Politics in a postmodern world is paradoxical. (Hahaha…. Eep!)
Ok… I’ll be focusing on political campaigns in particular. The development of fully-fledged media campaigns is indicative of Western society’s obsession with images and mediated identities. Politicians have become a brand in themselves, where style is more important than substance. (The simulacrum – Baudrillard)
Impressing the public through visual media is the only indication of influence an political power. It is all about “performance.” (Judith Butler)
Despite postmodernism’s claims in celebrating difference and giving a voice to the minority, there is still a major imbalance in power in the political sphere. While access to the public sphere has widened due to the burst in technological developments, the voices which are heard in the public sphere remain distorted.
The problem is when people whinge too much about not having access to the public sphere. Whooptidoo – postmodernism bridged the gap between the elite and mass culture by embracing pop culture as art and giving people Internet access.
Access to the public sphere has little meaning if individuals are not willing to contribute to the ideas that are communicated within it.
This era is tainted with a scepticism towards grand narratives and absolute truth. People are left with nothing to fight for, nothing to strive towards. There is no desire to achieve consensus of any sort. People lie, and are happy with being lied to because they are told that everything is a lie.
This is why postmodernism is such a farce. It claims to empower the people. But for what?
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