There is a recent article in the New York Times exposing the demagogic nature of Mr. Ttump’s campaign in the current Presidential campaign. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/03/opinion/campaign-stops/demagogue-for-president.html?emc=edit_th_20160303&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=18209868&_r=0
Demagogues rise to the surface and occupy the public space, when the leaders and men/women of wisdom do not address the fundamental issues.
Actions of yesterday have consequences today. We can find the parallels with this situation in Middle East and our plight in US in the Republican Primaries. The points articulated in the NYT article are the evidences and they are absolutely correct. But, what is the Cause? For that please see: https://stimsinstitute.com/2016/03/01/when-public-discourse-leaves-reasoning-and-logic-to-the-way-side/
How many people really see this cause and effect correlation between the failure of the “establishment” of both parties in the Congress and their intransigence for the past 15 years with the anger vented by their voters in the recent primaries? Had they moved on public policies such as infrastructure investments creating a few million jobs – even at the low levels of wages – the current anger and fear of the “establishment” would be diminished. It may not have opened the door for a total outsider with only promises and no plans to sustain such promises. How many can see the correlation between the relentless rant in the TV and radio by a few, fomenting anger and bigotry and racial innuendos for the past few years and their connection to the irrational views against immigrants held by the primary voters ? How many can see the evolution in Digital Technology and its unrelenting use at all cost as a source of our jobless or low wage jobs dominated recovery and the resultant rise of anger and fear for lack of opportunities in certain segments of the population in USA?
Unless the other contestants – on either party – articulate this cause and effect coherently and offer solutions to address that in a simple and logical frame work, what is this disgruntled population – a minority of total US voters and yet a majority of Trump supporters – supposed to do, other than seeing their candidate as their savior? Also is it not the same fear and anguish that drives the “young and disadvantaged” to flock to the Bernie Sanders campaign? Do they know how the Wall Street will be reined in or where will the jobs come from after the tuition free college education?
How many in the “highly uneducated” followers of Mr. Trump or the “young and disadvantaged” in the Bennie Sanders camp would even read this essay and think about the nature of the current campaigns and their approach? Is it not the free TV media that has propped up Mr. Trump and his exposure? This free TV cannot be contained any more than the access to the Social Media by ISIS to grow their popularity.
After the evolutions in Digital Technology and its un-relenting use and at all cost, we live in a world like that before and after Electricity. With the candle light there will only be a local fire that can be put out easily and a new candle lit up for light. When the electric grid fails, the whole of NY City can be plunged into darkness. We are now in this phase of larger darkness thanks to our unbridled use of Digital Technology, without any checks and balances? As a result we are data rich and poor in our analysis and conclusions. This is an evidence of task orientation and an absence of System Thinking.
The solution is not to abandon Digital Technology, any more than it is unwise to reject electricity and go back to the days of candle light. This unwise choice is also at the root of the ideas – such as shutting down the government, the return to closed borders, favoring one race over another, anger against Wall Street greed as the isolated cause of all our problems and rejection of international trade agreements as a way to save jobs in the US – being promoted in our presidential primary discourse.
One cannot succeed in the current Skills Driven, Knowledge Economy without System Thinking and Transformational Skills. They are required to put our knowledge to use every day. This goes for the individuals as much as it applies to our nation. Let us hope that while one or few candidates may resort to manipulation and crowd pleasing statements and policies let the rest of the candidates rise up and offer concrete alternatives, educating the public and educating the nation in the process. Out of darkness comes the light!
STIMS Institute 