Mind The Gap
Any student of political science will tell you that one of the most important aspects of the discipline is the distinction between the "ideal" and the "real". This distinction is neither profound nor ground breaking. It is not rocket science but a simple statement of what permeates our every existence as a race.
We all have some conception of what our ideal state is. We know what our aspirations should lead us to, whether it be secular aspirations or the more nuanced religious ones, we all have a conception of what our ideal condition ought to be. This entails a constant struggle against our real situation in order for us to attain the ideal.
Those who consider themselves successful, are they that have managed to close the gap that exists between the "real" and "ideal". Let me hasten to add that we practically spend all our lives trying to close this gap and often those that those manage to close the gap, immediately get a new conception of the "ideal" and begin working towards that. It is what makes life interesting.
The farther apart the gap between the "ideal" and "real" the more unhappy one is. It would also appear talking about the "ideal" when it is dramatically so far apart from the real would constitute what many regard as sentiments in the realm of "wishful thinking". Some have simply given up and are happy to resign themselves to the "real" having come to the saddening conclusion that they would never achieve the "ideal". Others gorge themselves on messages of being able to achieve the "ideal" in the after-life and live with the faith of that happening once some guise of an apocalyptic event happens.
Politicians on the other hand woo votes by promising the electorate the "ideal" while conveniently saying very little on the practical steps they intend to take to achieve that. They employ a well used template of marketing themselves as saviors, promising change, with the more dramatic and adventurous even adding time dimensions to the period in which the change is supposed to be achieved (e.g 90 days). Once the mandate has been secured, they invariably embark on a mission of magnifying the problems they inherited and tone down on the radical change they once promised. They will request for more time, drape their inefficiencies in rhetoric all the while the gap between the "ideal" and the "real" keeps widening.
There many who lauded our president Mr Michael Sata when he stated that Africa should be able to handle its own problems. He went further to add that the International Criminal Court had no jurisdiction over Uhuru Kenyatta and were not in order to press charges emanating from the electoral violence after Kenya's 2007 general elections. As statements go, this was a mere statement of the "ideal". The real situation on the ground is that the West has continually meddled in African affairs at times at the invitation of Africans themselves. Secondly there are glaring examples where Africa has failed to handle its conflicts (refer to my last post on the African Union), and until this gap is bridged, statements like the one made by our president will simply be ignored. Mind you he is not the first one to voice similar sentiments, as anyone who listened to Qaddafi's speech to the United Nations in 2009 will agree with me.
Accents
I am surprised at the increasing number of people painfully trying to speak English in an American accent these days. As I wrote at some other forum, speaking English an American accent is no proof of one's intelligence. If anything it is a sign of low self-esteem when you go out of your way to speak English in that manner. Now I don't have something against an American accent per say but against people who at great effort attempt to change the way they speak.
I understand that it is impossible to ignore the USA as it is not only an economic behemoth but a cultural one too. We gorge ourselves on movies, songs and books that leave indelible cultural imprints on our conscious. That should not mean we abnegate or demean those aspects that identify us as unique people. There is nothing as irritating as a fake American accent!
We all have some conception of what our ideal state is. We know what our aspirations should lead us to, whether it be secular aspirations or the more nuanced religious ones, we all have a conception of what our ideal condition ought to be. This entails a constant struggle against our real situation in order for us to attain the ideal.
Those who consider themselves successful, are they that have managed to close the gap that exists between the "real" and "ideal". Let me hasten to add that we practically spend all our lives trying to close this gap and often those that those manage to close the gap, immediately get a new conception of the "ideal" and begin working towards that. It is what makes life interesting.
The farther apart the gap between the "ideal" and "real" the more unhappy one is. It would also appear talking about the "ideal" when it is dramatically so far apart from the real would constitute what many regard as sentiments in the realm of "wishful thinking". Some have simply given up and are happy to resign themselves to the "real" having come to the saddening conclusion that they would never achieve the "ideal". Others gorge themselves on messages of being able to achieve the "ideal" in the after-life and live with the faith of that happening once some guise of an apocalyptic event happens.
Politicians on the other hand woo votes by promising the electorate the "ideal" while conveniently saying very little on the practical steps they intend to take to achieve that. They employ a well used template of marketing themselves as saviors, promising change, with the more dramatic and adventurous even adding time dimensions to the period in which the change is supposed to be achieved (e.g 90 days). Once the mandate has been secured, they invariably embark on a mission of magnifying the problems they inherited and tone down on the radical change they once promised. They will request for more time, drape their inefficiencies in rhetoric all the while the gap between the "ideal" and the "real" keeps widening.
There many who lauded our president Mr Michael Sata when he stated that Africa should be able to handle its own problems. He went further to add that the International Criminal Court had no jurisdiction over Uhuru Kenyatta and were not in order to press charges emanating from the electoral violence after Kenya's 2007 general elections. As statements go, this was a mere statement of the "ideal". The real situation on the ground is that the West has continually meddled in African affairs at times at the invitation of Africans themselves. Secondly there are glaring examples where Africa has failed to handle its conflicts (refer to my last post on the African Union), and until this gap is bridged, statements like the one made by our president will simply be ignored. Mind you he is not the first one to voice similar sentiments, as anyone who listened to Qaddafi's speech to the United Nations in 2009 will agree with me.
Accents
I am surprised at the increasing number of people painfully trying to speak English in an American accent these days. As I wrote at some other forum, speaking English an American accent is no proof of one's intelligence. If anything it is a sign of low self-esteem when you go out of your way to speak English in that manner. Now I don't have something against an American accent per say but against people who at great effort attempt to change the way they speak.
I understand that it is impossible to ignore the USA as it is not only an economic behemoth but a cultural one too. We gorge ourselves on movies, songs and books that leave indelible cultural imprints on our conscious. That should not mean we abnegate or demean those aspects that identify us as unique people. There is nothing as irritating as a fake American accent!
Like your article, great work. Mazala Zulu
ReplyDeleteLike your article, great work. Mazala Zulu
ReplyDelete