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Politics
21
May 09
Lakoff stirs neuropolitcal pot
I quoted a recent George Lakoff article on environmental framing, an essay that has cause a bit of a debate about the relationship between cognition, politics and the environment. Adrian Ivakhiv has written a quite extensive and well documented critique of Lakoff’s argument (snip below). I encourage you to read the whole thing and follow all the links. I also encourage you to go the NYTimes article that sparked the discussion.
One more thing, Dr. Robert J. Brulle, who is subjected to Lakoff’s critique, has a great Website full of articles about environment and social change. You can check them out here.
Lakoff’s environmental frames vs. Connolly’s resonance machines (immanence):
In translating science for a popular audience, especially in a political context, one of course has to simplify. But I find Lakoff’s simplifications here a bit jarring. They remind me of those Cartesian diagrams of human mental circuitry by which a physical stimulus leads to a neurochemical response leads to a physical reaction (see illustration above), with no place for culture or for a feeling human agent in the middle of it. Lakoff reduces all of our understanding to words (“all of our language” works this way) activating distinct neural circuits called “frames,” which are “organized in terms of values,” with the latter in turn “determin[ing] our sense of identity.” It’s not clear where these “values” come from, or if values and identity have their own separate neural circuits or, if not, what exactly they are. According to Lakoff, “two competing value-based systems of frames,” and therefore two identities, are available “in our politics”: a conservative one and a progressive one. (See his Moral Politics for more on these.)
21
Jan 09
Obamastock: ‘collective effervescence’
While I think the premise of this article is a little over-hyped, I think it’s interesting that people are comparing Woodstock with the inauguration.
Inauguration is a ‘generational touchstone’:
(01-19) 17:18 PST — America’s twentysomething Millennials have driven, hitchhiked, walked, biked and bused their way to Washington in hordes this week to witness the must-see, must-be-there event of their lives – the swearing-in of Barack Obama.
Many of their Baby Boomer parents can relate: They remember this thing called Woodstock.
A rock concert on a farm in upstate New York – where Jimi Hendrix’s guitar wailed the “The Star-Spangled Banner” during three days of rock ‘n’ roll, sex and drugs – doesn’t approach the weight of the inauguration of the first African American president.
But there are surprising similarities, experts say. Just as Woodstock was for their parents, Obama’s moment assuming the presidency represents a generational touchstone event – one that will define Millennials’ lives, their age and their experience and become the event they will tell their kids and grandkids about.
And if history is a guide, a lot of folks who aren’t there today will claim they were. Woodstock attracted a relatively small 400,000, and somehow it seems millions remember being on hand.
18
Dec 08
Gen X comes of age
I like to say when things get weird, the weird go pro. I’m not talking Obama here. What I’m referring to is the under-the-radar fact that Time’s Man of the Year cover image is made by a punk-skater-guerrilla artist by the name of Shepard Fairey, the man who plastered America with Andre the Giant for the past 20 years or so. To learn more about how the poster and cover were conceived, I highly recommend viewing Time Magazine’s little video about the cover art (they don’t have an embed option, so I posted a CBS news piece above), featuring Fairey talking about guerrilla media and memes. Kinda weird to see such ideas boasted about at Time…Time “Henry Luce” Magazine, that is. I hope someone out there gets the historical significance of this.
Michael Shaw, however, who blogs at BagNewsNotes, had a less-than appreciative take on the cover:
Besides TIME’s own Obama-envy and the blatant play to a younger demographic, the illustration, as much as anything, seems to telegraph Fairey’s own desire to cash in on the original artwork — another reason for the poster-within-the-poster on Obama’s collar just under his chin, not to mention the enormous dollar sign.
Based on Fairy’s description of his own process in the Time Magazine video linked above, I think Shaw is misreading the image. But me being an Gen Xer, I feel a need to defend a fellow tribester. Also, I’m a sucker for poster art, and this is as iconic as they get.
30
Oct 08
Propaganda of a different color
The Democrats have certainly gotten their act together in their effort to define themselves. Throughout this election the Republicans have failed to define their opponents as they so successfully did with Kerry and Gore. For that I appreciate how they are rediscovering their spine.
No doubt this is a finely crafted bit of propaganda. That in itself does not make it evil. Propaganda is just political persuasion. We all need it. This half hour infomercial is full of symbols and personal stories that reinforce a lot of classic (and perhaps deceptive) images of America: wheat fields, auto workers, multicultural civil society, etc. This is as white and mainstream a portrayal as you would get in the most banal Disney film on the Family Channel. Is this supposed to dupe me into accepting some kind of “friendly fascism“?
As an exercise, we could certainly deconstruct this ad and scribe a book about American myths. But that’s not my reason for writing. What I was feeling as I watched is a qualitative difference in energy that I find welcome, and revealing. I think the scare tactics of Bush and Co. worked under a certain context, that of 9/11. But it’s apparent people want solutions, not fear.
When Palin came on the scene and gave McCain his big bump, I was sure that once again the scared ex-burbans would control our fate, the same populous that bought into the commuter car myth and into the housing bubble, the same high-metabolism, petrochemical prefab reality lining America’s highway corridors, a disembodied reality that’s coming to an end (for visual proof, notice how almost all the people in the video are overweight– a bodily representation of living beyond our means). That was supposed to be Palin territory, and the Republican’s sure bet that people would vote for no change out of a fear of acknowledging that their lifestyle has come to end.
If there is one thing the Republicans have mastered is denial, a lack of self-criticism, and the rhetorical skill to mask their true agenda. This doesn’t mean the Democrats are the good guys riding in on the white horse to save our crumbling Western town and to stave off the raiding Indians. But I genuinely feel like the will and energy is now apparent to fix our problems, symbolized by how Obama rolls up his sleeves.
It has been shown that political ads, for the most part, shore up and reinforce the base to help reconfirm and solidify those who intend to support you. Very little of them actually change people’s decision, but it does work on a small percentage. The Democrats are now targeting these undecided ex-burbans, to whom I say, get off the fricken fence. The mythical undecided voter has become the symbol of American ineptitude. If there is a person out there who does not see at this point that the national superjetliner is crashing, we are truly doomed. And it’s not terrorists taking it down. It’s just out of gas, and we have no one to blame but ourselves. Are we going to let hysterical alcoholic first class passengers take over the controls, or let skilled pilots glide the plane for a softer landing? Ultimately I don’t like this metaphor because it implies the solution is trusting the skilled technicians to solve our problems, when in fact what it takes is our collective wisdom and combined creativity. Can we rebuild the plane in midair? That would be interesting.
In Italy fascism is on the rise. So for now it feels good that maybe I can make a difference in my home country to help it choose a different path. For once I feel like I’m not voting for the anti-Republican, that is, casting a negative vote. I feel like as imperfect as the process is, this is a step forward towards reclaiming democracy.
I remember the feeling in NYC after the last election. I don’t want to see everyone walking around like zombies as they did four years ago when Bush with his so-called mandate and political capital strode back into washington in his stretch limo Hummer and blackhawk escort.
I implore you to your bit and change the energy. Vote. Please. The world is begging you to do it.
13
Oct 08
File this under “Those nutty Americans”
Apologies for the gratuitous election posts, but this would be great entertainment if it were not so darned spooky.
3
Oct 08
Dollar sign
Interesting how Palin’s exaggerated flag lapel pin looks like a dollar sign.
Update: My signifier is bigger than yours!
Think Progress » Fox News: Palin Won VP Debate Because She Had A Bigger Flag Pin:
Steve Doocy then jumped in by pointing out the fact that although both Biden and Palin were wearing flag pins, Palin’s was “about three times the size of his.” “So I would say flag-pin wise, she is a hands-down winner,” said Doocy.
2
Oct 08
A cartoon theory of Palin
The above clip is just one of many samples in which Sarah Palin, a master manipulator of the first order, can turn ignorance into an attack. I call this the cartoon theory of politics. Scott Mccloud in Understanding Comics argued that cartoon characters with little detail (such as Peanuts) are attractive to younger kids because they allows kids to fill in the empty space with their own imagination. Less imaginative and older kids dig action comics that are filed with detail because they don’t need space to project a sense of play.
In our atmosphere of infantile politics driven by mass mediated imagery and high fructose sound bites, Palin is perhaps the best example of a caricature of the American political system. She is vague and folksy enough to mask her true beliefs and worldview to allow an uneducated, media saturated public to project their desires, wishes and hopes upon her, just as kids do with simply drawn comics. So in her cartoonish way, she can seem like an innocuous working class girl who hunts moose on the weekend, yet because she is a true political animal and opportunist, she readily serves the interests of her Republican mentors (if you don’t believe me, read Rolling Stone’s demythologization here). In her crafty way she (and her handlers) have figured out how to tap the general anxiety people have about East Coast media elites (as they should), to portray herself as a victim, when in fact she is the perfect (willing) tool of a nefarious fascist agenda. Genius is all I can say. Sleazy, but Genius.
PS
It may seem like I don’t respect Palin as a self-made person. I believe she willingly chooses her beliefs based on a desire to have power over others. We all know and have had relationships with these kinds of people. They are toxic. So though I call her a tool and instrument, I say this with the awareness that social climbers are very good at telling people what they need to hear, and often mirror back to them their desires for the sake of power. I don’t think Palin is a bimbo. A skilled emotional predator is a better description. Thus, I consider her a highly dangerous politician. Watch your back, my friends. Watch your back.
2
Oct 08
Agitated prop
If you’re like me, you’re probably pretty irritated by this whole bailout thingy that just went through the senate. This little video describes how I feel. Learn more at thenextnewdeal.com.
4
Sep 08
Look how we are
This morning I sent the following email:
Susan Gaertner
Ramsey County AttorneyDear Ms. Gaertner,
I’m writing to express my concern regarding the arrest of reporters and demonstrators at the Republican National Convention, and their brutal treatment by the police. While the Republicans celebrated the American tradition of freedom and democracy inside, outside the environment could be confused with China. Is this what we have become? Words can only be backed by actions. If its true that our system is designed to be fair and just, than justice and freedom is the only choice regarding whether or not you choose to prosecute members of the press, whose documentation clearly demonstrates that the police behaved inappropriately. In New Mexico, where I come from, we have a saying to correct someone’s inappropriate behavior, which is, “Look how you are.” There is no louder form of communication than actions. I encourage you to look closely at the situation and see whether or not your course of action will serve the interests of peace, justice and democracy.
Sincerely,
Antonio Lopez
If you are concerned about the arrest of journalists documenting police repression, and want to know more about what happened outside the Republican National Convention, please follow this link. The page has links for email addresses that you can send letters of protest to.
I sent the following to MSNBC:
Dear editor,
On Sept. 1 Democracy Now! radio host Amy Goodman and two producers were arrested. I’m writing because I’m shocked to discover that there is no coverage of the arrest of your journalist colleagues outside the National Republican Convention on your front page. If the police in Beijing arrested a journalist covering a demonstration outside the Olympics there surely would be an outcry. But in America? How can we possibly tolerate this creeping repression of our civil rights? I have no doubt that Ms. Palin makes for far more interesting and attractive news, but democracy requires scrutiny and vigilance. Right now I’m embarrassed for America and feeling heartbroken about the lack of concern for the basic civil liberties of our citizens who are guaranteed the right to speak freely without threat or intimidation. This “men in black” theater of police attacking nonviolent protesters and journalists is screaming for attention. Does anyone care anymore?
I’m sickened to death by the news these days.
Sorry, but this is beyond acceptable in a free society.
Sincerely,
Antonio Lopez
17
Jun 08
Lessig on the “first problem”
Update: Apparently Dan Rather was here, and not Lessig. I fixed it. Please watch this. It’s really amazing.
If there is one talk from NCMR 2008, it’s this one by Lessig who tackles the source of media consolidation.
FYI, you can view the whole video channel here.
13
May 08
Take two pills, call me when the war is over
UPDATE: Surprise, surprise the Daily Show is all over this one.
When satire isn’t enough, you can depend on the Republican to insert a little more comedy into the routine.
GOP’s New Slogan Already Being Used To Market Anti-Depressant – Politics on The Huffington Post:
What the GOP doesn’t seem to realize, because they are idiots, is that “the change you deserve” is the registered advertising slogan of Effexor XR, a drug that many of you might have started taking as a result of all the…you know — terrorism. (Hat tip to Bluestem for catching this gem.)
Effexor, also known as Venlafaxine, is approved for the treatment “of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder in adults.” Its common side effects are very much in keeping with the world the House Republicans have striven to build: nausea, apathy, constipation, fatigue, vertigo, sexual dysfunction, sweating, memory loss, and – and I swear I am not making this up – “electric shock-like sensations also called ‘brain zaps.’”
Its less common side effects are equally awesome in their appropriateness.
And when the Food And Drug Administration reviewed the ad copy that included the tagline, “The change you deserve,” it took issue with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures Effexor, saying that the company made “unsubstantiated superiority claims.” Sounds like the GOP have picked an ironically accurate tagline for their efforts!
9
May 08
Freakin’ on Obama
I know I was a bit harsh on the last Obmama video that hit the circuit, so I’m please to share a stranger, freakier video that better suits my personal tastes. You can guess who the target audience is for this one, and it ain’t so-called Reagan Democrats.
Technorati Tags: election, Obama
5
Mar 08
Forget Swiftboating, we now have OJifying
Remember this controversial OJ cover, darkened for effect?
Well, now Hillary apparently brings us this. Follow the link below for more detail.
Questions Raised Whether Hillary Ad Darkened Obama – America’s Election HQ:
A controversial new Hillary Clinton attack ad caused an Internet stir Tuesday among critics who claim it deliberately darkens Barack Obama’s skin color.
Technorati Tags: election, Obama
17
Feb 08
Up With People, anyone?
Sometimes cool has its upside, because though I harshed on Obama’s music video too much in my last post, at least it has a modicum of class and taste. Now this. It’s hard to believe this Hillary video is nothing other than an Up With People out take. No wonder she’s loosing badly down the stretch. You’ve got to wonder when she will escape the ’90s Clinton time machine (or is it the ’80s, ’70s. 60s???? They don’t know what era they live in). The lesson with this, which is highly symbolic of Clinton herself, is that when you try to be all things to all people, you become aesthetic mush, not unlike public art.
Talk about a bad virus that catches on for the wrong reason.
PS I realize that both videos in question are “unofficial,” but this may be a case of learning to judge by the friends one keeps.
PPS In case you are wondering if there is a political ad I do like, check this one out.
Technorati Tags: elections, Hillary
16
Feb 08
The Obama virus
So I believe we can say it’s official: the “Yes, We Can!” Will.i.am-produced celebrity Obama love fest is viral, and since the video link landed in my inbox five different times in one day I figure it requires a response.
With so many good vibes and celebrity endorsements in one impressive eyeful should we let the images and words bubble through us like the temporary elation of a pill or cocktail? Makes one wonder if feeling good is all that is left of the Democratic platform.
The video itself is a quintessential artifact of the postmodern political system in which images are the map, and there is little left of the policy territory to explore. Politics have been reduced to toothpaste slogans, and this is certainly a clever one. The “Yes, We Can!” incantation rifts the Latin American protest chant, “Si, Se Puede!,” and is not unlike Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” jingle– yes it sounds great and meaningful, yet when you scratch the surface there is no there there (I don’t mean to harp on my fave act PE, but as a media literacy dude I have to call it like it is). After watching the video, I’m still starved for meaning. Yes, we can… but what? What is it that we can do? Propel another media creature into the White House? Have hope, change… I’m sorry but these are the most hollow and meaningless words to pervade politics since the invention of television. They are no more substantial than a product claiming it is “30% more free.”
Obama strikes me as the perfect PoMo politician. As a chameleon he can be many things to many people. In “Yes, We Can!” he is clearly invoking the rhetorical style of MLK. Yet this is populism without the populous, i.e. a “movement.” Yes, Obama is a big phenom among certain enthusiastic throngs, but every time I examine his views, it’s like poking the Pillsbury Doughboy– my finger just moves the fat around while he giggles in response. Obama is still an organ of corporate lobbyists and fails to challenge in any fundamental way the entrenched militarism of our system. So yes, he is very good at cribbing style, and with Will.i.am at the helm, style is in abundance. Obama has found a perfect partner for the manufacture of slick imagery and corporate pseudo culture (for more on Black Eyed Peas and selling out hip hop to Snickers, read this post).
Believe me, it pains me to write these words. I don’t enjoy slamming a popular icon, but when it comes to the Democrats, please don’t check your well-cultivated critical faculties at the door. They sold us out after the last election by failing to stop the war (among many things), as was their mandate. With this monstrous political machine, you’ve got to keep your BS radar on full power.
In Latin American protest there is generally a clear aim, but with this dude I have no idea what it is, beyond getting elected President. I would hope that a true opposition does emerge, and it has clear aims to do something substantial about climate change and to end militarism. Until I hear stronger challenges on these fronts, yet again I will be forced to hold my nose when I pull that voting lever in the Fall.
PS Please correct me if I’m wrong about Obama. I really have no desire to be “right.”
Technorati Tags: elections, Obama, Yes we can
6
Nov 08
The world exhales
I’ve been accused of giving light poles the benefit of the doubt, so despite the occasional appearance of my snarky writing personality (I am Gen X, after all), I tend to be an optimistic person. So what follows is coming from a space I have never felt in my short but long Republican dominated life: a totally joyous frickin’ feeling. Yeah, joy. I said it.
It won’t be a surprise, then, when I tell you that when I discovered this morning that Obama had won (I’m in Italy so I didn’t know until 6:00 am), I wept. And wept. Never in my life have I cried as a result of the political process (no doubt, when Bush won his second term, my feelings were equally strong, but on the morbid end of the scale).
As I watched reactions and celebrations on the net I felt like I was witnessing something unprecedented in American history, as if a war had ended. I don’t want to analyze too much people’s reactions, because everyone has different reasons for feeling what they are feeling right now (I can’t imagine what those on the right are going through, but maybe a little taste of their own medicine will do them good), but there is little doubt that the spontaneous nature of these public outbursts (such as college kids dancing in front of the White House, or Kenya declaring a national holiday) is reminiscent of those situations when you are released from an oppressive relationship, like quitting a shitty job, or divorcing your business partner, or leaving an abusive spouse.
These kinds of tears are ones of connection and opening, not their opposite of mourning or loss.
I think for Americans this is a bit like our Berlin Wall moment. In the end all historical analogies are false, but what is pertinent here is that some kind of bottled up oppression and fear has now been dissipated (for the moment). And for that I can say wholeheartedly that I have never been happier to see the genie of hope freed from its bottle, as I am today, to scurry about and do its mischief.
We may end up being disappointed, or find that business as usual will prevail. But I feel as if the evil empire’s illusion of control is melting like the Wicked Witch of the West under a pale of Dorothy’s water. Evidence for such a claim comes from the fact that negative and fear-based elections ads backfired on the Republicans. Even if it/them choose to reassert themselves at a later date through some nefarious means (I don’t want to imagine that right now), for now I think all the conspiracy nuts can eat some crow for Thanksgiving and be grateful that we still have a modicum of democracy to emerge with; democracy, after all, is always unfinished business. It’s a process and architecture for change.
This moment is genuinely the first time in my life I have felt good about my country and restored the faith I have in people to take charge when it’s truly necessary. This doesn’t make me a patriot or nationalist, just hopeful that our “newness” is an asset that enables us to innovate and reinvent ourselves, which is particularly important at this crucial juncture in history. The fact that the Internet was so crucial in getting Obama elected should give us a sense that we are moving in the right direction. In Italy, where it descends into fascism, it’s nice to see hope on the other side of the world energize the local opposition here in Europe.
Godspeed the next four years. Now it’s time to do the real work of democracy and to change our culture of separation and destruction one heart at a time.