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The Hierophant · 01-18-2003, 08:28 AM

In a literal sense, you're dead right. George Bush jnr. is not a dictator.
When such a large mass of people follows a leader however, it is often not the person that that the masses follow at all, but rather the image of that leader. The myth, the package, the product. Most election campaigns and the like are aimed to direct your own personal viewpoints toward identifying with the parties ideals, personified in singular, easy-to-recognize human 'face', ie: the leader. A few years ago it was 'Clinton', now it is 'Bush'. By changing the face, you give the illusion that you have changed the system, and thus you give the illusion that the voters have free will and power to direct the way their society operates. George Bush jnr. himself is a non-entity in terms of concrete political decision making, it is the collective view of the party that counts. The more resources available to the party, the better to sway your views to coincide with theirs. It's a very effective system, and has done a good job of maintaining law and order in an unprecedentedly diverse cultural melting pot whilst still delivering that all-important democratic illusion of freedom.

So no, George Bush jnr. is not a dictator. However, 'BUSH' (that personalized name and face given to the American governmental institution) could be seen as such, if viewing eyes were so inclined.

[ 01-18-2003, 09:08 AM: Message edited by: The Hierophant ]

01-18-2003, 08:28 AM	#10
The Hierophant Thoth - Egyptian God of Wisdom Join Date: May 10, 2002 Location: Dunedin, New Zealand. Age: 43 Posts: 2,860	In a literal sense, you're dead right. George Bush jnr. is not a dictator. When such a large mass of people follows a leader however, it is often not the person that that the masses follow at all, but rather the image of that leader. The myth, the package, the product. Most election campaigns and the like are aimed to direct your own personal viewpoints toward identifying with the parties ideals, personified in singular, easy-to-recognize human 'face', ie: the leader. A few years ago it was 'Clinton', now it is 'Bush'. By changing the face, you give the illusion that you have changed the system, and thus you give the illusion that the voters have free will and power to direct the way their society operates. George Bush jnr. himself is a non-entity in terms of concrete political decision making, it is the collective view of the party that counts. The more resources available to the party, the better to sway your views to coincide with theirs. It's a very effective system, and has done a good job of maintaining law and order in an unprecedentedly diverse cultural melting pot whilst still delivering that all-important democratic illusion of freedom. So no, George Bush jnr. is not a dictator. However, 'BUSH' (that personalized name and face given to the American governmental institution) could be seen as such, if viewing eyes were so inclined. [ 01-18-2003, 09:08 AM: Message edited by: The Hierophant ] __________________ [img]\"hosted/Hierophant.jpg\" alt=\" - \" /><br />Strewth!