Today’s retro cartoon is a 2001 version of a favorite theme within Arlo & Janis, the insidiousness and ubiquitousness of consumer culture. I’ve been harping on this for years. Economists and politicians throw up their hands and act as if our current economic weakness is so unexpected and inexplicable, when, in reality, even cartoonists can see that we can’t keep our economy going by selling one another imported junk on credit. Oh, and don’t forget to buy the book.