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Yes we can!
No im not talking about Obama. I'm done writing on his presidency for a while. Too many headaches coupled with endless frustration.
Instead, I'd like to take a minute at how viral his campaign was. In fact it was so catchy that the president of Iran decided to use the campaign slogan "yes we can" as a part of his latest bid to the Iranian presidency.
"Yes we can, Iran." Catchy isn't it?
Perhaps one of the most telling lessons from this forgery is that the public, whether in America or Iran, often craves style over substance; catchy slogans over sound political ethics. If Ahmadinejad can be reelected with the same drone-like chant, it will prove my point.
Although the name Ah-mad-in-e-jad does not flow off the tounge like the tri-syllable name O-ba-ma.
If only I could find the video...
4 comments:
"I'm done writing on his presidency for a while. Too many headaches coupled with endless frustration."
Does that and the rest of this post actually have much substance? Or is it rather an off the top of your head complaint?
I would imagine that most people reading this blog did not vote for Obama nor hold Ahmadinejad in high regard. Nevertheless, is this the quality of blogging that we are to expect here?
If it is supposed to be lighthearted then I am mistaken and you'll have to forgive the criticism. If it is meant more seriously, then I'd have to suggest lengthier, more analytical posts that keep to the tag line "Insight from Graduate Students at MSU" rather than empty remarks.
Perhaps the initial comment wasn't necessary. Just a bit of "insight" to what I am thinking as a student of defense and strategy.
As a student of strategy I find interesting the resounding success Obama enjoyed from building a cult like following, surrounded by its gimmicky tag lines. Maybe I sound like a sore loser (and I am, although i'm not sure the alternative would have been a complete winner) but I still believe that his campaign valued style over substance. I think a bit of that is carrying over to his presidency as well.
I'm not so sure what to think about Iranian president Ahmadinejad using the slogan. On the one hand, you can't blame him for using what works. On the other hand doesn't it seem a bit odd he is stealing a play from the president of "the great satan."
Perhaps this shows that we are growing a bit too close to an Iranian regime that insists on funding terrorism and exploiting the nuclear fears of its neighbors.
Should Obama condemn the theft of his tag-line? Maybe?
But he also should be wary that the two are being associated by this among the public in Iran, something that is counterproductive to our aims in the region.
campaign for Israeli prime minister Netanyahu did something similar:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/world/middleeast/15bibi.html?fta=y
i saw that too, interesting the company that is copying Obama.
To be fair, BB plagarized first. So Ahmadinjad is a double thief, from both the big satan AND the little satan.
Maybe hes coming around.
I doubt it.
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