In today's life our senses are being continually bombarded by messaging - commercial, political and personal; keeping us up to date with the latest 'essential' developments in our rolling news world. Moreover, due to these technological communication advancements the box on your desk, the screen upon your lap and the phone in your hand can not only allow others to keep you 'onside' but offers you unfettered access to 'knowing everything about anything'. This is a far cry from the 'bad old days' when information was just a possession and a weapon for the wealthy, the godly and the well connected. We are all so well connected now! We are finally free from ignorance! Are we?
I ask this question since with all this freedom of information available to us why are we still no better at identifying the charlatans in our society? Why are we still so prone to disguise, distraction and deceit? Why is our life still being successfully polluted by propaganda and hubris? In other words, paraphrasing Arnold Toynbee, 'Why is the human race's prospects of survival considerably better when we were defenceless against tigers than they are today when we have become defenceless against ourselves'? My example of this dilemma comes in the shape of Uncle Sam's ongoing, increasingly puerile political debate over the present 'State of the Union'.
Wedged between the acclamation of Clinton's proclamation that, 'we are still a great nation' and Trump's more individualistic hubris, 'I will make the nation great again' are some interesting truths. Since the late 1970's there has been no real improvement in income for lower middle and working class Americans - over 35 years - yet the most astonishingly wealthy in the World still inhabit the US. As we are now aware the richest 1 percent in the United States now own more additional income than the bottom 90 percent. Moreover, the average American worker now 'needs to work more than a month to earn what a CEO earns in one hour'.
In welfare even taking account of the gradual but restricted effect of Obama's much proclaimed health legislation 48 million Americans still have NO health care provision. But don't worry only 17% of American children are medically obese and only over a THIRD of all young Americans clinically overweight. In education the US is also growing as one of only three nations - the other two are Turkey and Israel - that spends more on schooling in rich well developed neighbourhoods than in the poor urban areas. While housing has become the most obvious sign of this growing poverty and inequality in this super, super rich nation as a quarter of the nation spend more than half their income on keeping a roof over their head as rents continue to soar while house prices in many areas of the nation are falling (the low paid cannot obtain mortgages). Consequently, over 23% of home owners owe more than their property is worth but only 13.4% of the population are now designated 'home owners'.
Some other interesting 'truths', the nation continues to be in debt to the tune of $19 trn and growing, paying to date around 2.4trn in interest. This is the same nation that spends annually, approximately, $598 bn defending this 'land of the free'. I mention all this because although this information is readily and freely available to all many still believe that Obama saved the US from the extremes of the 2008 financial crash. Well, as we can read at least the wealthy were 'saved'. Many still believe that Clinton will provide an even 'better place' where we can offer 'more love and kindness', and I'm sure that will be true for the reducing number of Americans that have a secure well paid job that allows them the 'luxury' of having a roof over their heads, food in their belly and decent clothes on their back all at the same time.(Homelessness officially sits at around 600k if you ignore the growing number of young Americans sleeping on the sofa of a friends, while evictions continue to rise sharply, in Georgia last year over 200k notices were issued). Finally, increasingly, many believe that 'Donald Duck' Trump can just as in Disney World magic the US back to a 'land of plenty' for all. In response I have some very disturbing news, the US was never the land of plenty for all in the first place and as a consequence I think Peter Pan's 'Neverland' seems a little nearer the mark.
But looking at the US today it does seem better to believe in the political fairy stories that Obama reshapes, that Clinton recalls and Trump resells than trying to make sense of the 'truth'. For in reality, the US and the developed world are all drowning in a sea of information but just like drinking water knowledge is becoming, increasingly, a very scarce commodity. Otherwise, more would be realising that our present economic and political system is no longer fit for purpose, and we cannot continue to pretend, deny or hid from that particular truth and expect to survive.
Next week: more from the 'Dream Factory' that is Washington
By the way as a gentle reminder:
MASTER IN AMERICAN STUDIES presents:
THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!
Following a series public lectures over the last four years concerning the United States on TUESDAY 12th APRIL we look to consider the above as Prof Ken Kennard offers his own interpretation of the candidates left standing and what this suggests about the US and what it could mean for Europe. As this is a particularly contentious and combative process this year expect the lecture to reflect this condition. As this is last public lecture to be offered by this program we hope that you can all attend.
This public lecture commences at 7.00pm in Auditorium A in the Blandijn, University of Gent.
ALL ARE WELCOME
KK
I ask this question since with all this freedom of information available to us why are we still no better at identifying the charlatans in our society? Why are we still so prone to disguise, distraction and deceit? Why is our life still being successfully polluted by propaganda and hubris? In other words, paraphrasing Arnold Toynbee, 'Why is the human race's prospects of survival considerably better when we were defenceless against tigers than they are today when we have become defenceless against ourselves'? My example of this dilemma comes in the shape of Uncle Sam's ongoing, increasingly puerile political debate over the present 'State of the Union'.
Wedged between the acclamation of Clinton's proclamation that, 'we are still a great nation' and Trump's more individualistic hubris, 'I will make the nation great again' are some interesting truths. Since the late 1970's there has been no real improvement in income for lower middle and working class Americans - over 35 years - yet the most astonishingly wealthy in the World still inhabit the US. As we are now aware the richest 1 percent in the United States now own more additional income than the bottom 90 percent. Moreover, the average American worker now 'needs to work more than a month to earn what a CEO earns in one hour'.
In welfare even taking account of the gradual but restricted effect of Obama's much proclaimed health legislation 48 million Americans still have NO health care provision. But don't worry only 17% of American children are medically obese and only over a THIRD of all young Americans clinically overweight. In education the US is also growing as one of only three nations - the other two are Turkey and Israel - that spends more on schooling in rich well developed neighbourhoods than in the poor urban areas. While housing has become the most obvious sign of this growing poverty and inequality in this super, super rich nation as a quarter of the nation spend more than half their income on keeping a roof over their head as rents continue to soar while house prices in many areas of the nation are falling (the low paid cannot obtain mortgages). Consequently, over 23% of home owners owe more than their property is worth but only 13.4% of the population are now designated 'home owners'.
Some other interesting 'truths', the nation continues to be in debt to the tune of $19 trn and growing, paying to date around 2.4trn in interest. This is the same nation that spends annually, approximately, $598 bn defending this 'land of the free'. I mention all this because although this information is readily and freely available to all many still believe that Obama saved the US from the extremes of the 2008 financial crash. Well, as we can read at least the wealthy were 'saved'. Many still believe that Clinton will provide an even 'better place' where we can offer 'more love and kindness', and I'm sure that will be true for the reducing number of Americans that have a secure well paid job that allows them the 'luxury' of having a roof over their heads, food in their belly and decent clothes on their back all at the same time.(Homelessness officially sits at around 600k if you ignore the growing number of young Americans sleeping on the sofa of a friends, while evictions continue to rise sharply, in Georgia last year over 200k notices were issued). Finally, increasingly, many believe that 'Donald Duck' Trump can just as in Disney World magic the US back to a 'land of plenty' for all. In response I have some very disturbing news, the US was never the land of plenty for all in the first place and as a consequence I think Peter Pan's 'Neverland' seems a little nearer the mark.
But looking at the US today it does seem better to believe in the political fairy stories that Obama reshapes, that Clinton recalls and Trump resells than trying to make sense of the 'truth'. For in reality, the US and the developed world are all drowning in a sea of information but just like drinking water knowledge is becoming, increasingly, a very scarce commodity. Otherwise, more would be realising that our present economic and political system is no longer fit for purpose, and we cannot continue to pretend, deny or hid from that particular truth and expect to survive.
Next week: more from the 'Dream Factory' that is Washington
By the way as a gentle reminder:
MASTER IN AMERICAN STUDIES presents:
THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!
Following a series public lectures over the last four years concerning the United States on TUESDAY 12th APRIL we look to consider the above as Prof Ken Kennard offers his own interpretation of the candidates left standing and what this suggests about the US and what it could mean for Europe. As this is a particularly contentious and combative process this year expect the lecture to reflect this condition. As this is last public lecture to be offered by this program we hope that you can all attend.
This public lecture commences at 7.00pm in Auditorium A in the Blandijn, University of Gent.
ALL ARE WELCOME
KK
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