When I showed the following cartoon to my Hamiltonian mate, Manda, she thought it was about my girlfriend "Laurel" leaving me. Manda's not too bright sometimes (I can say that, she'll never read this.)

A garland of laurel leaves were, in the ancient world, a crown of power. You'll see pictures of Julius Ceasar with such a crown, and it's probably where the saying 'to rest on one's laurels' comes from. Laurel leaves, power, poisons the barer.

This I agree with. Power is responsibility, is burden. It makes you a target. Cares and worries, the demands and jelousies of enemies and friends, are a major drag. They kill you quickly and violently at best, softly and slowly at worst. Even though this quote is almost the same as the first, I interpret it differently.

Poision can be contended with, it has an antidote. One can take preventative precautions, remain vigilent. A ruler can have a close friend to ground them and make sure they don't get too high and mighty or become depressed or disenchanted with their endevours. But Lord Acton's quote represents the idea that corruption metaphysically follows empowerment, as night must follow day. I reject such determinism, for various reasons.

Having explained that, for any other Hamiltonians reading this, here's a cartoon. It's from a short series I did about a young Prince. This one's about yet another sort of human corruption...

^^ Click to enlarge ^^

posted by Rick  # 2:49:00 PM