MAAS: Master Program in American Studies
  • Home
    • Events
  • Courses
    • Overview 2015-2016
    • General courses 2015-2016 >
      • Methodology of Trans-Atlantic American Studies
      • American History, Politics, Economics I & II
      • American Culture : Regions and Ethnicities
      • U.S. Law and Justice in an International Context
      • Master Thesis
    • Electives 2015-2016 >
      • The American Way of Religion
      • Literary Journalism Across Cultures
      • America and the Challenge of Terrorism
      • Postmemory and Postmodern: Third-Generation Jewish American Trauma Narratives (MA English)
      • European Union Trade Policy (MSc in EU Studies)
      • European Common Agricultural Policy (MSc in EU Studies)
      • European Common Foreign & Security Policy (MSc in EU Studies)
      • Internship
    • Course Schedule 2015-2016
  • Staff
    • Professorial staff >
      • Gert Buelens
      • Philippe Codde
      • John Dick
      • Ken Kennard
      • Rob Kroes
      • Isabelle Meuret
      • David Woolner
  • Housing etc.
  • APPLY
    • Overview
    • Admission requirements
    • Request an application form
    • Additional application materials
    • Submit your complete application
  • FAQ
  • Testimony
  • Links
  • Contact
  • Blog

Virtual Reality

3/2/2016

2 Comments

 
In a World that is about to face its Fourth Industrial Revolution - robotics, enhanced artificial intelligence and a world without work - one of our immediate challenges for all is to discern what is real. In other words, what is reality ? Now before we all descend into existential madness I ask this question since it keeps coming to mind as I gaze with receding degrees of sobriety at our current political condition especially when we consider the US presidential race. What are we told? What are we shown? What are we asked to consider? What are we asked to believe? Is any of this process real? Do we honestly believe in some perverse way that this over extended and hubristic political exercise has anything to do with most people's reality?

I ask this since over the next few months we will exposed to the mounting insanity that is the US primaries. Triggered by the bell that was rung for round one in Iowa on Monday night we had in the red corner Donald Duck Trump - the true blue heavyweight American - who was slatted to win big by the US polling data, but whoops along came another republican straight out of the same right field, well Canada actually but hey ho - Ted Cruz - punching above his weight and takes the Iowa crown. But wait a minute before fans of Ted the Texan start cheering too loudly apparently neither of these aforementioned gentlemen actually won. The real winner according to the ringside 'expert' commentators was Marco Rubio who came third in this political dog fight, but because of his 'performance' he is now seen as the real victor. But by who? Consider this, Donald and Ted are not real, they are just political phantoms placed to amuse and distract the crowd into believing that they actually have a real say in who becomes President. For it seems that the Republican party funded by Big Oil have already placed their 'undeclared' vote on an 'electable' and acceptable man from the sunshine state - Rubio.  The days of Jeb Bush are but a distant memory.
 
Whilst in the Blue corner this political media show-time becomes even more 'entertaining'.  Hilary Diane Rodham Clinton - the very experienced Arkansas bruiser - was slatted to win big in Iowa only last week, once again by those expert predictors of big data but suddenly we find that Bernie Sanders - the Socialist Slugger, a true red American - almost took the fight (Hilary on points 0.2%). But apparently Bernie did actually win because by coming second in the vote by such a close margin he now has the 'momentum' for the next contest in New Hampshire and is predicted to win big . But by who? Well, the Democrat Party funded by Wall Street are keeping their own counsel at present but is it likely that Sanders - a declared Democratic Socialist - will get the nod from the biggest capitalist club in town? Or is this come-back lady with confirmed Washington credentials as well as some interesting e mails going to enjoy the support of the 'establishment'?  I wonder. Do not mention Bill.
 
There is a serious side to this comedic political narrative that has been consciously camouflaged by the hurly burly that comes with a big fight night (the post, post modern version of the Colosseum and the Roman illusion of SPQR ). Since the decision as to who will win the coloured nominations and get a 'shot at the title' will not be decided by the voters of Iowa or New Hampshire but by America's 'real people'; the investors that pay for and control the 'real message' - The story that we are told, the evidence that we are shown, and what we are told to believe.          
 
Another sense of reality that US voters largely will not be exposed too (If you do not wish to descend into madness with me do not read this last paragraph). If we do not deal with climate change now (recognising that Paris was just another exercise in sophistry) the next generations that follow are toast. If we do not deal with the issues surrounding the use and abuse of natural resources now we will continue our downward spiral into contiguous and continuous bloody warfare. If we do not stop this current warrior based competition and redefine the place and space of being human meaningfully we will cease to exist. These elemental and primordial issues have nothing to do with ethnicity, gender and or sexual orientation. They have nothing to do with whether you were born in Wichita or Warsaw and they have little to do with the political conflict that will role out through the US over the coming weeks. But back to the show, who will really win? Whoever, big money tells us will win. As the present reality of our future is too awful to contemplate since our destiny is no longer being 'managed' by our 'elected' politicians but manipulated by the Multi National Corporations that pay for our thoughts to agree with their powerful short term cataclysmic ambitions, where do we hide?. Hence, the virtual reality of entertainment not enlightenment is the only real political game in town - true madness.  
 
KK
 
       


 
    
2 Comments
Stéphanie Verbrugghe
3/2/2016 10:01:20 am

In 2005, Liesbet Van Zoomen argued in her book 'Entertaining the Citizen: when Politics and Popular Culture Converge' that one can no longer justify the need for a distinction between popular culture, and politics. It would be useful rather to see, for example, voters as a fan base, a fandom almost, and to recognize shows and series about politics as useful democratic instruments.

The current electoral madness subverts this. Where Van Zoomen points at parallels between entertainment and politics, this year politics IS entertainment.

On the one hand, there is the establishment, both left (Clinton) and right (Cruz and to an extent Rubio), sitting on a mountain of money and/or traditional acceptance. On the other hand, two unexpected protagonists (one hero, one devil, but what role Sanders and Trump occupy, depends on the stance of the spectator) are beginning the hazardous climb to this top on opposite sides of the mountain. Though they face set-backs (Trump's 'disappointing result, for example), they are doing better than anyone would have expected in the beginning of the tale, and this raises the tension.

Who will be chosen by the spectator? The poll in Iowa suggests it will be someone from the 'Kings of the Mountain', but, as in stories, plot twists can turn the tale, though it seems improbable at the moment. What should be asked now though, is what will happen with the story once the winner has been chosen - and whether this story truly matters to ordinary citizens. Panem et circences.

Reply
laura carroll
6/2/2016 07:34:03 am

The elections as "superficial appeasement"?... true madness? well ok. it seems so. anything's possible. the founding fathers set it up as such and over time an already highly controlled process (in that the people are and never were trusted to pick their president, evolved.) maybe also possible is that the process that has grown up around elections, is the avenue in which to understand the bigger context--that being the world America occupies.
I, for one, do not have such a cynical feeling about the reality of our future as being 'too awful to contemplate' just like I do not believe that robots will take over the world and leave it 'jobless'.
Historically, technology has displaced people, yes, but it has also provided more and new jobs for those people to fill. let's face it, we're only blogging because of technology providing the access to such an amazing tool. Nothing is seamless...or perfect, but advancement has provided and continues to provide new opportunities-- unrealized before. If technology was such a job robber none of us would be working, and we see that is not true.
jobs are not a limited commodity but a result of people being active.

Politics in America this go around are what people like to call ' high entertainment.' yes I agree...it's a road show with the best of them. for now. And possibly back room negotiations will in the end rule the day, and when have they not? America will persevere, none the less. I believe that. if they make a mistake, and they have made several, in the end they also react and ultimately get it right. there is a reactive component to 'fix'.

yes the Russians went to space first, but america joined together-banded together and it didn't take 10 years to put a man on the moon.
Look at how Americans have left the McDonald's and Coke field and engage in health and healthier culture. Well not all of them, but Rome was not built in a day either. People are turning back to green...to local farmers, to gyms, to measures that extend quality and life. Their reactive capabilities yet again witnessed.

Instead of letting the zika mosquito in with the voices of Trump and Cruz and Clinton and Sanders....through open windows, predicting gloom and doom, our talents might be better spent analyzing how to engage citizenry in politics...and come up with the vaccine.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Dr J Ken Kennard Professor of Politics and History - Master Program in American Studies - Universiteit Gent

    Archives

    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    March 2015
    November 2014
    September 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.