So, that is why Obama's slogan drew such big crowds. Well, he did do particularly well in the states with high unemployment.But he isn't the first to run a campaign with such a slogan. Which I find rather surprising. Okay, perhaps not so surprising this time, since the last president led the nation into two as yet unsuccessful wars, the worst financial crisis in a century and managed to turn basically the whole world against the US. But really, the slogan 'Change' says very little - only that we won't be like the other guys.
I think one reason that it is an effective message is because we tend to be very critical of our leaders largely due to the impact of the media which constantly reminds us of their falls and places the blame in the government's lap. Since our focus is on the negatives, our impression come election time will also be that there is need for change. As the old actor Will Rogers said, "The more you read and observe about this Politics thing, you got to admit that each party is worse than the other. The one that's out always looks the best."
I may be reading too much into it, but I also see this as coming from a particular Western mindset. Our attitude towards the past is quite unique. We look back on our ancestors as barbaric and ignorant, we shuns tradition. Our culture is individualistic and entrepreneurial; we are encouraged to challenge existing structures and be elements of change. In the East, by contrast, ancestors are worshiped and tradition is held in esteem. Social structures are more stable and people are, perhaps, viewed more collectively in family or social groups. I think this prevents many positive developments like those experienced in the West, which is why many societies in the East are comparatively patriarchal and autocratic. But in some ways this can be better, certainly it is necessary to have this kind of stability in impoverished nations. Certainly those in the East see that their system has retained conceptions of 'honour' and family that are disappearing in the West.
But, for this election at least, I have no complaints about a campaign that promotes doing things very differently.
1 comment:
While both these mindsets have their merits as you've pointed out, I do think that an enquiring attitude towards the established order is the reason why many countries in the West are so advanced relative to Asian countries today. By constantly reviewing what society held to be true, Western intellectuals dispelled the old assumptions and enabled progress.
I think this illustrates in one way the influence cultural differences can exert over countries. Samuel Huntington was certainly on to something.
Nice blog, by the way!
-Sandra
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