Freedom of speech and Freedom of press

The idea of social networking is powerfully summarized by Linton C. Freeman’s article in how Cartoons have been visualizing, or focused visualization on social networking ideas such as “rumors”, “diffusion”, “connections”, “word of mouth”, etc. Caricatures and Cartoon figures, besides the comic humoristic side, have their own powerful visual speech and that’s what makes them so attractive to be read. In few words, a whole philosophical concept is summarized, visualized, radicalized, and in some extent, widely spread. I believe this joins Tufte’s idea of “confections”. Freeman’s article: See you in the Funny Papers: Cartoons and the Social Networks shows very well the relationship between a concept as such, and its visualization. The visualization of a concept makes this concept familiar and popular at the same time. In a way, this is, as I understand it, the root and the fruit of any culture. If a culture does not stand the test of visualization through media, humor, cartoons, etc. it is not worth being called a culture. Laughter is healthy in cartoons not because it ridicules the matter that it’s treating, but because it’s bringing it to light. And light purifies, and clarifies. The laughter that cartoons stimulate in us is one of sharing and caring. It is not the negative mocking part that it is about, but rather the positive learning healthy part. To say my thought plainly, countries who do not allow freedom of speech, freedom of press, do not allow cartoons or illustrations; and their only cultural concern is to censure, to restrict, to forbid, and to silent their artists and authors.