Déjà vu
Obama and a status quo we can believe in!
by nano Saturday, Jan 3 2009, 12:30am
international /
social/political /
opinion/analysis
Sit back, relax and we’ll do it for you – why not exploit existing conditioning? It would not be an oversimplification to state that Obama won a presidential campaign based on two words and one second-hand slogan, ‘Change,’ ‘Hope’ and ‘Yes we can!’ In any other nation people would have demanded generous helpings of DETAIL served with their ambiguities, but not in lobotomised America, a land where a good slogan can take you to the top. The American people have once again paid the price for investing meaning where none previously existed – it’s an old (tired) advertising TRICK that continues to work on gullible, ill-educated populations!
All words derive meaning from the context in which they occur; remove a word from its context and it becomes meaningless or a ‘meaning trap,’ that is to say it is acts to attract ‘meaning’ from the reader based on wish fulfilment and desire. [I am reminded of a Buddhist premise, ‘desire is at the root of all misery,’ but to continue!]
For example, “change” is a relative term denoting some sort of difference; very good, but in a political context the difference is CRITICAL and should be detailed, spelled out in no uncertain terms and made plain to the electorate. However, the world noted the Obama camp’s reticence in that regard. So it became ‘change’ for the sake of ‘change’ -- allow the mugs out there to invest all their desperate hopes and desires for REAL CHANGE into a simulacrum for change, the black conman, betrayer and now proven champion of the status quo, Barack Hussein Obama!
“Yes we can,” is an even more ambiguous and meaningless expression and due to its slogan status it is able to be chanted, which guarantees it more hype and ‘meaning investment’ from the public. We recall a rally during which shrewd crowd manipulators instigated the chanting of this slogan, much to the pleasure of Obama who could barely contain his laughter! From an outside perspective it was both tragic and hilarious to observe American half-wits engaged in mindless self-hypnosis – no one had any idea they were chanting a meaningless affirmation! However, we should not forget that critical thought is counter-cultural in the USA.
There is no need to labour the point, the next time YOU are faced with simplistic marketing and advertising tricks DEMAND DETAILS and SPECIFICS – it may save you the trouble of having to endure years of disappointment or worse. Alternatively the people could demand REAL CHANGE from their leaders – “you can,” remember?