from Hacker News

New Alan Turing £50 note design is revealed

by ghosh on 3/25/21, 12:02 PM with 8 comments

• by gammalost on 3/25/21, 10:11 PM

  https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-48994393

  I think the end of this is a good way to see it. Sure who cares it's a way to let the UK honor historic people. But don't pretend like it's some big feat or victory for oppressed people. Pardoning and putting a him on a note doesn't undo that.

  And besides, why if the case is to show respect is Winston Churchill on a note? A conservative primeminister in power when Alan Turing died. His party and their policies are in part to blame for what happened. Using Churchill as a figure and hero, while at the same time advocating for things his party was against. It makes the whole thing fall apart in my opinion.

  You can either use the notes to display historical people, or to display achievments and values. I think it seems like they tried both, and it comes of as contradictory

• by varispeed on 3/25/21, 5:58 PM

  I view this as a virtue signalling rather than actual sign of change. For example government is still criminalising people who use cannabis medicinally and cannot afford getting private prescription. This is a PR - "hey, look, we are the good guys now!", but reality is far from that. Then if you look at statistics you are far more likely to be stop and searched or arrested for possession of drugs if you belong to an ethnic minority or you are a male, despite the fact the drugs use amongst the population is very similar (with an exception for people of Asian origin, they don't use as many drugs as other groups). It is a welcome gesture though. Alan Turing is a national hero.

• by prepend on 3/26/21, 2:36 PM

  I think it’s neat that Alan Turing is on both sides. Don’t they normally only put these types of figures on one side?