Deconstructing_a_Political_Cartoon

PS3880B  SPECIAL TOPICS IN PS: CRITICAL IR THEORY AY 2010/2011, Semester 2 Deconstruct a ‘text’ relevant to your life as a student at NUS and to International Relations. What larger lessons can be drawn from this process of deconstruction' Josephine Lee Hui Ping U072573X 1622 words Object of Analysis Steve Bell’s And Bush Created Democracy (2005) Image from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/cartoons/stevebell/0,,1403140,00.html Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam (1511) Introduction In this paper, I will be deconstructing a political cartoon, And Bush Created Democracy (2005), drawn by renowned English satirist Steve Bell, and elucidate on its contents and its relevance to international relations. Through a critical analysis (considering the context, method, choice, intended effect, impact on the audience) of the cartoon, this paper shows how this text reflects and shapes our understanding of the realities of American foreign policy-making. More importantly, I argue that a successful political cartoon is largely effective as a tool to attack ideas or personalities and thereby shape public opinion, because of its visual and accessible form. The use of cartoon as a medium to perpetuate the cartoonist’s political view is extremely common in recent times, especially in the post-printing era of modern technology. In this visually driven society that we live in, it is thus not surprising that political cartoons today are found in many major newspapers or editorials, reinforcing their popularity and ability to communicate to the masses. In this respect, the relationship between visual art and popular culture vis-à-vis politics is symbiotic and will be examined in this paper. Background And Bush Created Democracy was published in The Guardian, a popular British national daily newspaper known for its centre-left stance, on 1st February 2005. Bell describes himself as ‘a socialistic anarchist and a libertarian’, and is also known for his left-wing views after he expressed his strong dislike of Margaret Thatcher’s right-wing political leadership during the 1980s. Politicians are often the main target of his works. For instance, former US president George W Bush is often depicted as a chimpanzee in many of Bell’s works. The use of animal imagery is ‘a powerful visual register for investing others with either subhuman properties or foolish characteristics’. Unsurprisingly, Bell is against the militaristic and unilateral war policies of the Bush administration. This cartoon is just one of the many caricatures deriding the multiple failings of the US during and after the Iraqi war. In order to understand the nuances of the cartoon, it is imperative to know the context of it. And Bush Created Democracy was drawn against the backdrop of the first Iraqi legislative elections since the US invasion in 2003. While the United States hailed the 30th January 2005 Iraqi elections as credible and which constituted the first step towards building a full-fledged democracy, it was not without controversy. The Sunni Arabs’ boycott of this election reduced the legitimacy of the result of the election. Also, the election occurred after the full extent of the torture and abuse of Iraqi prisoners by the US military in the Abu Ghraib prison came to public attention. Bell’s intention was to mock this election, specifically US’s hypocrisy in publicly promoting an Iraqi democracy, yet at the same time, violating human rights through the mistreatment of the detainees. Analysis The effectiveness of this cartoon in conveying its intended message across to the audience through the use of humour works on at least three levels (it is beyond the scope of this paper to provide an exhaustive critical deconstruction of the text). Firstly, the reference to Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam (1511) is a clever one which allows one to better understand the effects of the use of parody. Secondly, the idea of Bush as God is in reference to his alleged delusions of grandeur. Thirdly, the allusion to torture in the cartoon is a symbol of the perversion of the meaning of democracy. The intended meaning of the cartoon cannot be fully appreciated without the knowledge that Bell was inspired by Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam (1511), one of the paintings done for the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, Rome. In The Creation of Adam, God is reaching out to provide the spark of life from his own finger with great determination to Adam, whose posture is seen to mirror that of God’s, a reminder that man is created in the image and likeness of his Creator. Here, the contrast of the ‘divine life and human lassitude’ is shown by the Creator seeking to energize the inert body of Adam. The Creation of Adam is a powerful symbol of the ‘rebirth of the soul, when, heavy with the weight of the physical life with which it is associated, unconscious of its powers, it is awakened by the divine breath’. The reference to Michelangelo’s masterpiece affords the pleasure of recognition to a famous historical art painting, and it highlights the fact that the relationship between art history and popular culture is not separated or independent of each other. In this case, the identification with The Creation of Adam was to reinforce the satirical element of the cartoon, as only an exclusive informed audience would be able to establish the inspiration behind this parody and make the connection with the events that happened in Iraq during that period. In And Bush Created Democracy, Bell has skilfully appropriated the original intent and form of Michelangelo’s masterpiece to create an alternative interpretation suffused with such a ‘wild, even frightening, sense of humour’. The parallel of Bush and God is in reference to his alleged delusions of grandeur. To justify the Iraq war, Bush had on many occasions invoked religious rhetoric by quoting scriptural verses to substantiate the reasons for the invasion, to the extent of even claiming that the Iraq War was a calling for him to fulfil a biblical prophecy. In addition, the irony in the cartoon is that, Bush as God, is being supported by US soldiers, symbolizing that Bush’s democratic quest in Iraq required the military support and it is that institution which has uplifted him to a position of divine authority. Furthermore, the cartoon’s depiction of Bush as a chimpanzee not only creates a comic effect but is also reflective of Bell’s contempt towards Bush, whom he labels as a “dangerous idiot” that enshrines the values of “ignorance and stupidity and arrogance.” The allusion to torture in the cartoon symbolizes the perversion of democracy. The naked body with the covered head was directed at events in Abu Ghraib where the detainees were stripped and had their heads covered before revolting and blasphemous acts were performed on them by the American soldiers. The allegory of Bush’s democracy to a bounded, helpless and abused figure is juxtaposition to the ideals of a true democracy, which is supposed to a defender of human rights. According to Schopenhauer, satire works by the “subsumption of the heterogeneous within the person satirized, by the revelation of some contrast between the ‘real’ and the ‘ideal’.” In this instance, the ideal nature of Bush’s rhetoric of a war of liberalization in Iraq is contrasted with the reality of a deluded president endorsing torture. The US intervention in Iraq sparked massive outrage in the global arena and the Abu Ghraib scandal served to reinforce the widespread disapproval of Bush’s decision to start the war. Through this cartoon, Bell seeks to rekindle the controversy and extinguish the Republicans’ euphoria over the first Iraqi election since the war. In short, Bell is suggesting that the 2005 January elections have raised more questions and uncertainties than answers for the future of Iraq. Reflections According to Derrida, “Deconstruction, if such a thing exists, should open up”. Through this deconstruction exercise, I have demonstrated and learnt that symbols on its own are not self-sufficient, ‘but need something other than themselves to be(come) possible’. Imagery and symbolism are dependent on structures to provide meaning. In addition, I have also learnt to critically question issues such as the notion of truth and power. To a large extent, since the September 11 attacks, the US government has monopolized and mobilized visual imagery and the discourse of security and foreign policies. This hegemony allowed the US government to press ahead with the invasion, despite opposition from the Democrats, by alienating dissenting voices through using the use of securitization as a frame. One may also question the effectiveness of the cartoon in achieving the author’s intended aim. Despite the extensive satirical mocking of Bush in the public discourse, Bush still went on to win the reelection bid, demonstrating that perhaps such did little in eroding his legitimacy. In addressing the relevance of this text to me as a NUS student, this exercise makes me question the futility of expressions of resistance against the hierarchies of power. As much as people resent the inherent negative impact and aspect of Empire, globalization, and capitalism, it seems that we have become, subconsciously or not, so inevitably embedded within the system to affect any significant change. Bibliography Journals Biesta and Stams, “Critical Thinking and the Question of Critique: Some Lessons from Deconstruction,” Studies in Philosophy and Education, Vol 20, 2001, 57-74. Black, Amy E., “With God on Our Side: Religion in George W. Bush’s Foreign Policy Speeches”. Paper presented at the American Political Science Association, Chicago, Illinois, September 2-5 2004, 1-16. Dodds, Klaus, “Steve Bell’s Eye: Cartoons, Geopolitics and the Visualization of the ‘War on Terror’”, Security Dialogue, Vol 38, No.2 (June 2007), 157-177. W. A. Coupe, “Political and Religious Cartoons of the Thirty Years’ War,” Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Vol 25. No.1/2 (Jan-June 1962), 65-86. Online Sources “Biography of Steve Bell.” British Cartoon Archive (accessed 2 March 2011). http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/artists/stevebell/biography Clive Hamilton, “Bush’s Shocking Biblical Prophecy Emerges,” AlterNet (accessed 2 March 2011). http://www.alternet.org/news/140221/bush%27s_shocking_biblical_prophecy_emerges:_god_wants_to_%22%3Berase%22%3B_mid-east_enemies_%22%3Bbefore_a_new_age_begins%22%3B/ “Interview with Steve Bell.” The Guardian (accessed 2 March 2011). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2009/jan/15/steve-bell-george-bush “New Details of Prison Abuse Emerge” The Washington Post (accessed 2 March 2011). http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43783-2004May20.html “Special Coverage of the Dec. 15, 2005 Iraq Parliamentary Election”. U.S Department of Defense Official Website (accessed 2 March 2011). http://osd.dtic.mil/home/features/2005/IraqElection_Dec/ “The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo” (accessed 2 March 2011). http://www.thecreationofadam.com/ -------------------------------------------- [ 1 ]. “Biography of Steve Bell,”. British Cartoon Archive. http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/artists/stevebell/biography [ 2 ]. ibid. [ 3 ]. Refer to this link for a list of other cartoons by Bell depicting Bush is a less than flattering light. lhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2009/jan/15/steve-bell-george-bush [ 4 ]. Dodds, Klaus, “Steve Bell’s Eye: Cartoons, Geopolitics and the Visualization of the ‘War on Terror’”, Security Dialogue, Vol 38, No.2 (June 2007), p. 158. [ 5 ]. “Special Coverage of the Dec. 15, 2005 Iraq Parliamentary Election”. U.S Department of Defense Official Website http://osd.dtic.mil/home/features/2005/IraqElection_Dec/ [ 6 ]. “The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo” http://www.thecreationofadam.com/ [ 7 ]. Ibid. [ 8 ]. http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/artists/stevebell/biography [ 9 ]. Black, Amy E., “With God on Our Side: Religion in George W. Bush’s Foreign Policy Speeches”. Paper presented at the American Political Science Association, Chicago, Illinois, September 2-5 2004, p. 6. [ 10 ]. Clive Hamilton, “Bush’s Shocking Biblical Prophecy Emerges,” AlterNet. http://www.alternet.org/news/140221/bush%27s_shocking_biblical_prophecy_emerges:_god_wants_to_%22%3Berase%22%3B_mid-east_enemies_%22%3Bbefore_a_new_age_begins%22%3B/ [ 11 ]. “Interview with Steve Bell,” The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2009/jan/15/steve-bell-george-bush [ 12 ]. “New Details of Prison Abuse Emerge” The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43783-2004May20.html [ 13 ]. W. A. Coupe, “Political and Religious Cartoons of the Thirty Years’ War,” Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Vol 25. No.1/2 (Jan-June 1962), 74. [ 14 ]. Biesta and Stams, “Critical Thinking and the Question of Critique: Some Lessons from Deconstruction,” Studies in Philosophy and Education, Vol 20, 2001, p. 57. [ 15 ]. Ibid., p. 69.