generalspeaking

Buying Prestige

The patrician moneyed, due to their position in society must surely understand that they are already privileged. They represent society's aristocracy so to speak, and their fabulous wealth permits them to do things not available to ordinary others. In a democratic society such as those that exist in the West wealth is not supposed to play a part in attaining public office. Some worthy individual decides to run for public office, is prepared to mount an exhausting, expensive public relations campaign to make himself known to the voting public, and gets elected.

Lately, in the United States in particularly, but not uniquely, since this is universal, it takes a good deal of money to run a successful political campaign. Funding is raised often by public subscription; people willing to donate money to allow a worthwhile candidate, someone who appeals to their values and their political orientation, to enable a successful campaign. And possibly a winning campaigner who will then represent the interests of those who placed their confidence in the candidate through their support.

Moving up the line, there are candidates who run for office now who are not necessarily dependent on the good graces of corporations and individual donations to fund them. These are people who are independently wealthy and who are not averse to using their own wealth to fund their campaigns, and they are often successful in persuading the public that anyone that successful in the corporate world or the world of inherited wealth has earned the right to manage a national economy.

It has become increasingly costly to operate successful political campaigns; advertising and clever public relations, use of the media and reaching the greatest number of potential supporters is supremely vital to the success of any campaign. And the support of celebrities goes a long, long way to achieving public recognition. Barack Obama in his run for the presidency impressed enough people with social, political and financial standing to achieve his goal.

He earned accolades for his vision of the future of America from influential sources; ranging from corporate heads of international organizations, from some of the nation's most 'important' families, from entertainment figures and from ethnic communities. The ethnic communities who gave him their trust in votes have a president who impressed them as a supporter of their citizenship rights. The business heads have someone in office who sees their perspective.

The environmental groups and unions who supported his vision have profited from his good regard and support of their causes. And the celebrities, the socialites, the heads of corporate interests, bored with the predictability of their privileged lives, have been anxious to receive their little plum rewards. So the diplomatic corps of the nation's cherished foreign postings have been filling up not with career diplomats but campaign funders.

One can only suppose, under the circumstances that prevail, that social celebrities of the ilk of Caroline Kennedy, with her family's political background, her familial heritage and holdings and immense wealth, will do as good a job as any polished professional career diplomat in representing the interests of the United States as ambassador to Japan.

Labels: Diplomacy, Human Relations, Japan, United States

posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, August 21, 2013