Tom Toles has long been my favorite editorial cartoonist. I'm signed up at www.gocomics.com to automatically receive, every day, his days's work. The really extra good ones go into a special file. Today he has an extra good one!
I don't know how the fair use policy applies to cartoons, but I'll hope it's okay to post this and say, gosh, isn't this the very best part of the Washington Post!
The other thing I love about Toles is that he posts a commentary about every day's cartoon. Today's is a barn-burner! It's a total rip on David Brooks' fawning, eyelid-fluttering love letter to Ryan the other day, calling Ryan's own fawning love letter to the rich and powerful "the most comprehensive and most courageous budget reform proposal any of us have seen in our lifetimes."
Yeah. Well. Sayeth Toles (read the rest via the link):
I guess this is what passes for bravery now.... The poor get to play their assigned roles as both the problem and the target, other sacrifices are off there in the distant future somewhere, but the rich get to have their rewards up front. Paul Ryan, hero. Courage used to have something to do with risking something, but that was before the bankers redefined “risk” as “reward.” So now rewarding yourself and your friends is now redefined as “courage.” Makes sense. Nice game you got there.
Sometimes when I'm visiting Washingon, I just want to walk into the Washington Post offices and give that man a big hug. He's been a beacon of sanity and incisive wit for as long as I can remember paying attention.
This isn't much of a diary. But anything to share this cartoon. It's worth a thousand speeches on the theme. Pass it on!