Column for week of February 20, 2012
Superheros are popular, and not just with children. What
do superheros do? Why are they popular?
Does the superhero arrive in a bus with his bag of books
and DVDs? Does he then explain the causes of the great
problem and how individuals working together in voluntary
cooperation can solve their great problem? If he did, he would
be on the next bus out of town.
People don't call for superheros to tell them how to work
and solve their own problems. Superheros are supposed to leap
into town, or arrive in a Bat Mobile. They use force, magic and
perhaps a bit of superhuman cunning. The helpless people
watch in awe as the superhero lays waste to all things evil. The
rescued people are eternally grateful to their benefactor, at least
until next week. They live in expectation of his return in their
hour of need.
Superheros live only in the minds of children. Many of
those childlike minds reside in adult bodies, often with gray hair
and wrinkled faces. There are no superheros with magic powers
in the real world. In the real world there is only one way to
solve our problems -- work hard in voluntary cooperation with
others. The most we need to add is leaders with good ideas.
This formula doesn't appeal to childlike minds. Children
turn to Daddy and Mommy who are the children's superheros.
Experience tarnishes the child's view of Mommy and Daddy as
superheros. Often, instead of rejecting the fantasy of superheros,
the childish mind in the adult body endlessly searches for new
and better superheros.
Superheros are imagined to quickly annihilate evil with
force and magic. It is only natural that the "adult" child will
seek his new superhero among those who command force and
violence and promise magic. No one commands more force and
violence than does government.
The "adult" searches for his superhero on election day.
Who will best use force and violence to conquer evil?
Candidates exaggerate their powers and the powers of
government. To win a candidate must portray himself as the
greatest "walk on water" superhero. The candidate who appears
as a mere human won't get the "children's" votes. Those votes
decide elections.
It is impossible to live up to the superhero image. All
elected officials disappoint the "children" who elected them.
The best a tarnished superhero can do in his quest for reelection
is blame others for his failures and claim he needs more time to
deliver. These claims are a hard sell to childlike minds that
demand candy now and have tantrums when they don't get candy
(think Greece).
The most successful campaign strategy is diverting
attention to something seen as an even greater evil. A
threatening foreign enemy, real or imagined, trumps economic
problems (think Iran). Painting the opponent as evil incarnate
diverts attention from the failures of the tarnished superhero.
Painting opponents as wimps is also an effective strategy.
Those childlike minds searching for their superhero aren't
looking for a wimp.
This year's election, like all elections within my memory,
will be decided by the childlike voters' evaluation of the
superheroness of the candidates. Is Obama's superhero image
too tarnished to fly? Is his opponent a more promising
superhero (no pun intended)?
The voters who evaluate candidates as human and
consider what the candidates might accomplish with human
powers in the real world will be overwhelmed. The childlike
voters in search of Superman in a Santa Clause suit will carry
the day. When they discover that they elected Al Capone in a
joker's suit, the search for a new superhero will be on again.
Even many supporters of candidates who don't claim
superheroship still see their candidate as a superhero. Many
supporters of Ron Paul expect him to be the Heracles who will
clean the Augean Stables of Washington. They don't see him as
merely a human leader of a work crew that must do the heavy
lifting.
* * * * *
* * * *
* * *
* *
*
Copyright 2012
Albert D. McCallum
18440 29-1/2 Mile Road
Springport, Michigan 49284
Superheros are popular, and not just with children. What
do superheros do? Why are they popular?
Does the superhero arrive in a bus with his bag of books
and DVDs? Does he then explain the causes of the great
problem and how individuals working together in voluntary
cooperation can solve their great problem? If he did, he would
be on the next bus out of town.
People don't call for superheros to tell them how to work
and solve their own problems. Superheros are supposed to leap
into town, or arrive in a Bat Mobile. They use force, magic and
perhaps a bit of superhuman cunning. The helpless people
watch in awe as the superhero lays waste to all things evil. The
rescued people are eternally grateful to their benefactor, at least
until next week. They live in expectation of his return in their
hour of need.
Superheros live only in the minds of children. Many of
those childlike minds reside in adult bodies, often with gray hair
and wrinkled faces. There are no superheros with magic powers
in the real world. In the real world there is only one way to
solve our problems -- work hard in voluntary cooperation with
others. The most we need to add is leaders with good ideas.
This formula doesn't appeal to childlike minds. Children
turn to Daddy and Mommy who are the children's superheros.
Experience tarnishes the child's view of Mommy and Daddy as
superheros. Often, instead of rejecting the fantasy of superheros,
the childish mind in the adult body endlessly searches for new
and better superheros.
Superheros are imagined to quickly annihilate evil with
force and magic. It is only natural that the "adult" child will
seek his new superhero among those who command force and
violence and promise magic. No one commands more force and
violence than does government.
The "adult" searches for his superhero on election day.
Who will best use force and violence to conquer evil?
Candidates exaggerate their powers and the powers of
government. To win a candidate must portray himself as the
greatest "walk on water" superhero. The candidate who appears
as a mere human won't get the "children's" votes. Those votes
decide elections.
It is impossible to live up to the superhero image. All
elected officials disappoint the "children" who elected them.
The best a tarnished superhero can do in his quest for reelection
is blame others for his failures and claim he needs more time to
deliver. These claims are a hard sell to childlike minds that
demand candy now and have tantrums when they don't get candy
(think Greece).
The most successful campaign strategy is diverting
attention to something seen as an even greater evil. A
threatening foreign enemy, real or imagined, trumps economic
problems (think Iran). Painting the opponent as evil incarnate
diverts attention from the failures of the tarnished superhero.
Painting opponents as wimps is also an effective strategy.
Those childlike minds searching for their superhero aren't
looking for a wimp.
This year's election, like all elections within my memory,
will be decided by the childlike voters' evaluation of the
superheroness of the candidates. Is Obama's superhero image
too tarnished to fly? Is his opponent a more promising
superhero (no pun intended)?
The voters who evaluate candidates as human and
consider what the candidates might accomplish with human
powers in the real world will be overwhelmed. The childlike
voters in search of Superman in a Santa Clause suit will carry
the day. When they discover that they elected Al Capone in a
joker's suit, the search for a new superhero will be on again.
Even many supporters of candidates who don't claim
superheroship still see their candidate as a superhero. Many
supporters of Ron Paul expect him to be the Heracles who will
clean the Augean Stables of Washington. They don't see him as
merely a human leader of a work crew that must do the heavy
lifting.
* * * * *
* * * *
* * *
* *
*
Copyright 2012
Albert D. McCallum
18440 29-1/2 Mile Road
Springport, Michigan 49284
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