Vol. 136 No. 25
NATION
A Case of Biting Irony
Accused of nipping a cop's ear, twins claim mistaken identity
A Long Hallucination of War
As TV broadcasts battle preparations, Americans ponder the moral case for war
American Notes BASKETBALL
A Draw for Tark the Shark
American Notes HUNTING
The Buck Starts Here
American Notes PRISONS
Crime Does Pay
American Notes TRIALS
Play It Again, Ted
American Notes WASHINGTON
"My State Is Falling Apart" !
Baby, It's Cold Inside Award
(Grapevine)
Deadline: Jan. 15 Iraq gets an ultimatum -- leave Kuwait in six weeks or face the threat of war. Washington's nightmare is that Saddam will partially comply.
Donald Trump Literary Prize
(Grapevine)
If War Begins
A fight to liberate Kuwait would pit lasers against razor wire in a battle that would be short, phenomenally violent and, all too probably, bloody
Last Order of Lenin
(Grapevine)
Maybe This Man Needs an Audit
(Grapevine)
Ollie North's Latest Laugh
A new ruling batters the case against Iran-contra defendants, raising doubts about congressional immunity
Secrets For Sale?
(Grapevine)
Strains on The Coalition
The Germs of War
Two Is Better Than One
(Grapevine)
Watch Your Back, George
(Grapevine)
Wealth of Nations Citation
(Grapevine)
When Will Saddam Get the Bomb?
Not nearly so soon as the Bush Administration claims
Who Owns U.S.?
(Grapevine)
WORLD
"Life Begins at 65"
"Wrapped In Cotton Wool"
Faced with shortages and squabbling reformers, the mayor of Leningrad discovers the difficulty of getting things done
America Abroad
The General Secretary in His Labyrinth
Britain A Victory of Major Proportions
Thatcherism is alive and well as the Tories pick Maggie's favorite to succeed her, but the new Prime Minister is likely to go his own way on Europe
To the Victors Belong the Bills
(Germany)
Integrating the long-divided land will cost the new Bonn government $220 billion over the next four years
Lost In Translation
Poland A Stranger Calls
In his bid to become President, Lech Walesa must defeat a mysterious newcomer who is surprisingly popular with the voter
South Africa Angst in Afrikanerdom
The descendants of the founders of South Africa's apartheid state debate their role in a black-ruled society
Soviet Union Donations Gladly Accepted
As Germany begins ferrying food to the Soviets, the U.S. worries about how to ensure that its aid will reach the hungriest
World Notes BANGLADESH
Forecast: More Turbulence
World Notes BRAZIL
Wounding the "Emperor"
World Notes BULGARIA
Champagne And Tears
World Notes SWITZERLAND
Into the 20th Century
SCIENCE
Roots of The Hubble's Troubles
(Space)
NASA could have spotted the telescope's flaw before the launch
HEALTH & MEDICINE
A Golden Age for Grapes
(Food)
California's talented young winemakers are having their best of times, even as they worry about worse days that may lie ahead
Chateau Bubba Grows Up
(Food)
Perils Of Being Born Black
(Health)
Life expectancy for African Americans is sinking
SOCIETY
Cimarron, New Mexico Bears, Bucks And Boy Scouts
(American Scene)
At New Mexico's Philmont Scout Ranch, troops hit the wilderness trail, with a few modern twists
The Long and Short of It
(Living)
Male ponytails hang in there as a style for all seasons
Time for The Teeny Tinies?
(Living)
Microcars are taking the hassle out of French city driving
STYLE & DESIGN
Creating Grand Illusions
(Design)
Muralist Richard Haas evokes the Baroque on blank city walls
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Time Magazine Contents Page
(Contents)
Vol. 136, No. 25 DECEMBER 10, 1990
Time Magazine Masthead
(Masthead)
Vol. 136, No. 25 DECEMBER 10, 1990
BUSINESS
"An Economic Samurai"
Business Notes AUTOMOBILES
GM Hits The Brakes
Business Notes ENTERPRISE
Food for Tort
Business Notes RETAILING
The Cover Of Money
Business Notes THE ECONOMY
Don't Say That Word!
Business Notes TOYS
Kooshing Kousins
Let Us Entertain You
Matsushita rattles American nerves by paying $6.1 billion for a Hollywood dream machine, but the giant MCA is likely to be stronger as a result
Of Cluster Bombs and Kiwis
Meet one of Saddam's favorite arms dealers: Carlos Cardoen
EDUCATION
Dusting Off the Old School Ties
Behind its ancient walls, Eton, at 550, slips into the modern age
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
A Deadly Game of Nursing Care
(Cinema)
Critics' Voices
(Critics' Voices)
Home Alone Breaks Away
(Show Business)
A wide-eyed boy's comical coping makes a holiday hit
New Thinking
(Books)
Shear Heaven
(Cinema)
The Wisdom of Ms. Solomon
(Video)
PBS's first programming czar is shaking up public TV
You Can Look It Up
(Books)
Picking the best among three encyclopedias
PEOPLE
Taking Care of Herself
(Profile)
Self-help is a philosophy, says MELODY BEATTIE, and her best-selling books carry the word to a tidal wave of followers
TO OUR READERS
From the Publisher
(From The Publisher)
ESSAY
Our Health-Care Disgrace