Editor-in-Chief:
Ranan R. Lurie

 

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GREENSPAN KEEPS TRYING
By August 21, Alan Greenspan cut interest rates for a seventh time this year. Since rate cuts lower the cost of borrowing money, the thinking is that there will be more to spend, and the economy will begin to grow more quickly. Greenspan's cuts have done the job, but never too long. The economy has repeatedly fallen back to its sluggish ways. Greenspan alone can't save the economy from recession. The Fed chairman says steady growth will be difficult if banks are too stingy with loans, and consumers keep too tight a hold on every penny.

QUESTIONS:


  1. How are rate cuts to the stock market   and friends like a bone to a dog?

  2. Why is Greenspan holding the bone up so high?

  3. In which direction will these dogs be heading in the near future?

  4. Does Lurie think Greenspan has the "real trick" up his sleeve?

  5. Is he confident Greenspan will get the help he needs to boost the economy?

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Editor-in-Chief: Ranan R. Lurie

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Bloody Ground

On the year anniversary of his taking office, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has vowed to escalate the war against the Palestinians as a reaction to their terror attacks. His remarks followed a week of bloodshed considered heavy even for the Middle East, where more than 1,000 Palestinians and more than 300 Israelis have been killed during the last year and a half.

Questions:


  1. What is usually in a hour glass?

  2. Why has cartoonist Lurie replaced it with blood?

  3. Is time the only thing running out in the Middle East?

  4. Does this cartoon take sides between Middle East antagonists?

  5. Does Lurie hold out much hope for peace in the region?

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Editor-in-Chief: Ranan R. Lurie

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Blood Brothers

More than 1,270 Palestinians and 450 Israelis have been killed in 19 months of fighting in the Middle East. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's recent mission there was designed to bring the region back to the hopeful days before the outbreak of violence, when peace talks appeared to be making some kind of progress, until Arafat through a monkey-wrench into the negotiations. Now, neither side was willing to cooperate with him.

Questions:


  1. Who are the two men standing in this Ramirez cartoon?

  2. Why are their submachine guns aimed at each other?

  3. Who are the people lying around them?

  4. What, according to cartoonist Ramirez, is driving each man's unwillingness to compromise?

  5. What does he suggest will have to happen before progress can be made toward peace in the Middle East?

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Editor-in-Chief: Ranan R. Lurie

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Child Killers

More than 50 Arab suicide bombers - many of them teenagers - have struck Israel in the last 19 months. These "kids" (two weeks ago, three teenagers  were killed "in action", two of them were 14 years old...) are willing to kill themselves and others because they grow up in a society that praises the bombers as "honored" martyrs. Although Yasser Arafat claims to abhor suicide bombing, his Fatah movement has been directly linked to the practice. Now that the leader is out of his Ramallah confinement, we may expect more and more suicide bombings executed by brain-washed teens.
 

Questions:


  1. How is this question usually phrased?

  2. What is tragically ironic about it given Benson's word change?

  3. Why do you think terrorist leaders would look to the young to become suicide bombers?

  4. Does cartoonist Benson believe Arafat supports turning children into suicide bombers?

  5. Are Israelis, in Benson's view, the only victims of terrorists who perpetuate suicide bombing? If not, who else is?

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Editor-in-Chief: Ranan R. Lurie

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Image Reversal
The FBI on May 8 arrested Jose Padilla, an alleged associate of Osama bin Laden who was reportedly plotting to detonate a "dirty bomb" on U.S. soil. The term "dirty bomb" refers to a traditional explosive device that is used to spread radioactive material over a concentrated area. The CIA first got wind of the plot when questioning a bin Laden lieutenant they'd taken into custody.

Questions:


  1. Why have many Americans been complaining about these guys' "lack of coordination"?

  2. In what way was Jose Padilla thrown in the trash?

  3. Why show both FBI and CIA agents in this cartoon?

  4. How would you describe their coordination here?

  5. Does cartoonist Thompson think the criticism the agencies have gotten lately has been fair?

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Editor-in-Chief: Ranan R. Lurie

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Cardinals to H.Q. Rome 

American Roman Catholic cardinals have been summoned to the Vatican for meetings next week, on the topic of pedophile priests. A tidal wave of allegations regarding priests who sexually abuse children has rocked the church in recent weeks. In many cases, church officials, including some of the men summoned to Rome, are blamed for allowing priests to continue working with children, after being accused of abuse.

Questions:


  1. What is a product recall?

  2. Why are each of the cardinals frowning here?

  3. On what grounds could these cardinals be "recalled"?

  4. Besides the pedophile priests themselves, who does cartoonist Beattie blame for widespread sexual abuse in the church?

  5. Is getting rid of offending priests, in Beattie's opinion, the only step in curing the problem?

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Editor-in-Chief: Ranan R. Lurie

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Vague Warnings
The Federal Government issued a series of vague warnings about terrorists attacks this week. On Sunday, Vice President Richard Cheney said it is inevitable that terrorists will attack again, but he didn't say when or where. That was followed by an FBI warning that terrorists were targeting the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty, but again it did not say when. The discovery of a suspicious bag caused the Brooklyn bridge to be closed briefly this morning.

Questions:


  1. Are any of those warnings specific?

  2. Why does the couple look so wide-eyed?

  3. Can they use any of this information to adequately protect themselves?

  4. Why would the man want to be left "in the dark"?

  5. What, according to cartoonist Markstein, should be the guidelines for government warnings?

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Editor-in-Chief: Ranan R. Lurie

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Bickering Brothers
As Congress on Tuesday began closed hearings into the mishandling of terrorism warnings prior to Sept. 11, President Bush told reporters it is clear the CIA and FBI were not communicating as they should. Reports in recent weeks have revealed that the agencies do not cooperate with each other. In one case, an FBI agent was even... reprimanded for sharing information with the CIA.

Questions:


  1. Why would a supervisor be happy that these two guys are "talking"?

  2. Is this the kind of "talking" they are supposed to be doing?

  3. Would you characterize the two workers as adversaries or allies? Why portray them that way?

  4. What is the one thing that, according to cartoonist Ramsey, each agent has gotten right?

  5. What, according to Ramsey, is the primary motive of each agency? What should it be?

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