Capitalism...

cap·i·tal·ism

   [kap-i-tl-iz-uhm]  Show IPA

noun

an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is madeand maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations,especially as contrasted to cooperatively or state-owned meansof wealth. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/capitalism

Sounds fair enough right? Business owned privately, exchange of wealth, economic growth, jobs.

These are buzz words I hear all the time to advocate our version of capitalism. And it sounds great. That it would grow and become self sustaining even better... collectively we all as a nation benefit from this idea.

But last night it hit me... this is not a self sustaining system at all... the form of capitalism that has grown in the United States sits squarely like a monkey on the back of big government. Corporations seek profits plain and simple. 

Investment in growing a workforce and care of the elderly are placed under the responsibility of public education and social aid programs. Lobbyists hold the ears of our electorate to council beneficial legislation... for our citizens? No... for the greater good of capitalism... you know, that system with a ravenous appetite to consume more and more without accountability or benefit to any other than the bottom line. 

In reality I think Democracy and Capitalism are both good. It is simply the manner in which the two have become perverted within our country that I believe needs scrutiny... these days, these times... we are not self sustaining.

Food for thought.

Starry Starry Night

Last night I waited till the wee hours of the morning to watch meteor showers. Almost like a child waiting for Santa the anticipation mounted as the minutes slowly ticked off.

This was no simple meteor shower, the Perseids are an annual event in their own right. It’s early to start watching for them but the apex of the event hails a full moon. But there are also two smaller events going on, the Delta Aquarids and the Alpha Capricornids. Combined with the start of the Perseids and a nearly moonless night sounded like some promising star watching and I was ready!

Finally 2AM! I lowered the lights, turned off the outdoor floods, stepped out into the still night air. I selected my spot and lay on the deck gazing upward expectantly. Almost immediately I was rewarded. A brilliant white streak painted across the night sky, almost certainly a Perseid. Seconds later another meteor, this one very low and yellow streaked low on the sky. This one was the trophy of the night, from the Alpha Capricornids, stunning.

The action would pick up and then lull. I found my attention wandering and taking in the beauty of the evening. Immediately on stepping out the door I was on sensory overload. There were so many sounds that it took several minutes of listing to begin to sort out the riot of individual voices singing out with such zealous joy. First the frogs, there must be thousands of them, in the ponds, in the woods, hell at any moment I expected them to come pouring from the sky like that bizarre scene from the film Magnolia. Slowly I was able to pick out the voices, the rhythm section provided a creee-creee-creee pulsing beat, steady and repeating. Another lighter voice intermittently wove in and out of this beat but still playing within the framework of that steady rhythm, then way down deep I could make out the rumble of bull frogs, surely the base section. Delightful, a frog chorus!

In my stillness I began to make out other sounds, the splash of the waterfall on the fish pond beside me, the sound of water is always beautiful, cool, refreshing. The occasional comforting snuffle of horses grazing in the pasture nearby added another dimension to the sounds of the night. Further away a hoot owl talking in a one sided conversation, his voice carrying far thru the woods to another that I could not hear. The air was soft warm and fragrant, sweet smelling, like fresh grass.

I closed my eyes to more fully focus and sort out, appreciating all the elements of this evening. But wait… I’m here to look at stars! My eyes flew open and again I was rewarded. The starlit sky which is glorious in its own right with the bonus of a celestial light show making what seemed already perfect even more amazing.

And that was my starry starry night =)

Final Summarization of the blogging assignment:

I began this assignment with the very clear objective to discuss a current event and attempt to personalize it for readers. At some point during the process, I realized that this had become personal in a different way. At this time in my life I am striving for self-improvement working to rediscover my own voice. In a way my expression of a compassionate view towards others is also speaking to a compassionate view towards self. Tolerance and acceptance of differences became more of a central theme rather than the mere relation of current events. The ability to write in a “bloggy” or personal mode I think allowed me to make this transition more easily as I was in fact speaking in that voice that I have been trying so hard to find.

The use of visual images was also freeing - choosing images to reinforce my points was a good challenge, but the visual rhetoric analysis was a revelation into what makes a good image speak. It is as if I learned a new language and way in which to communicate thought. By far I will say that this was my favorite part of this assignment. The lessons learned here will be used in many aspects of my future efforts to communicate, which would be the entire point of a composition course, to communicate effectively.

It always is positive to learn, but to enjoy the learning process is a true gift.

Thank you!

Shawn

Visual Rhetoric - final thoughts

Final observations:

I find that this has been a very interesting assignment. I think that most of us on a subconscious level understand that images do profoundly affect our perception of a message. We also should be very aware that this is used frequently to manipulate our thinking. Advertising is certainly guilty of this, and I am pretty certain this is not a secret. But I can see other applications that are not quite so blatant in their efforts to shape our opinions. This is certainly an area for further thought.

Another perspective that I am in the process of mentally working through comes from my interest in the creation of art. Until I sat and looked at the different communication strategies I did not have the vocabulary to express the elements that make one image powerful and another simply a family snapshot. I see now that the images having the most impact are those that combine multiple strategies. Case in point, the surfing kitty only invokes Logos, Pathos and Mythos. It’s a cute picture; it gets its point across and is memorable in its own way. The handshake image on the other hand uses all four strategies to good effect. Additionally this image also is transparent enough in its simplicity to be a different story for each person who views it. Now that is powerful.

Visual Rhetoric - Surfin' Kitty

The image:

This image uses humor to make its point. My subject matter and message in this blog are both pretty heavy, this was a more lighthearted way communicate the accessibility of electronic media. Technology is so pervasive in our world that in fact even a cat (a coffee drinking cat at that) can use it, leave aside all of the mouse jokes =) 

Humor is a good tool, we laugh our minds open and we are receptive to a message.

Logos, Pathos, Ethos, Mythos defined:

Pathos is most certainly a strategy used in this image, we laugh, joyful feelings are invoked. The silliness of a cat at a computer makes us laugh while it also challenges our logic or Logos to recognize that computers are everywhere. I see the two strategies as sort of a double whammy. Invoke a feeling and engage the mind, it’s pretty effective and certainly makes the message more memorable. Mythos is also a player in this image, we are members of a wired society… look around, the only place you don’t have to listen to somebody else’s conversation is on a plane and it looks like that won’t be quiet much longer. I swear I have even heard women on the phone while sitting on a toilet in a public restroom. It’s almost as if we’ve experienced a hostile takeover of our auditory world! I do not see much of a role for Ethos in this image. Our sense of belief, value and trust are not particularly tweaked by the web surfing kitty shown above. 

Conclusion:

There are still people intimidated by the gadgetry we are surrounded by, I know several. When I was training business people to convert to an automated process in their work place I had an elderly gentleman in my classes. I would get calls from him routinely with problems. Imagine my surprise when I went to his office and discovered that his keyboard was sitting on top of his monitor, he’d stand up to type hit enter and have no idea why this wasn’t working for him. I still chuckle at the image. But more importantly I realize that his frustration was very real.

The reality is that everyone is using technology. The point that I was attempting to convey in my blog post is that while people are being enabled in their efforts to rise up and seek freedom using tools to communicate, the same tools are being used by those who would do harm as well. The image is lighthearted but the message is anything but.

Visual Rhetoric - analysis of a handshake

The image:

This is a deceptively simple image. The simplicity is enhanced by the use of black and white photography. We see a handshake. One hand is black and the other white. A handshake conveys many things: friendship, agreement, respect. This is a pretty heavy emotional load for such a simple photograph. The use of differently colored hands brings an even deeper meaning: race relations, acceptance, equality, even a sense of camaraderie. What is not shown is gender, the dark hand is definitely more masculine but the gender of the light hand is unclear. I like that this detail is left open to interpretation. The message to me is that differences can embrace; we don’t all have to be alike. This is an image that will speak to many people in many ways, based on our personal experiences. I chose it for exactly these reasons. The message is clear, however it leaves a lot of room for individual vision, it is quiet and I believe we learn most when we listen. To me the simplicity conveys quietness that implies receptiveness to learning something new.

Logos, Pathos, Ethos, Mythos defined:

I view photography as an art form, and within art I see the ability to invoke emotion and share a message… it is not always about simple mindless entertainment. Thus the strategies of Logos (our rational logical minds) and Pathos (arousal of an emotional response) are both used with the simple expression of friendship and mutual respect framed within the contrast of race. Intellectually we know that race bias is destructive and unfair, emotionally we respond to the gesture of a handshake. Ethos or personal trust is also conveyed in the gesture of friendship. Not to be left out is mythos. This strategy I believe is the one that will have the most varied impact. We all come from different walks and as such will view this image with our own perspective. I am a white woman from a very humble origin; I worked for many years in business and technology. I know from firsthand experience that it is difficult to be a woman in a man’s world. This, my personal story, I bring to the table when viewing this image. I am in a shared community with women; my values are inspired by a fundamental belief in equality and opportunity. Another person will have a completely different life experience and as such different belief, but I believe the fundamental message remains intact.

Conclusion:

My point within this assigned blog has been to look at a place in the world that is being shaped by current events. To look with a more compassionate eye in an effort to personalize and find common ground with a people living a very different life from most who will read my work. We still have much work that needs to be done in this country before we can deem all people equal and on fair footing, but we have come a long way. My generation is not so much marked by actual racial and gender equality as it is an awareness that these levels of equality are the goal. I was very disturbed when I noticed the overt racism that seemed to be everywhere after 9/11. As if we were able to throw away our moral values because a group of people were foreign to us. This is simply unacceptable, we know better. I believe that this very simple very quiet image conveys a gentle reminder of all that.

Crystal Ball.... what does the future hold?

Oppression.

It’s an ugly word. The act of oppression is an ugly deed. And sadly it’s alive and well throughout our world. In America we find the concept difficult to comprehend. Yet I think that we’ve all encountered some form of oppression in our own lives. While our personal experiences cannot come close to the experiences of those living under an oppressive regime I still maintain that even a hint should provide us with at least the means for a compassionate view on this subject.

In the sidebar definition of oppression I find it quite interesting that the word is linked to depression. We hear about this word all the time, the media is constantly barraging us with advice, diagnosis, and treatments for depression. So perhaps the clue here is a link between an oppressive regime and the depression of its citizens. This makes sense to me, the hopelessness which must surely paralyze a people living under tyranny explains a lot in this context.

A political view, can democracy work?

It is crystal clear that something big is going on in the Middle East. We are watching history happen and of course everyone has an opinion on how it will turn out. One thing is certain; citizens that are standing up for their freedoms have an uphill battle if they are to succeed.

Remember the old adage united we stand divided we fall? This is a historical reference generally credited to the Greek author Aesop, incidentally the Greeks are also credited with the notion of democracy as we know it. Those guys were really on to something and not just the free and the brave have taken note and made use of this wisdom. Tyranny is no accident. This form of leadership is cultivated through deliberate acts that reinforce power and control over a people. Natural divisions are exploited to undermine the power of their victims.

In the MENA region we have ample evidence of this. Political leaders have led to division by exploitation of religion and geographic isolation (S. H. N. N. 2011. 2011). We’ve all heard the terms Sunni and Shiite. These are simply different branches of Islam, not unlike the differences between Baptists and Methodists. All believe in the same God but have different customs they abide by in their worship. Except last time I checked most socially acceptable forms of worship that we see aren’t dabbling in government (okay this is debatable but for the most part we do uphold the division of church and state pretty well) or killing each other.

A very current example of forcing isolation is the decision of both the Egyptian and Iranian governments to shut down internet communications during protest and riots. The power of communication is not lost on these regimes. While this shutdown was only temporary, it does offer some insight on how seriously regimes take the threat of communication among their people (Seeley. 2011). But severing communication is not the only way to attack this problem. Many regimes are using social networking sites to track down dissidents and silence their voices. This behavior is not unique to the Middle East, China has arrested the outspoken artist Ai Weiwei, while the KGB quotes Facebook comments during interrogations (SHANE, 2011).  The use of social networking sites is a valuable tool for both sides of the conflict and quite clearly shows us that the web is not responsible for these uprisings but to minimize its impact is also unrealistic.

 With all the odds stacked against the success of the public protests, what is the chance that lasting democratic reform will actually come to this region. Time will only give us the answers but the ability to unite and overcome differences with compassion and respect will most certainly be a critical element. A lesson we can all benefit from.

Stock Photo

 

References:

n/a (nd). Merriam Webster. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oppression

n/a (nd) Stock photo. http://stagingweblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/bigstockphoto_hand_shake_black_white_1200381.jpg

Seeley, N. (2011, April 4). Arab leaders exploit their countries' divisions to stay in power. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from EBSCOhost

SHANE S, (2011, January 30). Push comes to shove: Technology helps ignite change (as in Tunisia). Except when it bolsters oppression (as in Iran). New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved from EBSCOhost..

S. H. N. N. (2011). The politics of social networking. (cover story). Middle East, (420), 20. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.