage
David Fitzsimmons, Arizona Daily Star, Buy this cartoon
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The Earth Day @ DKos Blogathon! this past Thursday, April 22nd saw many excellent diaries posted throughout the day. If you missed any of these wonderful diaries, here's a list from boatsie's diary. If per chance I neglected to include your diary, please add it in the comments section, write a brief summary, and provide a link to it.
You'll find about 25 editorial cartoons on Earth Day 2010 and a couple of other recent environmental disasters in which the cartoonists bemoan the sorry state of the planet and strongly criticize our "stewardship" of Mother Earth.
The Earth Day @ DKos Blogathon!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
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The immigration anti-immigrant Senate Bill 1070 (see pdf version of bill) recently passed in Arizona and signed into law by a Republican governor provoked a very negative reaction from most of the editorial cartoonists. The new measure was considered draconian and, yes, even anti-American given the fact that this country is largely made up of immigrants from all corners of the globe. Being potentially treated because of who one is -- instead on what one does -- invoked memories of heavy-handed tactics from Fascist and totalitarian states in the inter-war era. This issue is a godsend to the cartoonists and look for many more cartoons in coming weeks portraying the state government of Arizona in the worst possible light. And, deservedly so. If most Americans (and cartoonists) have their way, this new law will not stand.
Joe Heller, Green Bay Press-Gazette, Buy this cartoon
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The Goldman Sachs indictment by the Securities and Exchange Commission for illegal financial practices may or may not lead to meaningful Banking Reform. It is important to point out that during the Bush Administration, while Rome Wall Street burnt in 2008, senior-level employees at the Securities and Exchange Commission -- several of them making between between $99,000 and $222,000 per year -- were hard at work doing everything but overseeing crooked dealings in the financial industry.
Naughty SEC by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune, Buy this cartoon
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The Tea Partiers came under heavy attack for their inconsistent and bizarre behavior and if you'll read the Hartford Courant's editorial cartoonist Bob Englehart in Section 7, you'll understand why so many cartoonists find them an irresistible and juicy target.
Steve Greenberg, VCReporter (Ventura, CA), Buy this cartoon
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Of the 140 or so editorial cartoons in this diary (including 20-30 that I will post in the comments section), many other policy and political issues are given a fair bit of attention. These include wingnuts antics, the hopeless state of the Republican Party, other environmental disasters, President Obama's new space exploration plan, the state of the economy and chances of Banking Reform, and more.
I encourage you to offer your comments and constructive criticism. Do mention the diary section, issue, and cartoonist's name in your comment as that narrows it down for me and helps me to respond quickly. I hope I've given you enough material to chew on for a couple of weeks. Thanks.
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1. CARTOONS OF THE WEEK
John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Buy this cartoon
Lloyd Dangle, Troubletown, Buy this cartoon
Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press
Goldman Sachs and Wall Street by Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com, Buy this cartoon
Chris Britt, Comics.com, see reader comments in the State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)
Monte Wolverton, Cagle Cartoons, Buy this cartoon
Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press
Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see the large number of reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press
Sean Hannity Logic by Tim Eagan, Deep Cover, Buy this cartoon
Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Buy this cartoon
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2. "Celebrating" Earth Day 2010
Bob Englehart, Hartford Courant, Buy this cartoon
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Englehart sees the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland as the earth exacting some revenge after decades of abuse and misuse by humans. We have a long ways to go before we can consider ourselves good stewards of the earth
I will heap praise on anyone who can pronounce the name of the glacier that's blowing its top in Iceland. I heard a newsman on BBC pronounce it, but the Brits can pronounce anything. To me, it sounded like Eeyore-falafel-jello-yo-cool. Say it fast, like an Icelander would.
I look at this event as the earth getting a little revenge on us. After thousands of years of mankind belching smoke into the atmosphere, the earth is kind of saying, "Here, how does that feel? Like it?" Also, it's a little reminder that nature eventually wins in the physical world.
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Note: Here are some amazing aerial photos of the iceland volcano Eyjafjallajokull.
John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Buy this cartoon
Scott Stantis, Comics.com (Chicago Tribune)
R.J. Matson, New York Observer, Buy this cartoon
Jeff Parker, Florida Today, Buy this cartoon
Mark Streeter, Savannah Morning News, Buy this cartoon
Steve Greenberg, Freelance Cartoonist (Los Angeles, CA), Buy this cartoon
Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press
Earthday in the Hospital by Andy Singer, Politicalcartoons.com, Buy this cartoon
Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune, Buy this cartoon
Joel Pett, Lexington Herald-Leader
Too Big To Fail by RJ Matson, Roll Call, Buy this cartoon
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Who else other than Greenpeace has used this "Too Big to Fail" logo? See my response to LaughingPlanet in a DK Greenroots diary on Earth Day 2010.
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3. Offshore Oil Drilling, Environmental Degradation, and Tragedy in Coal Country
Offshore Drilling by John Cole, Scranton Times-Tribune, Buy this cartoon
Bill Sanders, Freelance Cartoonist (formerly of the Milwaukee Journal)
Tony Auth, Philadelphia Inquirer
Sleeping Canary by Mike Keefe, Denver Post, Buy this cartoon
David Horsey, see reader comments in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
4. Raising (Hell in) Arizona for Minorities and Immigrants
Fruit Basket by Clay Jones, see reader comments in the Freelance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA), Buy this cartoon
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In the above cartoon, Jones captures the recent controversy which erupted not only in the State of Virginia but nationally. Bob McDonnell, the Republican Governor of Virginia, declared April 2010 as 'Confederate History Month' without (first) mentioning slavery as an important component of the Civil War for which the Confederacy fiercely fought the Union Army for four long years to maintain its way of life which included the institution of slavery. He is grateful to the State of Arizona for shifting the focus almost immediately from sins of the past to the present
Bob McDonnell’s passion for Confederate history and excluding any mention of slavery really brought Virginia a lot of attention. The news was covered nationally and I saw quite a few non-Virginia cartoonists cover it. Thank God for Arizona!
Arizona and Immigration by David Fitzsimmons, Arizona Star, Buy this cartoon
Vic Harville, Stephens Media Group (Little Rock, AR), Buy this cartoon
Lalo Alcaraz, LA Weekly, Buy this cartoon
Arizona Profiling and Obama by Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com, Buy this cartoon
Ed Stein, Comics.com (formerly of the Rocky Mountain News), see reader comments in Stein's blog
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Stein joins many other cartoonists in strongly condemning the new law and hopes that (perhaps) there might even be some good unintended consequences in the United States Congress, i.e., that Congress might even work towards adopting a sane and compassionate immigration policy
Could there be a worse attempt at solving the problems of illegal immigration than the draconian law Arizona, to its shame, just enacted? This unconstitutional (I’m guessing courts will agree with me on this) witch hunt will certainly expose anyone with brown skin to the threat of constant harassment. It essentially imbeds racial profiling in the law. What, one must ask, would be a suspicious activity that would lead a police officer to conclude that someone might be an illegal immigrant? Mowing a lawn while brown? Cleaning a house? Cooking in a restaurant? Driving a pickup truck?
The only good news is that the law is so bad it may force a reluctant Congress finally to address the issue. Then again, given the current level of sanity in Congress, I shudder to think what they might come up with.
Arizona Law by Mike Keefe, Denver Post, Buy this cartoon
Arizona Immigration Law by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune, Buy this cartoon
Arizona Immigration Law by Jimmy Margulies, New Jersey Record, Buy this cartoon
David Cohen, Asheville Citizen Times
Ben Sargent, Universal Press Syndicate
Jack Ohman, Comics.com (The Oregonian)
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Matt Bors, Comics.com (Altie Cartoonist)
Bors notes on his blog: Arizona passed a "Show Your Papers, Please" law to target brown people for harassment. I'll be happy to see them kick all the illegals out and the white retirees get off their asses to wash dishes and do landscaping.
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Pat Oliphant, Universal Press Syndicate
Stuart Carlson, Universal Press Syndicate
Arizona Immigration Law, Bruce Plante, see the large number of reader comments ] in Tulsa World, [Buy this cartoon
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White settlers streamed into Arizona after the Civil War ended in 1865.
Mike Lane, Cagle Cartoons, Buy this cartoon
Bob Englehart, Hartford Courant, Buy this cartoon
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Englehart sees the new Arizona law as working against business-friendly factions of the Republican Party. He states that marginalizing a majority of Arizona residents by its authorities will have a very negative impact on the state's economy. Not to mention that many consider the law unconstitutional and trampling upon the civil rights of minorities
My favorite Yosemite Sam quote seems appropriate here: "All right, all right! I'm a-thinkin' and my head hurts!"...
Yosemite Sam seems to be the perfect metaphor for the Arizona police authorities. It'll be interesting to see how they handle this new codified power, the power to legally discriminate. My guess is that two-thirds of Arizonians look like Mexicans. If the cops take their jobs seriously, there won't be anybody left to run the factories and plant the crops. Maybe my next cartoon will be ol' Sam shooting himself in the foot.
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5. Confederate History Month: The South Shall Rise Again?
Chan Lowe, see reader comments in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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Lowe isn't fooled by Governor Bob McDonnell's use of words. To him, it is crystal clear what kind of message was being sent to people who either are still overtly racist or harbor ill-feelings towards the country's first African-American President. It's not much more complicated than that
So maybe the declaration of Confederate History Month was just the Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell using code to assert that his state was not about to knuckle under to the overlordship of the federal government (particularly when it came to reforming health care for its citizens).
After all, the Confederacy, so they say, was all about the preservation of "states rights" -- which in turn was code for preserving the South’s "peculiar institution" of slavery.
You don’t need to be a cryptologist to detect the tone-deafness here, particularly when the man sitting in the White House is African-American. That’s assuming the governor was only being insensitive, and not intentionally sending a more pointed message that resonated merrily in the ears of his more extreme constituents.
Lloyd Dangle, Troubletown, Buy this cartoon
Confederacy Good for Blacks by Bill Schorr, Cagle Cartoons, Buy this cartoon
6. Sacks of Gold and "XXX SEC"
SEC Porn by John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Buy this cartoon
Obama and Banking Reform by Paresh Nath, Khaleej Times (UEA), Buy this cartoon
SEC Porn Scandal by Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com, Buy this cartoon
Goldman Sachs Looting by John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Buy this cartoon
David Horsey, see reader comments in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Hedge Fun by Tom Toles, Washington Post
Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see the large number of reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press
Goldman Sachs Investigation by Mike Keefe, Denver Post, Buy this cartoon
Goldman Sachs Fraud by Luojie, China Daily (China), Buy this cartoon
Wall Street Bubble by Adam Zyglis, Buffalo News, Buy this cartoon
Wall Street's Cup of Tea by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune, Buy this cartoon
Financial Reform Fat Cat, Bruce Plante, see the large number of reader comments in Tulsa World, Buy this cartoon
Goldman Sachs Sucky Cars by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune, Buy this cartoon
Financial Reform by Joe Heller, Green Bay Press-Gazette, Buy this cartoon
Deep Pockets on Wall Street by Daryl Cagle, MSNBC.com, Buy this cartoon
Dan Wasserman, Boston Globe
Iceland Volcano Ash by Aislin, Montreal Gazette, Buy this cartoon
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6. Wingnuts Galore: Of Teabaggers, Militias, and the GOP
- The Tea Partiers: Selective Outrage
Ed Stein, Comics.com (formerly of The Rocky Mountain News ), see reader comments on Stein's blog
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Stein asks the question often raised on this blog: where were the Teabaggers when the Bush Administration was ruining the country's economy, trampling all over the U.S. constitution, and wasting hundreds of billions on unnecessary wars? Of course, they were nowhere to be found. This selective anger directed towards the Democratic Party -- and daily vitriol at President Obama -- only raises suspicions that much of it being manufactured by groups only pretending to do so in the country's best interests. We all know better
Eruption
Like many who lean to the left, I’ve had a tendency to dismiss the Tea Party movement as a loud distraction, a small, misinformed collection of wingnuts. The reality is much more complicated. The economy is bad, and people are hurting. It’s natural at times like this for people to become angry, and they generally vent their anger at the party in power, whether that party is responsible for the economic conditions or not.
What I can’t quite understand is why these same folks weren’t out in force when the Bush administration was running up huge deficits, increasing the size and scope of government, a compliant Republican Congress was spending like–well–like they accuse Democrats of spending, banks were ruining the economy and the Bush White House was bailing them out and passing massive stimulus bills. Add to that the Republican party shamelessly shifting the tax burden away from the rich and onto the middle class. I listen to the Tea Partiers rhetoric, and it seems to me that it applies at least equally to the sins of the Republicans as it does to the Democrats, yet almost all of the anger is aimed at Obama. We haven’t seen this kind of vehemence since Clinton (who balanced the budget and reduced the size of government) was in office. I’m angry, too, but I’m furious with a Republican economic philosophy that has resulted in the decades-long stagnation of the income of us working stiffs while the rich have gained an increasing share of the nation’s wealth.
Stuart Carlson, Universal Press Syndicate
Tea Party Headache by Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune, Buy this cartoon
The Color Of Loyalty by Jeff Parker, Florida Today, Buy this cartoon
Bob Englehart, Hartford Courant, Buy this cartoon
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Englehart tried hard not to focus on crazy Teabaggers but he seems to be addicted to them and endlessly fascinated by their antics
OK, I promise not to do any more Tea Party cartoons. I know I can quit. It's easy. I'll just put the Tea Party out of my mind, you know, pretend they don't even exist. I'll mute the news when they come on TV. I'll change the dial when they come on the radio. I won't read any stories in the paper, or magazines. That might work until withdrawal sets in.
This won't be easy. I've tried to quit before by telling myself this is my last Tea Party cartoon. Then I look at my stack of ideas and see that I've got at least a dozen funny gags about the TP. Then I tell myself I'll quit after I finish this stack.
I know there are drugs available to help quit, but the side effects sound too dangerous. Thoughts of suicide? That's one of the side effects. Who would make a drug where one of the side effects is thoughts of suicide? Excuse me, but I'll quit the old-fashioned way, with willpower.
If that doesn't work, I'll use a patch.
Joel Pett, Lexington Herald-Leader
(click on link to see original cartoon)
Every day I ask myself: W.W.S.A.D? by Tom Tomorrow, This Modern World and read Letters to the Editor in Salon magazine
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Andy Singer, Politicalcartoons.com, Buy this cartoon
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Clay Bennett, Comics.com, see reader comments in the Chattanooga Times Free Press
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- The GOP: Obstructionist All the Way
Opposable Thumbs by David Fitzsimmons, Arizona Star, Buy this cartoon
McConnell and Wall Street by John Cole, Scranton Times-Tribune, Buy this cartoon
Wall Street Financial Reform by Monte Wolverton, Cagle Cartoons, Buy this cartoon
Mitch McConnell and Wall Street by Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com, Buy this cartoon
GOP Party of No by Tim Eagan, Deep Cover, Buy this cartoon
Sarah Palin Speaking Engagement by Taylor Jones, Politicalcartoons.com, Buy this cartoon
Jeff Danziger, New York Times Syndicate
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7. On Galaxies and Space Travel
Bob Englehart, Hartford Courant, Buy this cartoon
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Englehart takes on the Teabaggers on his paper;s blo
I'm with the scientists on this one, which I admit is easy. I don't live in Florida, don't make my living on the Space Coast, aren't a daredevil pilot, astronaut, NASA worker, or have any desire to go into space. President Obama made the tough call, but of course, no matter what he did, the the conservativists would've objected. If he said we were not only going to the moon, but we're building a Walmart there, the conservativists would've criticized him for spending all that money when so many people are out of work and the tea baggers would've raised hell about the government taking over the moon. Which brings me to another point.
Here's something I don't understand. Maybe one of my delightful conservativist commenters can enlighten me. I mean, I'm an art school dropout. I don't understand all the nuances that the teabaggers do. Here's my problem. How come the the conservativists don't want the government taking over health care but they want the government to run space travel to the space station and back? They say the Chinese and the Russians will take over space supremacy if the United States government doesn't run shuttle operations. Isn't that like the government running the airlines, and the bus companies, and the railroads?
Wouldn't it be cheaper and better if say, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, or any competent private company, shuttled our astronauts back and forth? I'm just asking is all. Mr. and Ms Conservativist, is it an error in MY logic, YOUR erratic and illogical premise, or are you just objecting to anything Obama does?
Cam Cardow, Ottawa Citizen, Buy this cartoon
NASA Trek-Voyages of U.S. Private Enterprise by RJ Matson, Roll Call, Buy this cartoon
Obama's New NASA Policy by Jimmy Margulies, New Jersey Record, Buy this cartoon
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8. The Economy: Destruction and Re-invention
Ed Stein, Comics.com (formerly of The Rocky Mountain News ), see reader comments on Stein's blog
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Stein channels the famous Austrian economist and political scientist Joseph Schumpeter who popularized the economic theory of "creative destruction" in the 1940's. Under this theory, capitalism often destroys established industries when technological innovation makes it possible to replace them with more productive ones. While this may benefit the economy on the macro level, it is simply devastating on a personal level for those whose jobs are eliminated. It is fair to say that the internet has wreaked havoc on many industries, including that of newspapers and editorial cartooning. (See this entry by altie cartoonist Mikhaela Reid who decided to pursue other endeavors)
The churning of industries and jobs is often referred to as the creative destruction of capitalism. While the loss of an industry is often a local disaster, the theory is that new technologies make new industries and jobs available, although not necessarily for the people who’ve been displaced. That’s a fine theory, but the reality of the last decade is that no net new jobs were created. The middle class saw its wages and benefits shrink, while health care costs ate up an increasing share of our income. The internet certainly had a hand in some of that destruction, wreaking havoc on any number of industries, my own included.
RJ Matson, St. Louis Post Dispatch, Buy this cartoon
Ted Rall, Universal Press Syndicate
Chris Britt, Comics.com, see reader comments in the State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)
Joe Heller, Green Bay Press-Gazette, Buy this cartoon
RJ Matson, Roll Call, Buy this cartoon
Financial Reform by John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Buy this cartoon
RJ Matson, Roll Call, Buy this cartoon
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9. The Satisfied Sports Fanatic: Prototypical Gas Guzzler
Drew Litton, Comics.com (Chicago Tribune)
Drew Litton, Comics.com (Chicago Tribune)
Joel Pett, Lexington Herald-Leader
Jeff Darcy, Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Buy this cartoon
Mike Luckovich, Comics.com (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
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10. RIP Reverend Benjamin Hooks (1925-2010)
Bill Day, Comics.com (Memphis Commercial-Appeal)
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Dr. Benjamin Hooks, former Executive Director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 1977 to 1992 and one of the foremost civil rights leaders of his generation, died on April 15th at the age of eighty five. His calm, rational voice and enormous contributions to this country will be missed by many who admired him for decades.
A couple of newspaper articles from his passing
- Chicago Defender
The product that emerged frames an important portion of the history of African-American people, painting an invaluable portrait from Dr. Hooks’ unique vantage point.
"I watched in my lifetime progress that is difficult to describe," said Dr. Hooks. "I was born in 1925. When I started my career in public service, I was a veteran of the Armed Forces. I had to go to Chicago to attend law school because there was not a single law school anywhere in the South that would admit blacks, unless we call Washington, D.C. a part of the South."
Dr. Hooks choose Chicago because it was the closest city to Memphis to get the legal education he desired. In 1949, he returned to Memphis practice law.
- Memphis Flyer
Jurist, lawyer, fabled minister, and icon of the civil rights movement, the Rev. Benjamin Hooks was as universally beloved a figure, both in Memphis and in the world at large, as it was possible to be. He was that rare figure revered by whites and blacks alike and claimed by both major political parties. Moreover, in a remarkable act of simultaneous ministry, he was claimed as pastor by congregations in two cities — Memphis and Detroit.
Hooks' death last week at the age of 85 creates an absence that no other single figure can fill. And beyond his massive body of achievements was a personal good will, even a beatitude, that will crown his legacy.
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11. Final Thoughts: Navel Gazing Meta Cartoons
By looking at this cartoon, you would think Jen Sorensen is an avid blog lurker and reader. You would be right. She not only lurks here but used to post here on Daily Kos
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Jen Sorensen, Slowpoke, Buy this cartoon
Finally, do you ever think what your life would be like if you wrote a GBCW diary and never returned to Daily Kos?
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Tim Eagan, Deep Cover, Buy this cartoon
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A Note About the Diary Poll
Tax Day meets Earth Day by Joe Heller, Green Bay Press-Gazette, Buy this cartoon
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Almost a decade ago, I watched an interesting C-Span program with the late Keynesian Economist John Kenneth Galbreath. In it, he said that one of the greatest achievements of FDR's New Deal Era was that intellectuals, economists, and politicians were able to take the most complex of economic and political ideas and communicate them to the general public in easy-to-understand ways to build public support. After all, the very idea of Keynesian Economics was a relatively new concept in the Interwar years and it took years and another world war for countries to adopt John Maynard Keynes' economic ideas. From then on, government action -- and not just invisible factors in the free market -- would help stabilize and grow economies as well as provide a social safety net.
Which bring me to the issue of Climate Change legislation being considered by the United States Congress .
Has the failure to enact this legislation to-date been one of communication or are there political and economic factors responsible for inaction? Is it the case that scientists (not the best of communicators) have so far not be able to make a persuasive case to either enough elected officials or the public at large? Or, as listed in the Diary Poll, are there a myriad of other reasons for this failure?
I would really like to hear your suggestions and interpretations. I know that there are wonderful writers here on this blog who write passionately and persuasively about environmental issues. I'm not suggesting by any means that they are part of the problem as I've learned a fair bit from them over the years. And I'm a fairly non-technical person with an extensive background in international relations and foreign policy studies.
Remember to vote in the poll too.