Obama: the medium is the message - or am I just a cynic
"Extremely symbolical", "of huge historical significance" and even "transcending history". Newspapers and blogs fall short of words in their attempt to describe Obama's inauguration. The start of a new era, a world of hope and above all : change. Yes We Can! is what we shout. 'No we can't', will - probably- be what we'll have to realise.
Everyone is overjoyed. Optimistically we board the Obamatrain surrounded by celebrities we trust. Bruce Springsteen for a dose of rationalism, Aretha Franklin representing the institute she has become, Bono being boring Bono (sigh). In our enthusiasm forgetting Marshall McLuhan's famous utterance: 'The medium is the message'. What is the true importance of Barack Obama? Is it his capacities as a politician? His accomplishments of the past? Or his oratorial power? His way of making a crowd feel one. Of boundaries disappearing and truly feeling like 'one people'. 'America the great' against all foes. "We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you." Sounds familiar. Populism. Agressive language. For what are the underlying semantics of this speech? Obama's choice of words is not casual, but a well-thought uprising of nationalism. (Divide and conquer is one way of thinking... bring together and control, is another). Terror as a common enemy....sounds a bit easy.
Let's go back to McLuhan. He welcomed us into an era of postmodernism. Not what you say, your content, matters, but how you say it. It's the wrapping and the box, the shell if you will that makes people care. Obama is no exception. 'the first black president'. Are we not engaging in positive discrimination by constantly emphasizing this particular trait of his appearance? A hollow man inside a black skin. A Belgian politician promised a lot in his race to the elections of 2007. 'Five minutes of political courage', etcetera. He won an overwhelming 800.000 votes. We all know how that turned out. And yet we fall prey once more to the same type of false hope. Believe in promises a man made before he knows if he can actually keep them.
Mister Obama, I wish you well. But I'm afraid desillusion is certain. For you are but a man, not a saint or a god. Sadly a characteristic of a symbol is that symbol's don't make mistakes. they live in what Plato would refer to as the world of ideas... or ideals. All man's actions are but a reflection and thus imperfect and flawed. Good thinking, inviting a poet to the inauguration, since poets are the once who can get closest to the rim of the rock that seperates the world of ideas from the real world. Let's hope her glimpse will help you perform. For millions of people see in you an ideal. And they will be angry when they found out that even you... are but a man.
Sincerely yours,
KCL
Everyone is overjoyed. Optimistically we board the Obamatrain surrounded by celebrities we trust. Bruce Springsteen for a dose of rationalism, Aretha Franklin representing the institute she has become, Bono being boring Bono (sigh). In our enthusiasm forgetting Marshall McLuhan's famous utterance: 'The medium is the message'. What is the true importance of Barack Obama? Is it his capacities as a politician? His accomplishments of the past? Or his oratorial power? His way of making a crowd feel one. Of boundaries disappearing and truly feeling like 'one people'. 'America the great' against all foes. "We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you." Sounds familiar. Populism. Agressive language. For what are the underlying semantics of this speech? Obama's choice of words is not casual, but a well-thought uprising of nationalism. (Divide and conquer is one way of thinking... bring together and control, is another). Terror as a common enemy....sounds a bit easy.
Let's go back to McLuhan. He welcomed us into an era of postmodernism. Not what you say, your content, matters, but how you say it. It's the wrapping and the box, the shell if you will that makes people care. Obama is no exception. 'the first black president'. Are we not engaging in positive discrimination by constantly emphasizing this particular trait of his appearance? A hollow man inside a black skin. A Belgian politician promised a lot in his race to the elections of 2007. 'Five minutes of political courage', etcetera. He won an overwhelming 800.000 votes. We all know how that turned out. And yet we fall prey once more to the same type of false hope. Believe in promises a man made before he knows if he can actually keep them.
Mister Obama, I wish you well. But I'm afraid desillusion is certain. For you are but a man, not a saint or a god. Sadly a characteristic of a symbol is that symbol's don't make mistakes. they live in what Plato would refer to as the world of ideas... or ideals. All man's actions are but a reflection and thus imperfect and flawed. Good thinking, inviting a poet to the inauguration, since poets are the once who can get closest to the rim of the rock that seperates the world of ideas from the real world. Let's hope her glimpse will help you perform. For millions of people see in you an ideal. And they will be angry when they found out that even you... are but a man.
Sincerely yours,
KCL