By Olukayode Oyeleye
Don’t tell me you cannot be influenced by anyone else, or that you are fully in control of your mind. If you insist that you are, then you are probably not conscious, or unaware, of everyday events that intrude into your subconscious, without your permission, in a powerful way that modifies your behaviours and even shapes your habits and characters.
Ever heard of subliminal advertising? This is one of the methods of sending strong, subtle, short and powerful messages that influence people’s buying behaviours, often against an individual’s conscious will. You watch television, you see electronic billboards, you view moving pictures on internet and you see embedded adverts or those specifically recorded and played on specific media. You therefore are constantly under the influence of such a skillful package, whether in buying skin cream, brand of fizzy drink, rum or ale, designer bag, shirt or skirt, sunshade, wrist watch, latest models of cars or even new apartments on sale.
A friend told me of a woman in a supermarket in Leeds, UK. She was struggling with the decision of what pair of shoes to buy. This friend saw her trying out one pair, told her it was fitting for her. She curiously asked: Is that so? The friend said “yes.” Without asking further questions, she went over the counter and paid for the pair. She was obviously one of the millions of buyers who struggle daily with indecision, including those involving subjects that have lifetime consequences on them. They are easily swayed by other people’s recommendations, no matter how inappropriate. I hear some such people are called “ekwere barber” in Igbo parlance. Could the word “zombie” popularised by one late celebrity musician be applicable here?
I am currently reading George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty Four,” a novel that was like a fiction but now seems like one of déjà vu from one clairvoyant persona of the man originally known as Eric Blair. I had read this book before but dropped it before completing it. This past vacation, I had to search it out again to read based on the clearer pictures of the things the author wrote then that seem to be coming true now. Interestingly, most people today loosely use some of the words or phrases from that book without knowing their origin.
The Big Brother in “Nineteen Eighty Four” is becoming clearer now. The manipulative and brainwashing “Two Minutes Hate” period observed nearly at midday daily and the power of visual messages on the big screen cannot be mistaken in contemporary context. While these arguments are not meant to be an academic exercise, they are nonetheless meant to draw attention to realities of our time. I painstakingly followed the US presidential elections of 2015 and 2019 and found some things remarkable. I saw the power of hate in political adverts and messaging from both sides of the political divide. I also saw how truth was being twisted and falsehood presented as truth by both sides and, disappointingly, how otherwise smart people were swayed by false narratives spewed by politicians desperate to clinch or retain power. Sadly, American mainstream media were not spared in the scheme. There wasn’t any difference in the recently concluded mid-term elections as candidates either emerged victorious or lost elections based on the kind of narratives they spun.
“Nineteen Eighty Four” depicted the Party dogma in slogans where WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY and IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH. Now, people in our part of the world could easily be pardoned for toeing the path of ignorance in decisions about a major election if many well educated US citizens could do the same during crucial national elections. Surely, the Americans are living with the consequences of their electoral choices, especially as the country (hitherto an epitome of democracy) has now become polarised and torn between two opposing values in which even fellow citizens now become intolerant of one another based on differences in political viewpoints and affiliations. Even elected public officials no longer hide their animosities in the public. Such was the case when a high profile legislative officer had to tear a president’s speech in public after its presentation. And the followers are taking clues from there. It used to be said that, the US politicians settle down for business of governance and put partisan differences behind them after elections. Not anymore! Politics, especially the divisive brand, is now an integral part of America’s daily governance decisions. This goes with propaganda that leaves the people confused and divided.
Here in Nigeria, rather sadly, elections have not been held in any way that could qualify them as free and fair. The one ever so adjudged was nullified by the main umpire. Fast forward to 2023 elections. George Orwell’s depiction of the “Two Minutes Hate” moment comes readily handy. Two lines of the slogans shown after the Big Brother’s appearance seem to capture the essence of the campaign strategies being deployed by some who are desperate to rule Nigeria. Although they don’t acknowledge openly, they seem to privily employ the slogans of FREEDOM IS SLAVERY and IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH in their approach to public engagements. From those trying hard to convince Nigerians that all has been well with them in the past decade or thereabouts and all will continue to be well if their man is voted in as successor, to those trying hàrd to persuade Nigerians that selling off of more national assets will further strengthen Nigeria’s economy when they have earlier spawned many briefcase emergency billionaire contractors on the back of predatory investments that have only succeeded in widening the gaps between the poor and the affluent in the country.
The floodgates of hate speech were opened widely through the adept manipulations of people’s minds by those who came with CHANGE slogan a decade ago. Resentment was their main strategy, including the resentment of good things done before them and of the people that did them, as if they were coming to create a utopian world. They rubbished every good and major achievements that they met, but set lower performance benchmarks for themselves. Of course believers in them went to various extents to make their points and to confirm their beliefs. Some husbands and wives were enstranged for having divided opinions on the CHANGE that was coming and the veracity of the clams of the change makers, cheifly their pointsman. Some were even ready to physically assault whoever held opinions that were different from theirs. There was an era of hailers and wailers. It could have been said that time has changed all that, proved them wrong and vindicated those who doubted them then. That would be a major mistake. But, unsurprisingly, even now, many are still out there chanting that the best that ever happened to them have been these past eight years and would have the same story continue. How can? Mind control is at work.
The manipulations of the people already robbed of their individualism, citizenships and personalities are working ever so efficiently in or on some people. Tell them their tribe is at risk, or that their religion is on the path to extinction, or give some scavengers some crumbs from their dinner tables, and they get into a frenzy of defence of the indefensible. On national debt, assure them that it is nothing to worry about, after all the US is the greatest debtor country and still prospers in spite of the mounting debts. Lull their sense of security by telling them that life goes on in Afghanistan even when bombs and explosives are set off in various towns almost every weekend. Assure them that Venezuela still remains a country even after most economic indices of that big oil producing country have pointed downwards. Tell them that Lebanon still remains as one after same religion candidates sought to keep power in utter disrespect of the sensibilities of those who are marginalised, despite the war of attrition it has caused and the consequences of poverty and forced migration they are living with. Pretend that Rwanda and Burundi experienced genocides because they weren’t smart about the wars.
Among those aspiring to lead the nation after this year’s elections, there are those that don’t feel any obligation to account for their past private and public misdeeds, make restitutions for past misappropriated public funds or apologise for past failed promises, but seem to rely on propaganda and mind manipulations with false narratives to propel them into public offices. They are so feeble on promises of better lives and livelihoods for those they desperately seek electoral support (votes) from. So, the reality we need to live with, now and in future elections, is that the media will be a tool for manipulation and mind control and people with deep pockets will continue to be influential in this game. And many will fall for their pranks. Whether they will make any significant impact or whether their mind games will win them their coveted prizes remains a point under conjectures. At least, for now, it is undisputable that George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty Four” is already playing out here, and during this electoral cycle, albeit subtly and on a low scale.