Thursday, January 12, 2017

Relevance of the self image and public image of the men who run Democratic Establishments



What this post try to deliberate is Media's role in creating self-image, as well as the public image of the democratic leaders who run the present day establishments.

We all who seek an equalitarian, progressive and modern society, wish that Democracy remains a peoples' governmental system in every respect. Leaders we elect and send to parliament should not act like old time Kings and his likes. They should not be given any hint that they are the 'rulers', and people are the old 'subject' material during kingdoms. But judging from the trend all over the world, we the people and our popular institutions, especially Media, consciously or otherwise, give these leaders an impression that, they are the same material those old kings were made of!  People and institutions do not mind them enjoying the glory, power, and privileges their predecessors had once enjoyed. This passivity from the side of the people and the institutions take away their reluctance to act like the old RULERS in every respect.

It is common knowledge, that one's self-image is determined and groomed by the factor of how others treat him and behave with him.

For example, if a wife, irrespective how educated she is, start a trend of touching the feet of her husband every morning, following such old Indian tradition, the most progressive-minded husbands also might fall for such images inflicted upon him and will try to mold himself to the image in her mind. This might gradually erode their modern day trend of husbands and wives remaining equal, and best friends like in their relations. In such cases, marriage as a working contract between two equal individuals, like that between two close friends, will lose its charm forever. It does not mean such relations where the wife treats her husband as semi-god will fail, but it is a different case.

About our elected democratic leaders too, the same example might be sufficient to explain the effect. In democracy, though it is not written in any constitution, the implied value, or the self-evident value ( as 'inalienable rights of man was 'self-evident' to the American founding fathers) is amply clear. Without such values in place, democracy will be another 'rule' by the RULERS. Elected representatives of people should not ever wear the mantle of the 'Rulers' under any circumstance!

They no longer will remain representatives chosen for managing the issues of people's collective living, a modern, progressive and sensible working arrangement! We all know, that our existing democratic model all over the world grossly suffer from the malady of people treating their leaders with adulation, awe, fear and even devotion! It has eroded fundamental values of democracy all over the world, wherein men and groups fight each other to capture those coveted seats of old time Rulers! 

Who is more responsible for the above vital image creation?

In the above example of devoted wife and husband, we found that, even if the husband wanted to be in a modern, close friends like equal relation with his wife, if she keeps a different image about the relation, he also will be forced to fall- in for the image in her mind, though, might be after some persuasion and coercion to mend the ways of the wife.

Here in the case of Democracy, those who deal maximum with our political leaders are our so called 'peoples' voice' holders, the Media. What they represent is also not any other right, but that of citizens' 'right of free speech'. There is no separate law in any country that gives media any special role in society other than the 'right to free speech of the citizens'.

This writer clearly remembers an interview the India's top Tv anchor Arnab Goswami of Times now TV once had with the former Chief minister of the India southern State of Tamil Nadu, the iron lady, Jayalalitha; Arnab was a media sensation, notorious for his roaring like a lion on TV screen,.His debates are famous for his evening time TV debates on every popular news item. During the said interview, hiding his usual roaring manner, he changed his tone into sheepish with the Tamil Nadu strong lady! He exhibited this sudden change of tone and body language whenever he interviewed men and women of Power.

Our media men keep a very weird attitude towards political leaders, the public, country and the world;instead of keeping their self -image as 'representatives of whatever is most modern about human equality, distinct rights and dignity of human beings (citizens of nations) peoples undisputed role as the ultimate owners of every modern democratic nation, they reduce themselves into the role of 'passive' reporters and story tellers about the goings in the world,without passing any clear judgment.

This very serious self-image difference was what encouraged and emboldened our elected representatives, instead of remaining in the simple job of efficient government running, stepping into that of professional 'ruler' class. Our media men follow these leaders everywhere they go, for recording and reporting everything they utter. This very unhealthy tendency taught our political leaders the dirty habit of NOT expressing their genuine mind, but what is 'politically right' at every occasion. They turned smart enough to realize the sense of importance these media guys feel in allowing access to their power centers and persona. They clearly realize, that these media men before them do not represent Peoples' sense of RIGHTS, or their right to have information or their due role of participation in the democratic process. They clearly know that media men are before them to devour NEWS, the staple food of their peculiar 'trade'!


These leaders clearly realize, media men before them are keen to have their photos from every angle, and the value these professional men gain and enjoy by having them. So, without any doubt, like the devoted wife in our above example, these men of Media are primarily responsible for transforming the otherwise a straight people's form of govt, with no frills attached, into a straight power-oriented governmental system, similar or more dangerous than any such system man ever had in the past. In our past authoritarian governmental system, people or the 'subjects' knew who their masters were, but here in the thoroughly degenerated democratic system, no one knows, by prostrating themselves before whom, their rights and freedom world be safe!

Modern govts have cleverly tamed the institution of Media into submission, drawing unwritten clauses and norms about their role in the 'manufacturing consent' among people. Please see its story at: http://mediaandcontentrelevance.blogspot.in/2015/02/extinct-real-enter-virtual.html

This role shift of media is a serious subject, the best minds in the industry should sincerely 
introspect 

Putting it simply, media should return to her originating time role as People's Voice. They must strictly represent whatever is most progressive, most modern and most open about the centrality of people in the democratic system. They must learn the importance of looking straight in the eyes of our political representatives and interact with them as their MASTERS, not servants and meek reporters of stories! When Media start representing people in every respect in democracy, it will regain democracy's People centrism soon. People would be elevated from their present degenerated role as 'people material' for the primary entity, the state.

Then, even the top judiciary in the country, the Supreme Court, will start recognizing that, more than the so called 'Executive' organ of govt, citizen, and the spirit ( the overall ideological direction of constitution) of constitution their collective had created, should be treated as primary; hope it would be appropriate here to refer to a very recent decision of Indian Supreme court, wherein she rejected a Public Interest Petition,(PIL) seeking  to include donations to political parties also under income tax net.

Supreme court, in her order rejecting the petition, said, that the decision of the 'Executive',( the council of ministers) when it does not violate any provision of the constitution, should be respected! There may not be any word to word violation of constitutional provisions is this decision of the Executive, rejecting donations to Political parties from levying income tax, but the fact that, such donations will certainly violate the unwritten 'spirit' of the constitution was ignored by the highest court! ( Refer Hindustan Times (PTI) report appeared on page 13 of its Jan 12th edition)

If Media had vigorously stood with the rights, liberty, and centrality of citizens in her daily picturing of the world, the top court wouldn;t have gained the wrong impression, that the Executive wing of parliament has more rights than the people themselves. Donation to political parties primarily by the industry is the root cause of Neo-liberalism, the modern phenomenon of industry and State turning partners in Ruling today's nations, for the sake of the one and only known model of country 'development'!
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All the Journalism schools in the world must jointly discuss and reassert their role in democracy, whether it is Industry owned and run or not. Here, the role of industry is also centrally involved, as most of the media outlets in the world are owned by them. What is the harm in upholding people's centrality in the modern governmental system? It will free the world from the evil of Neo-liberalism, the evil of industry turning as instruments in the hands of govts, for the profit of both the entities. Now these entities blackmail each other, to the utter disadvantage of the world. Ever increasing crimes, terrorism, war threat etc. originates from our govts' playing wrong roles in society, thus orphaning mankind and people. 

If media wake-up and achieve the above a paradigm shift about their role and self-image, the world would be saved, and also the future of mankind. Her tendency now to hide behind her self-adopted role such as 'messengers', 'reporters' etc is a kind of escapism from her grave responsibilities. She should be there in every democracy, as her 'defender'. She should not adopt a safe role for herself in the great system, one similar to that of the 'brothers' of the first 'ousted' primeval son' from his 'papa's safe haven', as depicted in the following imaginary story on the advent of the 'first ever' establishment in history:http://originofestablishment.blogspot.in/

Authored by: Abraham J. Palakudy
He is an ardent seeker and researcher in areas like Mind&Reason, general philosophy, Spirituality and Polity
e-mail : ajoseph1@rediffmail.com
Twitter: Voice of philosophy@jopan1

His profile and other blog-posts: https://www.blogger.com/profile/14249415589712707293.
( image; courtesy Digital Trends
the history of social networking media, Source; Google free images)