Kal is a fine cartoonist, but why has the Economist been pushing him so much lately? Features and reminders throughout the front of the last issues, ads for his collaboration with whomever throughout, and now favorable spots on the website and the Facebook portal. Why? I doubt I speak for myself when I say the his cartoons are not what bring me to read the newspaper each week. Graphics in the Economist almost always pleasingly add to the story; please remember they merely accent reportage, no more.

Joel...If you'd like simple language please resort to reading your local news paper. The Economist' "air of snobbish middle-classness" is one of its hallmarks minus the middle-classness; and I for one wouldn't be a regular reader if they chose to "dumb it down" for simpletons. Your basically saying the trait that makes The Economist the magazine of choice for cultured intellectuals is its weakness. Logic anyone?

Ellen I think part of the reason they don't tell you who writes the articles is so that the author can be as honest and blunt as possible without getting hate mail and such.

Joel, false.

And yeah it costs way too much time for someone whose first language is not English, but that's the way. Still it's great mag and my favourite.