Last
week’s class focused a great deal on the readings which analyzed the role of
celebrities in international issues and what it suggested for a possible global public sphere. This issue does seem to signify that there is to some extent such
a sphere and it can be problematic at times if it steers events in the wrong
direction. Some of the concerning trends touched on in the articles seem to
illustrate this.
Of
the celebrities pointed out in the Dieter and Kumar article, Bono stands out
with his relationship to Sachs. According to the article, Sachs’ economic solutions
have proven to be ineffective in the past. Even worse than that his economic
prescriptions sometimes exacerbate the problems faced by developing countries.
This has been seen within the USSR. If the celebrity/economist duo are
successful, it will be seen within Africa as well. The fact that a celebrity
like Bono can push his will based solely on his notoriety indicates that there
is some strength in having popular support from the multitudes.
On the other side of the coin this dynamic can also
illustrate some promising features. It illustrates that a celebrity can use
their social status to push through the agenda of an organization or even
academic like Sachs. If Sachs’ economic solutions were fruitful, such a pair
could be very significant in addressing extreme global poverty. Unfortunately,
this depends on there being no ulterior agendas by either party other than
helping the poor and an organization with real effective solutions. While such
groups and individuals are conceivable, not all people who stand up to arouse the
crowd will have these characteristic. Those that can stir populations and even
states into action can have tremendously positive effects but those same kinds
of people can also have dire consequences. We’ve seen more than once that the
public and even governments can be lead astray.
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