Emotion, Weather and The Economy.

     In this week's article, "After Neo-Liberalism: Markets, States and the Reinvention of Public Welfare," John Clarke establishes a clear connection between the emotion and economic affairs during his discussion of neoliberalism. I would like to look at how many of the points raised by Clarke can be identified through the tradition of political cartoons. 

     As Clarke notes, the market suffers from a "lack of confidence" which leads to "a more generalized lack of faith, trust and confidence" (Clarke 379). This theme of missing confidence can be explicitly seen in economic cartoons, such as those featured below.

     What strikes me about both these cartoons and Clarke's examples of the "compelling narrative about pessimism" is how the consistent depiction of weather is tied into the theme of economic emotions. Clarke gives examples such as "[p]essimism is the most serious cause for the global economic tsunami" and "Manchester's weather yesterday was a reflection of the opinion on the streets about the economy: leaden clouds and persistent drizzle" (Clarke 379).

   


     As Sara noted in her post, this ties into our
discussion last week about the emotion and happiness in relation to the economy and consumption. Through these quotations and cartoons, the ideology that happiness is achieved through sunshine and economic prosperity is further established. There is no hope presented to the public via news coverage or comic strips, only continued doubt and defeatism.

     Furthermore, these comics are example of the "'modes of thought' that have been circulating on the terrain of this crisis" (Clarke 387). There is a clear nationalization of the matter. While these comics come from US based from newspapers, magazines and websites, there is a willful ignorance of "the scale, scope and even causes [that are] widely understood as 'global'" (Clark 387). As Clarke asserts, these is evidence that "the nation… becomes the means of salvation"  (Clark 387). These comics can be seen as both evidence and symptoms of the widespread decline in faith in the economic system.