The American Presidential Elections
People having mixed opinions upon a variety of issues is at least considered as healthy in the main by as many political commentators as it could ever be. In fact, it seems that how the American public will come to the decision of who to elect as President over the coming weeks, will also bare ramifications for how the entire continent’s ideology over the defence of “Freedom and Liberty” might be later understood abroad.
Perhaps both Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama do champion a new vision and direction for the U.S. which does have its roots in the 21st Century rather than in the nationalistic twentieth. Indeed, every intellectual stance held by either one of the proposed candidates on the matter of what really are the Western Hemisphere’s democratic ideals, just well be seriously scrutinized if an Afro-American happens to be granted the public’s overall endorsement.
What is put across particularly well by Senator Obama, is that his idea of sparking off ”change” means that he aims to augment something comparative to outright reform. No doubt that personal imaginations do keep to believing in hopeful idioms in the light of all eventualities, but I feel that in most situations people can not come to appreciate that what is often tapped into by politicians in terms of any society using its conscience are these kind of incisive value-based judgements, sub-structurally forming the basis of our security and organisation.
Social values are otherwise categoried as “Normative Concepts” which mainly refers to what moral principles all of us may have and how these are taught to children. They go on to contribute to how the “individual” may later conduct him/herself in daily life.
Whilst most kinds of formalised norms are cyclical in the way they are transmitted from one generation to the next, it is the expressed belief in hope which I feel can pose as little dangerous.
Take a look at historic events where people have been deceived and carried by ideology, and we arrive at remembering what happened on the 18 November 1978 with the Jonestown Massacre.
From a very peculiarly placed political platform 901 people committed suicide on grounds almost too ludicrous to give breath to. While at the behest of a Cult Leader, who could be considered as a megalomaniac today, persuaded followers collectively to take their own lives referring to the action as revolutionary act of direct protest.
Originally established as an off-shoot religious group known as the “People’s Temple”, an rural American evangelist named James Warren Jones later went on to set up a community in Guyana.
Now, the reason why I wish to make people aware of the position historically of this event is that there seems to be sharp similiarities between how Jimmy Jones managed to raise and manipulate what were shown to be a people’s hope and expectation, to that of the enigmatic presentational delivery of Senator Barack Obama.
In fact, the use I feel of certain psychological methods putting emphasis upon idioms and overall concepts, does indeed have the effect of capturing people’s imagination, and I am astonished by what extent individuals will allow their emotions to be carried quite simply on simple premises like that of change and hope.
Comparatively, I would say that if it is possible to train an individual, enlisted as a soldier to kill, putting into perspective the psychological impact this type of mental preparation and acceptance has upon the mind, then there is feasibility in requesting that societal populations are reeducated more rationally towards viewing the matter of structural change in their societies together with the place of hope with more immediate temperance.
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