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Yes, the stamp is nifty. No, the stamp is a bad idea.
Debate Score:10
Arguments:10
Total Votes:10
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 Yes, the stamp is nifty. (6)

Debate Creator

Eloy(190) pic



Ireland's Che Guevara postage stamp is nifty

Last Friday Ireland placed on sale a postage commemorating Che Guevara on the anniversary of his death fifty years ago. The image used is that of Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick which has become iconic throughout the world. The denomination used is €1 which covers the cost of national letters only so Americans are unlikely to see it. It takes some spirit for a mainly capitalist member state of the European Union to issue a stamp that shows the image of a communist hero.

Che_Guevara_Stamp1_large

Yes, the stamp is nifty.

Side Score: 10
VS.

No, the stamp is a bad idea.

Side Score: 0
2 points

It sounds like the stamp is commemorating Jim Fitzpatrick as an artist almost as much as it is celebrating el Che.

Fitzpatrick certainly deserves the recognition. This is a stunningly articulate image, and is notable for its economy and the authoritative & effective use of negative space. Moreover, it is one of the best known images in the Western world, yet I never knew the name of the artist.

In fact, until now, it never occurred to me to wonder who the artist was.

This just goes to show how educational a postage stamp can be!

Viva la Revolución! and Erin go bragh!

Side: Yes, the stamp is nifty.
Eloy(190) Clarified
1 point

Ye, it's a pity people do not write letters so much anymore since the internet and e-mail took over. Stamps were a good way to spread a message all over the place. Jim Fitzpatrick never made a cent from this work of art which is in the top 10 list of images internally recognized.

Side: Yes, the stamp is nifty.
2 points

There was also a festival celebrating Guevaras life last year as he spent time in county Clare many years ago .

Guevara had Irish ancestry

An Post ( our national post office ) is using the infamous portrait of Che Guevara that was created by Dublin artist Jim Fitzpatrick to highlight the revolutionary’s Irish roots. The stamp is accompanied by an envelop that has a quote from Guevara Lynch, saying "in my son's veins flowed the blood of Irish rebels."

The stamp and envelope are pretty neat

Side: Yes, the stamp is nifty.
1 point

Politics in the European Union can become turgid and stuffy. It does show that the revolutionary spirit of European youth half a century ago when we took control of the university campuses has not gone entirely now that we are the Establishment.

Side: Yes, the stamp is nifty.
1 point

Lots of different thoughts?

1) Why Ireland, other than the fact it was an Irish painter who made the image? That's not a great reason. It's like if a US painter did one of Stalin and then the Stalin painting got put on a US stamp. Just kind of weird.

2) Even if it is appropriate for Ireland, how is there not 100 other choices more Ireland appropriate?

3) It's amazing that worldwide the postal systems get pretty little respect. Treated like the dinosaur way to communicate, and beat up in budget hearings. Yet we still get all excited about their stamps. That's like if we all conclude beepers are outdated but truly care what the latest beeper covers look like.

But despite 1, 2 and 3, yes it's nifty.

Side: Yes, the stamp is nifty.
Eloy(190) Clarified
1 point

1) Stalin's roots were in the country of Georgia, not the USA.

2) There are not 100 anniversaries of a famous people with Irish roots.

3) It is surprising how the images on postage stamps continue to be of interest but, to be frank, had I not created this debate, I wager most members here would not have been made aware of the stamp.

Considering that the image is in the top 10 in iconic images worldwide. It is fitting that a country which began with a revolution, as Ireland did, issued such a stamp.

Side: Yes, the stamp is nifty.
Grenache(6053) Clarified
2 points

I'll accept that Eloy.

"Viva la revolucion!"

................................................................

Side: Yes, the stamp is nifty.
1 point

It was announced today by the Irish Post Office that the stamp is sold out!

Such was the unprecedented demand. Right-wing anti-Cuba Cuban-Americans in Florida seem furious. Surely Ireland is too small and unimportant for heavyweight U.S. Senator Little Marco Rubio to have anything to say.

Supporting Evidence: Che Guevara stamp sold out! (www.rte.ie)
Side: Yes, the stamp is nifty.
3 points

Yes indeed it is sold out , and the citizens of Ireland couldn't give a flying fuck what Rubio thinks 👌😂

Side: Yes, the stamp is nifty.
Eloy(190) Clarified
1 point

The artist, Jim Fitzpatrick, is reported as saying that "there are many groups, mostly from the US, who are very anti-Cuba which is part of the reason why there’s so much criticism of Guevara, who fought to overthrow a capitalist US-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista with communist Fidel Castro during the 1960s."

Supporting Evidence: Artist anticipated criticism from usual quarters (www.thejournal.ie)
Side: Yes, the stamp is nifty.
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