“I am not interested in power for power’s sake, but I’m interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.” – Martin Luther King Jnr.
THE MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARY defines politics as activities that relate to influencing the actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government.
If there is government there is politics. Anything and everything becomes political. Anything you think, say or do can and may be used against or for you, by those who govern you, by those who wish to govern you or those who wish to get and keep power.
The only question is: power on behalf of whom and for what.
The power of politics to empower or disempower led Kwame Nkrumah, the father of Ghana’s independence, to say, “Seek ye first the political kingdom and all else will follow.” Fifty plus years of African and Caribbean political independence have proven that it is not that simple. A trail of assassinated political leaders, corrupt governments, and economic sabotage teaches us that there are many powers besides political power that we have to contend with.
Nkrumah adapted the saying from the Gospel of Matthew 6:33 which says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The standard interpretation is that there is no power greater than the power of God. Align yourself with this power and you are not only set in heaven but also on earth. From ancient times the powerful have used religion to defend their right to wield power.
From the days of the self-proclaimed God kings, to the justification of the transatlantic slave trade using the Bible, until today when the state of Israel stands powerful in the midst of enemies, many will argue that they are in power because it is God’s will. However, the Bible quote says, “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness”. A quick investigation into the actions of those who claim divine right to rule will often cause one to doubt whether righteousness could really be the source of their power.
Yet, individuals with powerful charismatic personalities and strong righteous convictions on right and wrong can and have put up a powerful challenge to political power.
Muhammad Ali went to war with the US government over his right not to join the US military. At one point he was one of the most hated men in America because of his black consciousness and anti-Vietnam War stance. The young idealistic Ali was standing up for what was right. His personality, moral conviction and he might also add, the will of God, were the sources of his power.
Charisma and conviction come together to support the phenomenon of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. He is an experienced showman, expert at using the media, who speaks in strong, conviction terms. Celebrity talk show host Piers Morgan compared Trump to Muhammad Ali.
Ali broke down the racial and political situation of his day very simply and in very strong language, with more charisma than arguably anyone one else. The difference is that when Ali spoke, even celebrated scholars conceded in the face of the reasoning of the not-traditionally educated boxer. He made friends and admirers of many of the people he openly challenged. He was mostly right. Trump’s illogic, lies and misinformation, while gaining him popularity among a certain section of the population, has most others scratching their heads.
Trump has two other things going for him besides charisma and conviction. Power is held in groups. The group could be political, economic, ethnic, class-based, religious, ideological or any combination.
Trump is a white male and he is a billionaire. In the religion of capitalism rich white males are the group with the most power; the high priests. Those who do not appreciate the reality of white privilege and male privilege may not get it, but Obama and Hillary face obstacles Trump can glide over simply by virtue of his race and gender.
American capitalism, like some versions of Christianity, is a prosperity gospel. It preaches that the wealthy have wealth because they deserve it and conversely the poor are poor because they do not deserve wealth. There are many disciples of capitalism who will assume that as a businessman and a successful one, there is something special, almost holy, about Trump. Trump himself seems to buy in to the hype. He states that he is a self-made man and started out with only a small loan from his father of one million dollars.
The religion of American capitalism, may be similar to what NATION columnist Tennyson Joseph calls neo-liberalism. It follows the morality of the market. Right and wrong is decided primarily by the requirements of profit. It says, “Seek ye first massive financial influence and all things will be added unto you.”
Listen to many today people. You hear a devotion to the entrepreneurial gods. They will have no others. All other powers: political, religious, moral, group, etc. work in the service of profit.
They say things like: it’s not about black or white, but green. God wants you to be rich. Government is for facilitating business.
The interplay of race, gender, politics, religion, and capitalism starts to shed light on a lot of things, like why despite holding political power some groups still seem powerless.
There is another power – one that the US has used better than any nation in history to achieve dominance. It is also the major power that Fidel Castro used to resist US dominance. According to Castro “. . . quality of life lies in knowledge, in culture. Values are what constitute true quality of life, the supreme quality of life, even above food, shelter and clothing”.
Values, transmitted through formal and informal education, crystallised in the form of the arts, become what we call culture. It is a powerful force. But we are trying our best to make our culture bow before the gods of profit.
Adrian Green is a creative communications specialist. Email: Adriangreen14@gmail.com