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Herbert Block, The Washington Post, “It’s the Same Thing without Mechanical Problems”, January 26, 1949
Through the Marshall Plan, the U.S. poured money into rebuilding Western Europe after the ravages of war. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin refused to allow the Eastern European nations to join the Marshall Plan and announced in its place a Council for Economic Mutual Assistance. The Soviet Union had no intention of underwriting the costs of recovery, and the plan existed primarily as a propaganda device. Famed American cartoonist Herbert Block, or “Herblock” satirizes Stalin’s Council for Economic Mutual Assistance in this image.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Who do the various individuals in the cartoon represent?
Cartoonists often use objects as symbols to stand for larger concepts and ideas. What objects are used as symbols in this cartoon and what do they mean?
Explain the irony of the quote “It’s the same without mechanical problems.”
Is this document for or against the Marshall Plan? Explain.
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