Mined area
This cartoon appeared as the United States government filed suit
against the Occidental Petroleum Corporation for dumping hazardous
waste at Love Canal and other sites around Niagara Falls, New York.
Pressed by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Justice Department
also sued for reimbursement to cover the costs of cleaning up the
toxic waste sites and to relocate people whose homes had become
contaminated.
Mined area,
January 2, 1980
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white, and overlays over blue
pencil underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (93)
LC-USZ62-126880
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"You can do a favor for me -- Rub out any gun control legislation"
During the 1980s, the National Rifle Association directed its efforts
toward repealing the federal Gun Control Act of 1968, which banned
the mail-order sale of guns and ammunition. Using its powerful grass
roots organization and heavy treasury to target legislators who
supported gun control, it helped to elect a more sympathetic Senate
in 1984. And in 1986, it achieved the repeal of the 1968 legislation.
"You can do
a favor for me--Rub out any gun control legislation,"
August 7, 1980
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, and opaque white, over blue pencil
underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (94)
LC-USZ62-126877
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"The Gods are angry"
When President Ronald Reagan took office in 1981, he immediately
pressed his program to cut taxes, reduce money spent on social programs
and deregulate regulatory agencies. He named appointees to consumer
protection and civil rights agencies who could be counted on to
make them practically inoperative. Some Democrats went along with
Reaganomics, but many felt it gave relief to the very rich and too
little to the most urgent areas of need. Herb Block comments: "Reagan
continued to call for balanced budgets without ever presenting one
and tripled the national debt."
"The Gods are
angry," April 12, 1981
Ink, graphite, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white, and overlays
over blue pencil underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (95)
LC-USZ62-126878
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"On to Central America!"
On August 21, 1982, President Ronald Reagan ordered eighty Marines
to Lebanon, and one month later he sent 1200 more. At a press conference,
correspondents familiar with the area had pointed out that U.S.
troops barracked at an airport would be in an extremely vulnerable
position. On April 18, 1983, a truck bomb destroyed the American
Embassy in Beirut, killing seventeen U.S. Foreign Service and military
personnel. On October 23, 1983, another truck bomb destroyed the
Marine Barracks, killing 241 Marines and 19 U.S. civilians. Two
days later, Reagan ordered an attack on the little Carribean island
of Grenada, ostensibly to protect American students, who were unaware
that they needed protection.
"On to Central
America!" March 13, 1984
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white, and overlays over blue
pencil underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (96)
LC-USZ62-126873
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Invasion of the corporate body snatchers
In this cartoon, Herb Block anticipated the super-giant, super-mergers
that came later. In the 1980s, the deregulation of banking in the
United States allowed financiers to use unprecedented and risky
tactics. Financial innovations such as junk bonds encouraged corporate
mergers, leveraged buyouts, and hostile takeovers at a phenomenal
rate. By April 1985, the failure of many savings and loan institutions
cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars. It was described
by former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh as the biggest white
collar scandal in history. Herb Block says, "It was swept under
a very large rug."
Invasion of
the corporate body snatchers, April 21, 1985
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white, and overlay over blue
pencil underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (97)
LC-USZ62-126883
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"Right up my alley"
The Reagan administration made abortion a top issue. Acting Solicitor
General Charles Fried filed a brief with the Supreme Court on July
15, asking that the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision
be overturned. It was the first time since 1954 that the Justice
Department had requested that a key decision be reversed. On July
10, the House of Representatives voted to deny foreign aid to international
groups that funded abortions.
"Right up my
alley," July 19, 1985
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white, and overlays over blue
pencil underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (98)
LC-USZ62-126872
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Arms payoff for hostage release
On November 2, 1986, an American hostage was released by an Iranian
group that had held him captive for more than seventeen months.
It was soon reported that his release was linked to a transfer of
military spare parts to Iran. President Ronald Reagan commented
that such a story "has no foundation" and "is making it more difficult
to get the other hostages out." Herb Block comments, "But the
story was true, and the trading of arms actually provided an incentive
for the taking of more hostages. Appearing on television, Reagan
said forcefully, ‘We did not, repeat not, trade weapons or anything
else for hostages.' When this was proven to be untrue, he later
made a carefully worded retraction. He left it to Attorney General
Meese to disclose the diversion of arms-sales funds to Nicaraguan
contra rebels, a violation of an act of Congress."
Arms payoff
for hostage release, November 11, 1986
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white, tonal film overlay,
and overlay over blue pencil underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (99)
LC-USZ62-126881
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"Speak softly and carry a big stick"
As the Iran-Contra scandals grew, a Reagan-appointed commission
headed by former Senator John Tower held hearings. President Ronald
Reagan told the Tower Commission that (A) He did not know the National
Security Council staff had been helping the contras; (B) he had
"no definite knowledge of military aid"; and (C) "I was very definitely
involved in decisions about the freedom fighters. It was my idea
to begin with." Secretary of State George Shultz contradicted Reagan's
testimony on knowledge of arms-parts shipments. When continued disclosures
became public, the bold Reagan administration lapsed into the passive:
"Mistakes were made." The Tower Commission absolved Reagan of blame
in the Iran-Contra scandals, attributing his part in them to memory
lapses.
"Speak softly
and carry a big stick," December 21, 1986
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white, and overlay over blue
pencil underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (100)
LC-USZ62-126879
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"Our bags are packed" -- Weinberger on Star Wars program
Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger was a strong advocate of increased
arms spending, including the proposed anti-missile missile program,
known as "Star Wars." The $640 toilet seat collar on Weinberger
became a Herb Block fixture after disclosures of Pentagon purchases
of $435 hammers, $466 socket wrenches, $600 ashtrays and $2,043
wing nuts.
"Our bags are
packed"--Weinberger on
Star Wars program, January 25, 1987
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, opaque white, and overlays over blue
pencil underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (101)
LC-USZ62-126882
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Church of the Heavenly Antenna
Self-serving TV evangelists made the news even as they broadcast
their sermons on television. In Herblock at Large,
the cartoonist wrote, "Also dealing in megabucks have been the TV
evangelists who decry sin and who are up there in direct communication
with God --- while at a more mundane level, they rake in millions
a year to keep themselves on TV --- and sometimes to keep themselves
living in the high style to which they have made themselves accustomed."
A good example was Oral Roberts, who raised $8 million dollars after
telling his television audience that God had warned him that he
would die if he did not receive the money.
Church of the
Heavenly Antenna, March 26, 1987
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, and opaque white, over blue pencil
underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (103)
LC-USZ62-126875
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"And we pray that you sinners out there will see the light"
Some televangelists exploited those who could least afford to give.
Several of these preachers, who preyed on the guilt of their listeners,
were revealed as imperfect role models. In April 1987, the Reverend
Jim Bakker's television empire, Praise the Lord (PTL), crashed when
Bakker's sexual misconduct was revealed and federal and state officials
began investigating PTL's funding practices.
"And we pray
that you sinners out there
will see the light," May 3, 1987
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, and opaque white, over blue pencil
underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (104)
LC-USZ62-126871
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"People's Republic"
On June 3 and 4, 1989, Chinese army troops and tanks rolled into
the Tiananmen Square area in Beijing to crush student-led pro-democracy
protests that had begun in mid-April. Residents of other cities
in China and nations worldwide protested the bloody crackdown. Casualties
were estimated at 5,000. Herb Block reprinted this cartoon ten years
later as a reminder of the Chinese rulers with whom Americans were
dealing.
"People's Republic,"
June 6, 1989
Ink, crayon, porous point pen, and opaque white, over blue pencil
underdrawing on paper
Published in the Washington Post (105)
LC-USZ62-126876
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