The first cartoon is about the current financial crisis. This cartoon was drawn in September of 2007, but what is portrayed is even more relevant to the economic situation today. Lenders are currently being bailed out because they gave out too many loans that fell through. Doing this is supposed to help stimulate the economy by keeping these lenders in business, keeping the jobs that these firms offer, as well as keep providing there services to the people.
This cartoon portrays the lending companies as an evil shark amongst people stuck in the water. The water represents foreclosures, and eventually bankruptcy. A lifeguard represents the federal government, and shows the lenders being saved from the waters of bankruptcy; all while the people are left to drown. The main point of this cartoon is to show that helping out the lenders in this situation is not the same as helping the people.
This cartoon simplifies what is really going on in our economy right now. It shows that although the lenders are getting bailed out, the people who need that money are being left to drown. The cartoon is showing that in reality, bailing out the lenders doesn’t mean that the people will be able to reap the benefits.



The second cartoon is a depiction of many different Americans swimming across the Rio Grande to go to Mexico. Behind them are the wife and kids yelling out, “If you find work, send home those pesos!” This cartoon is exaggerating the deficit that the economy is in. The purpose of this cartoon is to make a statement about the economy, as well as poke a little fun at the immigration issue.
The economy is in a very bad situation, and it seems like it might get worse before it gets better. There is no reason to believe what is portrayed in this cartoon will actually come to pass, but there is reason to believe that the standard of living for most families will go down.
There is really no bold political statement in this cartoon. It was simply drawn to poke fun at the situation that the economy is in, and the people that are saying that we are going into another depression. The author does not believe that things are really this serious, and is pretty much saying that things could be worse.