MESSAGE:
The cartoonist is saying that the Russian bear that used to be as tough as an aggressive
and forceful Soviet Union now seems to be like a teddy bear by trying out a little bit of
capitalism and democracy. The Soviet Union appears to be looking for ways to be peaceful
with the world. The cartoonist could also be showing that bear is moving more toward the
middle of the road politically and that he is moving a little from the left to the right which
means that he is moving away from communism and towards capitalism and democracy. The
cartoonist is also saying that NATO is not sure that the Soviet Union’s friendliness is sincere
and that NATO thinks it had better keep its military forces in tact and not be fooled by a
cuddly bear that is really just as aggressive as it has always been. The cartoonist believes that
NATO will not be willing to go along with Shevardnadze’s suggestion that NATO and the
Warsaw Pact be phased out.