OUTSOURCING / OFFSHORING: TWO CARTOONS

 

 This first cartoon introduces the idea of Outsourcing and Offshoring, two current issues in our nowadays societies. This two notions are presented through the figure of Mitt Romney (as we can see on the treasure full of money) who's explaining what outsourcing and offshoring are. To offshore is a mean to earn more money when you establish a western country's company in a third world country in order to pay less the workers and benefits. To outsource is almost the same but it's when you set up a not really lucrative part of a firm in an other country. It's a way to get money really fast for developped countries as United States and what they usually do is that they deposite their money in a tax haven as Cayman Islands drown in the foreground next to "Believin' in America" big boat which reflects the richness of America. But there are many tax havens like Bermuda or Switzerland that we can make out in the background.

 

The second document also tackles the current issue of offshoring. It's atempting to "simply explain" what offshoring means thanks to two banal characters who're having a conversation. They are speaking about the financial situation of their country and the first character says to the other that this would be better if they moved in the other country because there are jobs there. He also says something funny when he tells the other that the people want even more than their jobs. The other asks what and the first answers : they want to be paid. They thinks that it is unbelievable and they are kind of right beacause when a country ofsshores is to get money on the back of a cheap labor. This document is interesting because it shows how bad the situation is nowadays. Indeed, western country people are losing their jobs because some business companies are offshoring to get a cheaper labor. But this labor also wants to be paid.

To put it in a nutshell, these two cartoons raise the controversial issue of offshoring that is creating poverty in both sides, in western countries as well as in third world countries. It also shows that rich people are getting richer and they don't hesitate to hide their money in tax havens in order to not pay taxes even if they should. In fact they are preying on cheap labor to earn as much money as they can. That's awful because nowadays western countries are suffering of a massive joblessness.

"THE FANATIC GEEK" BY CHAPATTE

                                                                                       This cartoon is taken from International Herald Tribune

We don't know exactly when this cartoon was published but at first sight, it's obvious it was during the Festival de Cannes event. This document raises the controversial issue of illegal downloading.

What catches my eye first is the Festival de Cannes logo in the top left-hand corner but also the woman, dressed in a golden outfits, next to the actor or director... Actually the main character is signing an autograph to a fan. Behind them, in the background, we can make out a crowd of people and photographers shooting the stars on the red carpet.
This document is made up of a drawing and we can read what the "geek" teenager is saying to his idol.

In fact the cartoonist aims to criticize illegal downloading.
On the whole, I think that the cartoonist wants to denounce the increasing prices in the Cinema Industry but at the same time he blames the ones who pirate films because these are also reponsible for the increasing prices of DVDs.

In my opinion, I find this document well-designed and effective and I think it's thanks to the cartoonist's humour. This cartoon is clever enough to influence the readers but at the same time there is nothing to approve at all because each and every one can give their own opinion. Needless to say that document is linked to The Idea Of Progress

There is so much to do with laws against illegal downloading but is it worse than stealing a DVD in a supermarket? What's your point of view?