March 9, 2010
In Praise of Steve Bell
Is this the best political cartoon of the past 10 years?
I think it might well be.
Hats off to Steve Bell.
I hope The Guardian don’t mind me copying this (then again, I’ve given them enough free articles, so…). I just want as many people as possible to see it.
blanco said,
March 9, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Don’t you get paid for Cif articles? Laurie Penny gets £100 a pop!
Paul Sagar said,
March 9, 2010 at 6:09 pm
That’s cos Laurie a) writes more than I do, b) is a struggling journalist that they’d do well to help because she’ll be good for them in the future, and c) has a reputation and ability by which she can now command that sort of cash – personally I can’t.
And anyway, I don’t care. Laurie needs the money because she’s a freelance journo; I sit on my arse and get paid by the state to read philosophy – writing is my hobby and I don’t need to get paid for it, and am quite happy in a weird sort of way that I don’t get paid.
Grace said,
March 9, 2010 at 7:48 pm
“I sit on my arse and get paid by the state to read philosophy”
Do you ever feel a bit bad that (indirectly and to a small extent) poor people are paying for you to pursue the kind of life you want? Yes studying philosophy may have millions of benefits, you can’t measure impact of ideas etc etc *but* any benefit that does arise from the sacrifice of the poor won’t actually accrue to them (even though perhaps it will to their descendants years in the future) how can you justify such a policy to those individuals?
Maybe there are massive benefits to others of you studying hume’s theories of political obligation… but isn’t there more than a hint of state subsidy of expensive tastes? (This isn’t in any way a criticism of you, if I do well at university and enjoy studying and by some miracle get funding then I would grasp it with both hands)
freethinkingeconomist said,
March 9, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Back to the subject of the cartoon.
I must be squeamish, but as one of those who had to watch endlessly that terrible CCTV clip of the boys leading young Jamie Bulger out, it just gives me nightmares This cartoon is hard hitting – too hard hitting for me.
Paul Sagar said,
March 9, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Grace: the reply is complicated – I may turn it into a blog in due course.
Giles: although I have vague memories of the case from being a kid, I clearly don’t have memories of the case as people of your generation do. But I really think that the points being made in this cartoon – hard hitting as they are – are very important and worth making.
Peter said,
March 10, 2010 at 12:35 am
I think it’s a very brave cartoon. Unsure whether that’s a good thing though.
(I too would be interested in your treatment of the issue Grace flags up, in a future blog)
freethinkingeconomist said,
March 10, 2010 at 6:35 am
I agree about the importance of the points being raised, for sure. I’m not sure you should be forced to defend studying on some sort of utilitarian grounds (e,.g. ‘this is how society benefits from my actions’). It would be very hard on individuals if that was a general requirement ….
Peter said,
March 10, 2010 at 12:33 pm
freethinkingeconomist,
I agree that you don’t need to defend studying on quasi-utilitarian grounds, not least because utilitarianism is a terrible moral theory (Paul agrees with me there, I think). But I’m not sure the task would be any easier for a sensible deontologist … still, we’ll wait to hear Paul’s thoughts on the matter.
Peter said,
March 10, 2010 at 1:12 pm
The way that texts and emails are flying round claiming to reveal Venables identity is incredibly scary.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/09/david-calvert-jon-venables-facebook-jamie-bulger
Ste For Sure said,
March 10, 2010 at 2:52 pm
Im a really slow super idiot who lives in a hole. What does this image mean?
Ste For Sure said,
March 10, 2010 at 2:55 pm
did some googling. got it now. Id never seen that CCTV image before. Don’t think its very good though to be honest.
Paul Sagar said,
March 10, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Ste,
you are committing an objective error.
the end.
(p.s. when am I good to come to Warwick?)
Ste For Sure said,
March 11, 2010 at 11:03 pm
soz.
I do a full monday to friday in the library and then take the weekends off pretty much. So not this weekend but the weekend after is good. Or the one after that? Then Im headin off on tour…so pick one of those two.
Let me know laaarrr. xx
Tim Worstall said,
March 12, 2010 at 11:46 am
£100? The bastards!
I only get £85!
Is this the first recorded instance of a gender pay gap in piece work?
Justifying my state-subsidised life of Riley « Bad Conscience said,
March 18, 2010 at 8:02 am
[...] week I remarked that I live the life of Riley at taxpayers’ expense. I’m not a benefit scrounger. I’m a [...]
How a little more cold detachment could make the world a better place « Bad Conscience said,
April 1, 2010 at 1:09 am
[...] must control our passions for revenge. If we don’t then Steve Bell’s depiction of the last few weeks will become a haunting reality. It sounds a strange thing to say, cold [...]
Michael said,
April 1, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Actually, I do not even understand the cartoon (probably due to lack of reference frame). Could someone explain to us non-Brits?
I have some vague speculations based on freethinkingeconomist’s comment and the links to the secret-identity issue, but …