A favorite attraction at many amusement parks is the merry-go-round. For all the bright music, motion and artistry, the fact is that it simply moves in a circle, leading nowhere but to previous positions. Those who enjoy the experience do not expect the ride’s movement to take them to another place except through mental manipulation. Yet, there is something hypnotic and pleasurable about the circular motion amidst a joyful tune and the illusion of progress.
Depending on your point of view, many outstanding and significant events tend to mirror previous occurrences although within a different context. On the international scene, conflicts contain eerie similarities to previous altercations. The current Russian aggression toward Ukraine follows the historical World War II pattern while national divisions within the United States and elsewhere are similar to reactions of ideological movements favoring or disavowing fascism, totalitarianism and isolationism.
All in all, in an historical context, movement through time alters the setting, but leaves human interaction intact. Identical or very similar responses to external events can be seen as highly predictable and easily manipulated. Those involved with marketing and political activities are keenly aware of this phenomenon and spend an inordinate amount of effort to capture the thoughts and emotions of their constituencies and public at large. Advertising campaigns often have little to do with the product sold, rather a feeling of enjoyment or pleasure in association with it. In the same way, politicians often appeal to emotional content – joy, happiness, fear, anger, jealousy, economic disparity, etc. – rather than substance.
Decrying the situation might be emotionally satisfying, but does little to counteract the results. It may be that the only way to step off this carousel is through an educational process that invites and entices constituents to separate issues from hyperbolic trappings. Just as a carousel gives riders a sense of freedom and clarity through a series of movements, unless the entire apparatus is relocated, it remains fixed in place. As we enter the mid-term election cycle amid signs, slogans and fund-raising appeals, it is prudent to recognize the political carousel for what it is and whether its movement is real or illusionary.
“And the seasons they go round and round and painted ponies go up and down. We're captive on the carousel of time, we can't return we can only look behind.”
-Joni Mitchell