A Cartoon History of United States Foreign Policy from 1945 to the Present: From 1945 to the Present

In my opinion, political cartoonists are some of the most under appreciated geniuses in the human race. That is reinforced in the introduction written by Richard Reeves. He feels honored when given the opportunity to meet Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Don Wright. However, he is somewhat chastened when the meeting takes place while Wright is moonlighting at his desk, doing floor plans for an architect just to make ends meet. That aside, these cartoons, which chronicle the years from 1945 to 1990, are a collective work of genius. In a few words and in at most a few images, they are able to capture the essence of an opinion on a major topic of the day. Everything from the start of the cold war, the fall of the Communist block to the $640 toilet seats purchased from defense contractors is represented in the cartoons. Of course, as a group, editorial cartoonists are the most bipartisan group in the country; they will criticize anyone they feel deserves it. Political affiliations or sympathies are no shield against their pointed barbs. I can never get enough of political cartoons and whenever I read them I am reminded that some of our favorite children's stories originated as veiled political satire. In those days, an explicit criticism of the ruler could lead to you being shortened by a head. Fortunately, things are better now, as it would be a tragedy if we had to do without the incredible creativity of these people.