dvm 2105
The European Recovery
The cartoon being analyzed in this paper titled “can he block it” by American cartoonist Marcus Edwin, (1885-1961) was created in mid-1947 and was published in the New York Times. Marcus Edwin’s cartoons were given a full page in the New York Times as they were important in shaping the attitudes of Americans. The cartoon consists of a basketball labeled “Marshall Plan”; a ring labeled “European Recovery” and Stalin as a USSR player. The cartoon implies that Stalin is blocking the Marshall Plan ball from entering the European Recovery ring. In the cartoon, not only did Stalin try to block the Marshall Plan ball, but he also did not want the Europeans to recover. The American cartoonist Edwin Marcus saw the cold war as “a competition between super powers.”1 The motive behind this cartoon was to show the views of America. This paper argues that the formation of the Marshall plan was as a result of the rapid spread of communism in Eastern Europe which was seen as a threat to the peace and well-being of the world. Why is communism a threat to the peace of the world? Communism is an economic and political system that was introduced by Karl Marx. Karl Marx believes history is a continuous clash between conflicting ideas and forces.2 Marx was more concerned with the economy. After observing the Industrial Revolution, Marx came to a conclusion that capitalism was responsible for the poverty that was going on. Marx believed that in order for a better society, class conflict should be a necessity. Class conflict can be defined as the struggle between the working class also known as the proletarians and the capitalist class.2 Marx believed that the capitalist class exploited the working class; workers received poor wages; and predicted that the working class will soon be aware of this exploitation , overthrow the capitalist and establish a free and classless society. Prior to Marx’s prediction, in the communist
The cartoon being analyzed in this paper titled “can he block it” by American cartoonist Marcus Edwin, (1885-1961) was created in mid-1947 and was published in the New York Times. Marcus Edwin’s cartoons were given a full page in the New York Times as they were important in shaping the attitudes of Americans. The cartoon consists of a basketball labeled “Marshall Plan”; a ring labeled “European Recovery” and Stalin as a USSR player. The cartoon implies that Stalin is blocking the Marshall Plan ball from entering the European Recovery ring. In the cartoon, not only did Stalin try to block the Marshall Plan ball, but he also did not want the Europeans to recover. The American cartoonist Edwin Marcus saw the cold war as “a competition between super powers.”1 The motive behind this cartoon was to show the views of America. This paper argues that the formation of the Marshall plan was as a result of the rapid spread of communism in Eastern Europe which was seen as a threat to the peace and well-being of the world. Why is communism a threat to the peace of the world? Communism is an economic and political system that was introduced by Karl Marx. Karl Marx believes history is a continuous clash between conflicting ideas and forces.2 Marx was more concerned with the economy. After observing the Industrial Revolution, Marx came to a conclusion that capitalism was responsible for the poverty that was going on. Marx believed that in order for a better society, class conflict should be a necessity. Class conflict can be defined as the struggle between the working class also known as the proletarians and the capitalist class.2 Marx believed that the capitalist class exploited the working class; workers received poor wages; and predicted that the working class will soon be aware of this exploitation , overthrow the capitalist and establish a free and classless society. Prior to Marx’s prediction, in the communist
Bibliography: Hopkins, Martha. “For European Recovery.” Library of Congress. June 23, 1997. http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/970623/marshall.html. Edwin Marcus. "Can He Block It?" Library of Congress. 1947. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/acd/item/acd1996005533/PP/#copies Edwin Marcus. "While The Shadow Lengthens." Library of Congress. March 14, 1948. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/acd/item/acd1996005659/PP/ Hoffman, Stanley. The Marshall Plan, a retrospective. America: Westview Press Inc., 1984. Halsall, Paul. “Modern History Sourcebook: Winston S. Churchill: “Iron Curtain Speech, March 5, 1946.” Fordham University Murray Jane Lothian and Linden Rick and Kendall Diana. Sociology in our Times: The Essentials. America: Nelson Education Ltd., 2012 Marx Karl and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. London: Penguin Books, 1985. The Milwaukee Journal Capitalism, n. Second edition, 1989; online version December 2011. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/27454. Martin, Michael and Gelber, Leonard. Dictionary of American History. America: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1978.