A useful term made famous by Bill Hicks is "fevered egos."(or as we once called them, assholes)
That seems to be the dominant current in the world today, which can't lead to anything good. Do you see a sort of pattern here?
We have the monstrous version, Qaddafi, willing to kill every one of his own people to protect himself, and insisting--and, I'm sure, believing--they all love him.
We have the domestic version, Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, willing to break his state in half to repay his Koch donors and use his state as the first kill in the Republican union hunt. His state is against him, the protests get bigger every day, and he thinks he's Reagan. He thinks this is his "moment." I'm sure he honestly tells himself most of the WI protesters are from out of state.
And then we have the clown version, celebrated crackhead Charlie Sheen, who believes making sure to only do crack off the set passes for responsible behavior, who unashamedly abuses women, who publicly hurls anti-semitic insults at his boss, who speaks of it all as his "bitchin' rock star life," and tells us he's tired of pretending he's not special. And who thinks the entire world can't see the deep mark of crack right there on his face, thick as Robert Downey Jr. in the interviews among the extras in the Natural Born Killers DVD.(go back and look at his face, then look at Sheen's. That was Downey at rock bottom)
Incidentally, I think he and Qaddafi, from the sound of both of them, have the same dealer.
Basically, destructive, delusional, selfish porky people who will do anything to achieve a purpose that everyone but they consider wrong. Qaddafi will kill you. Walker will fire you. And Sheen will sue you till there's a greasy spot. None care about the consequences of their actions to others, and in fact are quite happy to hurt others. All are in a state of delusion but in a position where it's almost impossible to stop them. And if everyone is against them? They will destroy everyone.
It's a current. It's a symbol. It's a picture of our lousy time. A pestilence of fevered egos, corroding our souls.
http://open.salon.com/blog/jlroberson/2011/03/01/a_pestilence_of_fevered_egosNo cartoon, but I did find you an article.