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 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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The Ugly American
Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com
- CARTOONS OF THE WEEK
'The Dick'
I'm a dick, I'm a dick
Oh the dick is back
Stone cold sober as a matter of fact
I can dick, I can dick
'Cause I'm better than you
It's the way that I move
The things that I do
Elton John, The Bitch Dick is Back
Tony Auth, Philadelphia Inquirer
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
-- The ethic of reciprocity, also known as the Golden Rule
Matt Bors, Idiot Box
Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap
Jeff Danziger, Syndicated Political Cartoonist
Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com
Jens Hage, Berlingske Tidende, Blæksprutten (Denmark)
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- With the notable exception of Dick Cheney, why is it that very few of the Bushies are publicly defending the Bush-Cheney record of the past eight years? Has anyone heard lately from George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, or Paul Wolfowitz? It is because that this record of political manipulation, torture and other illegal practices, squandering away the nation's resources, astounding incompetence, and cynical exploitation of a national tragedy is large indefensible. Moreover, Cheney is preaching to the rapidly-shrinking choir that is the modern Republican Party. It is important to note that when Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace in August 1974, 24% of people still supported him!
Bob Englehart, Hartford Courant
Drew Sheneman, Newark Star Ledger
Matt Davies, The Journal News (NY)
Jeff Danziger, Syndicated Political Cartoonist
Kirk Walters, Toledo Blade
R.J. Matson, New York Observer and Roll Call
Cheney is all over the airwaves only -- as suggested by his daughter in this diary by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, Overnight News Digest: Cheney Fears Torture Prosecution -- as a Cover-Your-Ass (CYA) preemptive measure. These Neocons love preemptive strikes, don't they? Whatever Cheney's motives might be, history has already judged them rather harshly -- with a prominent historian writing in 2006 that George W. Bush was in serious contention as the worst President in U.S. political history
Mike Keefe, Denver Post
In a diary I published on July 4, 2007, I wrote about the dangers of excessive nationalism and imperialism as practiced by the likes of Dick Cheney
In the George Bush Years - particularly since that fateful day on September 11, 2001 - discussions of American nationalism in a complicit media have frequently degenerated into arguments over whether this country is more superior in its way of life when compared to others. A natural extension of this xenophobia and the policies that flow from this attitude is brilliantly captured in this article by Hendrik Hertzberg in the current edition of the New Yorker magazine.
Tom Toles, Washington Post
Paul Szep, Creators Syndicate, Inc.
Traditionally, American conservatives have believed that the world at large is simply too messy for this pristine and pure country to get involved (except as a defensive action) and sully itself in the process. Many New Left historians such as William Appleman Williams, Gabriel and Joyce Kolko, and Gar Alperovitz -- particularly at the height of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam -- came to the conclusion that everytime the United States engages in foreign military conflict, it screws up that country and region. Cheney used to belong to the first group. More than two decades ago, when Cheney was a U.S. Congressman representing the state of Wyoming, he was considered a traditional conservative. No more. Not only did he shed his earlier ideological beliefs, he took them to another level when incredibly dangerous and harmful Neoconservative policies were cloaked in a 21st century version of Wilsonian idealism. That indeed is his sorry legacy
Pat Oliphant, Universal Press Syndicate
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- Cheney's clownish antics notwithstanding, President Barack Obama reiterated his adherence to the rule of law and rejection of torture as an interrogative tool in his speech on national security this past Thursday. For an excellent analysis of the speech, see this front page post by Meteor Blades -- Moving Forward REQUIRES Looking Back
Jimmy Margulies, New Jersey Record
Mark Streeter, Savannah Morning News
R.J. Matson, New York Observer and Roll Call
While it is true that according to a recent Democracy Corps poll, Barack Obama's policies have helped the Democrats Party achieve parity with the Republicans on matters of national security, this cartoon perfectly captures the anguish many Democrats feel in relation to this agonizing issue of torture. On the one hand, we support Obama's call for the rule of law as the governing principle of our democracy. And yet, on the other hand, with respect to Bush-era policies such as rendition, Guantanamo Prison, habeas corpus, Patriot Act, military commissions, and prosecuting potentially criminal behavior, Obama has proceeded very, very cautiously. Moreover, when he speaks...
Tim Eagan, Deep Cover
J.D. Crowe, Mobile Register (AL)
Don Wright, Palm Beach Post
Nick Anderson, Houston Chronicle
Jerry Holbert, Boston Herald
R.J. Matson, New York Observer and Roll Call
That Obama is an incredibly gifted and persuasive speaker is no secret. He might be clinging to his campaign promise to "turn the page" and take a less-divisive, non-partisan, and non-ideological approach to governance. No complaints there. It is, however, also a fact that some of our most successful presidents have also been perceived as the most divisive in political terms. This list includes, among others, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and perhaps even Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. So, I say this respectfully: Mr. President, the discomfort (and even anger) over these lingering issues among many of your supporters will not go away. Enforcing the rule of law must take precedence over and trump political calculations and expediency!
Tim Eagan, Deep Cover
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- Once upon a time many moons ago, moderate Republicans believed in public ethics and good governance. Whatever happened to the likes of Edward Brooke, Jacob Javits, Nelson Rockefeller, Elliot Richardson, Chuck Percy, Mark Hatfield, Mac Mathias and, even, Gerald Ford? Those people at least had some sense of decency and principles -- unlike those today who served under the criminal Bush-Cheney Regime.
John Deering, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Mike Lane, Baltimore Sun
This article -- The GOP's Southern Exposure -- describes a Republican party that
"is now weaker outside the South than at any time since the Depression; in some ways, it is weaker than ever before."
"From Truman in 1948 until Obama in 2008, the only Democrats who could hold enough of the South to build a majority national coalition and win the White House were Southerners: Johnson, Carter, and Clinton. Republicans now face the mirror-image challenge of recapturing enough territory beyond the South to assemble a winning national coalition. For decades, Democrats ardently debated whether they could elect a president who was not from the South. Before long, Republicans may debate with equal passion whether they can elect another president who is."
Ben Sargent, Universal Press Syndicate
Walt Handelsman, Newsday
Which is what happens when you enter into a marriage of convenience between traditional Republicans and religious fundamentalists. It results in a political party that is leaderless, rudderless, and lacking a vision. Is there a political savior on the horizon?
Nick Anderson, Houston Chronicle
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- Will Americans ever renounce their constitutional right to cheap gasoline? Or, as this post by Meteor Blades suggests, is this right only going to be revoked for now by the imposition of tougher CAFE Standards?
Fool Efficient - Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune
Bruce Plante, Tulsa World
R.J. Matson, New York Observer and Roll Call
Jack Ohman, The Oregonian
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- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Barack Obama last week in Washington, D.C. to discuss the thorny issue of peace in the Middle East. Upon his return to Israel, he was -- according to this diary by Shane Hensinger now on the Rec List -- stunned by the criticism he encountered on his visit about Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Will we ever see an end to this most tragic Israeli-Palestinian Conflict anytime soon? Let's hope so
Patrick Chappatte, Le Temps (Switzerland)
Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com
Tom Toles, Washington Post
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- After completion of his prison term for cruelty to dogs, will former Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Michael Vick be embraced by the owners and fans of the National Footbal League once the league lifts its suspension? Maybe not. But I bet you that a few coaches will be interested in signing him to his team
Gary Varvel, Indianapolis Star
Randy Bish, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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- Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a day for reflection and for giving thanks to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Just remember that no one chooses to die in conflict. As I wrote in this diary almost two years ago Shared National Sacrifice and 'The War' Tonight on PBS
"Theirs Not to Reason Why, Theirs But to Do & Die"
How does war affect us on a personal level? As for myself, I had family members (long since deceased) who served in both World War I and World War II. The emotional and physical scars left by conflict shaped their lives in so many different ways in the years to come. In family stories I heard about World War II, the stereotype was very true: few ever talked about it. Those who did, did so sparingly and quietly reserved their innermost thoughts and memories of dead comrades to themselves. Grand strategies, geo-political objectives, and tactical battle plans, I remember being told as a child, are for politicians and generals. In a Democratic society, soldiers don't make the decision to engage in war; political leaders, some with perverted personal agendas, do.
Mike Keefe, Denver Post
Paul Conrad, Los Angeles Times Syndicate
Dana Summers, Orlando Sentinel
Jeff Koterba, Omaha World Herald
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A Note About the Diary Poll
Drew Litton, Rocky Mountain News
Conventional wisdom in sports crircles has Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers playing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
Will it happen? I doubt it
- Bryant might be the most fundamentally sound player in NBA history. He has enough of a supporting cast (particularly Pau Gasol) and desperately wants to prove that the Lakers can win again without the help of the "Big Aristotle" himself, Shaquille O'Neill.
- The Cavaliers have the 2009 League Most Valuable Player (MVP) in James, who may have found his Robin in Mo Williams.
- The Orlando Magic has the best front court in professional basketball in Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, and Rashard Lewis.
- The Denver Nuggets have a young superstar in Carmelo Anthony, aided by the calm veteran presence of Chauncey Billups.
So, which team emerges as this year's champion? I'll take the Lakers over the Magic in a close six-game series.
ps: look for my team, the Washington Wizards to win it all next year. Really.
Some of you may know that the Washington Bullets were in the NBA Finals four times in the 1970's, winning it all in 1978. Over the last thirty years or so, the Bullets (now known as the Wizards) have been in, uh, "rebuilding mode."
Just wait till next year!
Remember to take the diary poll too.