In the spirit of the Free Speech Week, let us have a closer look to the might of a pen, a mundane item and product of industrial design, with three sides, representing nation, state and enterprise.
True, This! —
Beneath the rule of men entirely great
The pen is mightier than the sword. Behold
The arch-enchanters wand! — itself is nothing! —
But taking sorcery from the master-hand
To paralyse the Cæsars, and to strike
The loud earth breathless! — Take away the sword —
States can be saved without it!
Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1839) – Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy.
- Société Bic S.A. is a company based in Clichy, France, best known for making ballpoint pens.
- Spain (España), officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a sovereign state.
- The Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) is a ministry in the Finnish Government responsible for preparing and implementing the government's foreign policy.
- International Political Economy is a study of political forces, such as states, institutions and individual actors, shaping the systems through which economic interactions are expressed, and the effect that economic interactions have upon political structures and outcomes.
Free Free Speech Week for everyone!
Text & picture by Joonas Vola