Soft Appeal - in lieu of Soft Power

Global Winds & Local Waves

Part 4 of 5

A University of Melbourne Edublog assignment

under the Freshman subject "Globalisation"

Passed with High Distinction (H1)

============ ============ ============

25 Sep 2010, 6:05 PM by Benjamin L** C.Y. (Last edited: 26 Sep 2010, 12:13 PM)

In Soft Power, Nye (1990) states that “proof of power lies not in resources but in the ability to change the behaviour of states.” He focused on the actions of national agents on the global stage their effects. We common folk may not have the hard or soft power to alter the global stage, but we do have something I call soft appeal – cultural artifacts and beliefs that shape our thoughts and feelings. It’s found its way into our MP3s, online radios, iTunes and hearts.

Evidence of soft appeal is often found in popular media. We hear stories of wars, bombings and hatred on the radio, but every now and then a new song appears that catches popular attention and delivers a moral impact:

People killin', people dyin'

Children hurt and you hear them cryin'

Do you practice what you preach

And would you turn the other cheek

This Black Eyed Peas song was released in June 2003, 3 months after the US-led coalition invaded Iraq without UN clearance. Popular global protests involving millions were ineffectual. Perhaps this is why this song was so well received around the world and earned the top spot in various Charts in the Western hemisphere. Incidentally, this isn’t the first time a famous song has brought a message of love and peace…

We are the world

We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start giving

Originally written by Michael Jackson (1985), it raised $60 million to fight hunger in various African countries and created what Holden (The New York Times) calls a legacy, emphasising humanitarian causes in pop music that runs into the 21^st Century.

These songs’ popularity necessarily depends on the notion of shared humanity for their moral and political impact. If our moral considerations stop at out borders, there is no ill in “People killin’, people dyin’” in Iraq or Africa or any other dire land. There won’t be a “We are the world” either. Instead, these songs appeal to us because we recognize our shared humanity and identify with each other regardless of arbitrary distinctions like nationality and race.

This line of thought has been around for centuries. Kant’s Categorical Imperative rests on a similar notion of ethical universality. Socialists will also be familiar with Eugene Pottier’s “The Internationale”, a song written in 1871 expressing international class-based solidarity. In its contemporary incarnation:

Let no one build walls to divide us

Walls of hatred nor walls of stone

The emphasis on common humanity has long existed at the intellectual and popular level, but we still face the same old problems of war (Iraq), poverty (Sub-Saharan Africa) and even religious hatred (like pastor Terry Jones). The solutions aren’t clear, but the underlying values have a distinctive ‘soft appeal’ to us. I think the Black Eyed Peas epitomized ‘soft appeal’ when they asked:

Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity

Now ask yourself 

Where is the love?

Where is the love?

Where is the love?

Can we be One World?

Perhaps...

Someday, when we are wiser...

Someday, one day, soon...

Reference

Nye, Joseph Jr. “Soft Power”, Foreign Policy, 80 (Autumn): 153-171

4 responses to: "Soft Appeal - Music for Humanity"

Amanda B**** wrote:


Sat, 25 Sep 2010, 7:46 PM



Entertaining post with which I agree. Music is a very effective form of soft power that reaches people at all corners of the world. Globalisation really facilitates this through the media spreading moral messages through such music. Concerts such as 'Live 8' and artists such as 'U2' strongly advocate spreading this too. This form of power proves to be much more effective as people see these influential artists performing concerts to 'make poverty history' and ultimately want to be a part of the cause.


Alexandra M******* wrote:


Sat, 25 Sep 2010, 7:50 PM



It's so true, the song by the B.E.Ps didn't just have a catchy tune; it's meaning wound its way into people's hearts.
I really like your use of the term "Soft Appeal". Instead of riots and rallies, music concerts have led way to some of the most meaningful, not to mention best broadcasted, gatherings of masses who want change. "Soft Appeal" has a certain ring to it, like we're whispering in the ears of politicians, urging them to make a change.


Ana G***** wrote:


Sat, 25 Sep 2010, 10:11 PM



This was pretty interesting. I'd like to point out my personal favourite and one of the first: John Lennon's 'Give Peace a Chance', also an amazing video, everyone in it is so involved and so genuine. My friend and I were talking about it the other day, how crazy it was living in the 60s and the 70s and how even though there were all these crazy wars, and the threat of killing the world with a few big bombs, it was one of the most hopeful times the world has ever seen. And now that we don't feel at risk any more we have become a cynical sad bunch. 


Benjamin L** C.Y. wrote:


Sun, 26 Sep 2010, 12:07 PM



Oh yea Ana, the Hippie age was absolutely revolutionary imho. I studied it before... how an entire counterculture can protest against wars through street rallies and alternative lifestyles! In fact, it made the cover issue of Time magazine at one stage! When done with a critical mass, people without executive power can make a big difference.

Jenifer N***** wrote:

Wed, 13 Oct 2010, 8:09 PM

I love the idea of how music can change views and opinions on a global scale. It's amazing how one simple form of artwork, with simple lyrics and words can have so much of an impact on the way we live our lives and the way we think of the world around us. The artists who share their work do so much more than entertain, they send out messages to a large number of people.

BAN-KAI !!!

Global Winds & Local Waves

Part 3 of 5

A University of Melbourne Edublog assignment

under the Freshman subject "Globalisation"

Passed with High Distinction (H1)

============ ============ ============

10 Sep 2010, 10:07 PM by Benjamin L** C.Y. (Last edited: 10 Sep 2010, 10:39 PM)

This is an age of cultural ubiquity – where cultural are artifacts widely known around the world. McDonalds and Hollywood were novelties, but not anymore. The same goes for anime and sushi – and it seems that Apple culture is following suit with a slew of Macbooks and ‘i-series’ gadgets. The wave of global capitalism and media wash these on new shores, sometimes in humorous ways. Consider this joke:

A Singaporean, two Indonesians and a Japanese citizen were waiting for dinner. The Singaporean said: “My friend once acted as a samurai. He was supposed to draw his sword and shout ‘BAN-ZAI!’ Unfortunately, the bloke blundered. As he drew his sword, he yelled ‘BAN-KAI!’" The table were nearly slain with laughter.

By the way, I’m the Singaporean & that’s a true story. Foreign novelty has become normalized and found its way into the vernacular of other countries. Does this mean that cultural proliferation has given us new common ground? Yes it has, but it brings new risks.

Florida-based Pastor Terry Jones advocated burning Korans, Islam’s holy book, to mark the 9^th anniversary of September 11^th. His legal right to do this is protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Islam, along with many other religions and ideologies, transcends national boundaries. It’s analogous to Benedict Anderson’s “imagined communities”. An assault on such communities can have severe repercussions. Here's proof:

General Petraeus, Commander of NATO forces in Kabul:

"Images of the burning of a Quran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan - and around the world - to inflame public opinion and incite violence."

Mohammad Mukhtar, Cleric and prospective Afghan Member for Parliament:

"It is the duty of Muslims to react… When their holy book Quran gets burned in public, then there is nothing left. If this happens, I think the first and most important reaction will be that wherever Americans are seen, they will be killed. No matter where they will be in the world they will be killed."

Hilary Clinton, US Secretary of State:

"It is regrettable that a pastor in Gainesville, Florida, with a church of no more than 50 people can make this outrageous and distrustful, disgraceful plan and get the world's attention, but that's the world we live in right now,"

The world’s listening and poised to act – this is the real Bankai

References

Stacy, Mitch (2010). “Fla. minister determined to hold 9/11 Quran burn”. Associated Press, 10 September. Accessed 10^th September 2010 from the Associated Press application for iPhone.

Pictures

http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2010/09/08/1225915/615173-terry-jones.jpg

http://blogs.reuters.com/africanews/files/2009/06/arms1.jpg

3 responses to: "BAN-KAI !!!"

Tomas A**** wrote:

Sat, 11 Sep 2010, 12:12 AM



An interesting point on the common ground of cultures. It is a well established but rarely acknowledged liberal ideal that cultures will expand together in harmony. So your first point is enlightening. On your second point about reaction, I must say that the views of Clinton and her humanitarian commrades is rather alarmist in perspective. I think the question to ask from your blog is: What real capacity do cultures have in reaction to threats; and more specifically; how much relative capacity do extermist groups possess?.


Sophie D***** wrote:


Sat, 11 Sep 2010, 10:05 AM



There is no doubt that this is indeed an age of cultural ubiquity and hence an age where cultural boundaries hold no barriers any more. Consequently in an instant one mans extreme  opinion can do exactly that, excite extreme reactions around the globe.  Rationality is surely what we have to mindful of at all times and aware that societites and communitites across the globe do not become overwhelmed by moral panics! We can all play a part in this. 


Shen N* wrote:

Thu, 14 Oct 2010, 2:16 AM

Really like Bleach the anime, still remember when i was watching it few years back, best and most favourite Bankai.. SenbonSakura (spelled it wrong i think), well, i can see how it shows relation to globalization, its a japanese anime, but even the subititles at the bottom are english. but, thank god for that, if not i wouldnt get to watch anime now as well, unless i have a Japanese girlfriend of course. Haha. Cheers. 

Time-Task Compression - Subverted Technology

Global Winds & Local Waves

Part 2 of 5

A University of Melbourne Edublog assignment

under the Freshman subject "Globalisation"

Passed with High Distinction (H1)

============ ============ ============

3 Sep 2010, 10:20 PM by Benjamin L** C.Y. (Last edited: 4 Sep 2010, 12:05 AM)

(Blogger's note: Recall the readings titled The Discarded Factory and Social Acceleration)

Technology and capitalism are old friends. Businesses use it to deliver efficiency, comfort, and material ‘progress’. Is this correct?

Let’s see: In economics, the concept of capital-labour substitution will be known as the replacement of labour factor inputs with technological processes – with the factory being the classic example. This is a euphemism. The reality: workers are perpetually under pressure to upgrade their skills and dedicate more time and effort – to further reify themselves into commodities and factor inputs – in order to remain relevant in a world of increasingly technocratic production. In Orwellian Newspeak, this is euphemistically called “flexibility”, “skills upgrading”, and “competitiveness” that disguise the bleak truth in ‘progressive’ rhetoric.

But the Marxists have already touched on that. I put a new spin to it: capitalism has subverted technology and increased the pace of modern life. Technology has a quantitative aspect that concerns itself with efficiency: achieving the greatest results through the least input. Technology allows us to manufacture more goods with less time and effort, so why are modern, industrialised societies so rushed and stressful? Consider the following:

Technology: Reduced time for task completion, raising expectations of what can be done per unit time.

Capitalism: The profit imperative demands greater output per unit time in the quest for greater market share.

The synthesis of technology and capitalism: Completing more tasks per unit time becomes the norm, a sort of “time-task compression”.

But that alone isn’t sufficient to explain our increasing pace of life: rate of time-task compression must outstrip the time savings technology affords. I attribute this to global capital and labour migration. Because capital can flow from one factory to another overnight and workers can compete across borders, a “race to the bottom” (Klein, 2000) easily results. Competing factories and workers are under pressure to do more for the same income or achieve the same output for a lower price. Either way, it is a situation that puts extreme pressure on workers and, indeed, even executives striving to justify costs. This is where technology comes into play: it expedites the race to the bottom by facilitating capital transfers to areas with favourable terms and transports labour internationally. In short, someone, somewhere may be willing to do more for less and your boss can get them over.

This is competitiveness in our contemporary world: Use technology to shape up, or capitalism and technology can make you ship out.

Further Reading

Klein, Naomi. “The Discarded Factory: Degraded Production in the Age of the Superbrand.” No Logo. New York: Picador, 2000. 195-230.

Scheuerman, William E. “Social Acceleration.” Liberal Democracy and The Social Acceleration Of Time. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 2004. 1-25.

4 responses to: "Time-Task Compression - Subverted Technology"

Hilary C******** wrote:


Fri, 3 Sep 2010, 11:03 PM



I know, with all this technology to make my life and the lives of others easier, it seems like what is expected of us has doubled. Not fair!!! I'm constantly stressed for time on all the tasks I have to do, as a result certain things, like having a life, must sometimes suffer. I like your spin on this concept though, highlights a lot of reasons why the world seems crazier even though we continue to develop things to make life easier.


Benjamin L** C.Y. wrote: 


Sat, 4 Sep 2010, 12:04 AM



Thanks Hilary, I'm glad you like it :)
I hope our tutors, as fellow victims of the modern rush-ethos, can empathise and act accordingly (*HINT HINT!*)


Mariah C*** wrote:


Sat, 4 Sep 2010, 12:22 PM



Good question, what has created our fast paced life if technology is shortening the time it takes to do things. I agree the use of technology permits more activites to not only be completed quicker but also expected to be completed quicker. But I think this also creates a sense of frustration and anxiety.  Firstly, to not be left behind in the technological race and to be worried that we don't have the latest equipment but secondly also our reliance on such technology. If the expectation (that something is done quickly) exists but the technology does not, clearly creates stress. For example the break down of a photocopying machine, computer, car or 'frozen' webpage. The expectation that the work will be done quickly is still there but it is not as attainable

Benjamin L** C.Y. wrote:


Sat, 4 Sep 2010, 4:08 PM



Well put Mariah. In our modern haste, it becomes very distressing when technology fails. Ironically, we have become dependent on the medium of social acceleration. Expectations do soar, technology keeps pace with it, yet the faster processes it creates further raises time-task expectations. It's a negative feedback cycle that works against the people it's supposed to help.


Simulacrum? That is SO 20th Century!

Global Winds & Local Waves

Part 1 of 5

A University of Melbourne Edublog assignment

under the Freshman subject "Globalisation"

Passed with High Distinction (H1)

============ ============ ============

27 Aug 2010, 6:23 PM by Benjamin L** C.Y. (Last edited: 28 Aug 2010, 4:07 PM)

Our browser window is a doorway into a cyber universe the ‘meta-globe’ of the 21^st Century. It’s characterized by mass participation on purpose-built platforms such as Youtube and Facebook that come under the portmanteau nomenclature “Web 2.0”. Youtube is perhaps the quintessential Web 2.0 platform: agents, commercial or recreational, can broadcast and define themselves using videos made through various technologies. It’s where the physical and digital worlds converge. Calling Web 2.0 a simulacrum is an understatement for it isn’t merely a simulation of physical reality – it is an extension of our social world.

A person’s online presence can affect his/her corporeal life. Consider the case of Zee Avi: a Malaysian singer/songwriter whose rise to fame started with recreational music videos posted on Youtube that came to the attention of Bushfire Records, a records company that flew her to Los Angeles, USA, to publish an album now ranked #9 by the Associated Press for the best albums of 2009. It is “a true 21st century tale of the way the Internet has … shrunk the globe in the process.“ (Zee Avi's official Bio).

But it isn’t all fun and games in an age where major political parties that tout similar policies – “moving forward” – in different Orwellian Newspeak. We may feel politically disempowered, even apathetic. Web 2.0 addresses that. Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, released 77,000 classified US State Department and Pentagon files regarding the on-going Afghan war. The UN Security Council – tasked with ensuring international territorial integrity – is silent and powerless because the USA has veto powers as a member of the P5.

Assange has ingeniously succeeded where global governance has failed. No government can touch him. He is an Australian citizen, the Swedish Web hosting company PRQ hosts the files, and the plaintiff is the US government. As Baldor (2010) writes:

“… [A] Threat to release more classified Pentagon and State Department documents is raising difficult questions of what the [US] government can or would do, legally, technically or even militarily to stop it.” (Baldor, 2010)

The documents may not stop the war, but Assange has demonstrated that private citizens have a new form of uncensored political power. Mahatma Gandhi would have been proud!

In sum, Web 2.0 is not a mere simulacrum – it interacts with ‘traditional’ reality. I know we all have a lot of reading to do (*groans~*) so here’s Zee Avi to brighten your day :o)

Reference

Baldor, C. (2010) What to do about WikiLeaks? Not much can be done. Associated Press hosted by Google. Found via the AP iPhone application, URL expired.

2 responses to: "Simulacrum? That is SO 20th Century!"

Christie S********* wrote:


Sun, 29 Aug 2010, 10:16 PM



What Julian Assange said makes me wonder if the government will seek to have tougher control over the internet in the future. Or if that is even possible as it seems there are many loopholes in the way it is constructed and the laws over ownership.


Benjamin L** C.Y. wrote:


Mon, 30 Aug 2010, 9:43 PM



Yea I agree with you. Anonymity and international accessibility are two key features in the cyber landscape. Unless there is an international consensus (conspiracy!?) between governments, unilateral censorship is pretty useless because there are so many ways around it. It seems that the internet is becoming a viable political too though - it'll be interesting to watch it's evolution in coming years :D


Ambrose's Wit

Ambrose Bierce comes up with hilarious quips that actually hold water! I know little about the fellow and am too bogged down with exam revision to read more, but here're 4 little definitions from him:

Bigot, n.: One who is obstinately and zealously attached to an opinion that you do not entertain.

Admiration, n.: Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves.

Harangue, n.: A speech by an opponent, who is known as an harrangue-outang.

All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusions is called a philosopher.

Pending Further Development

Subjunctive Lyrics in Music

- Lyrics convey a very vague description yet "speaks volumes"

- Could be because the words prime and trigger certain concepts and their related sub-concepts

- Evokes OUR own picture of reality, perhaps in idealistic or poignantly sentimental terms!

- We then attach our psychological interpretation - with all the entailing affective associations - onto the lyrics!

The lyrics become a stimulus that summons (or induces?) a selective 'visage' or image to the forefront of our minds. It's not just a perspective, it's also a mood. This can have a therapeutic effect or depressive one. Compare the songs "Beyond the Sea" or "Suicide is Painless" respectively to see what I mean: