It can’t be argued that the world, as we and recent generations before us have known it, is changing, at a pace so rapid that most of us cannot keep up or comprehend it. The information that we have at our disposal now was inconceivable even 50 years ago. Not only are we bombarded with more news, media and information than we can grasp, but we are receiving it so fast that we hardly have time to understand what’s going on before we are barraged with something else to keep up with. This is probably just one of the many reasons that journalists, reporters, advertisers and politicians employ highly pathetic techniques to obtain, and keep, our attention. We see pathetic statements made on the front of every magazine cover, most especially tabloids, as headliners in newspapers and on websites and also when watching TV. They are everywhere, and for all different reasons, not just political.
But the political realm is where I believe public discourse is as pathetic as it gets. I won’t even argue that it’s not occasionally necessary to use pathetic fallacies and emotionally moving language in the political realm – it is. Yet, today I feel that the relationship between pathos, ethos and logos is ignored many more times than not. Much of the political rhetoric used, on BOTH sides (strong emphasis on both) of the spectrum, in no way is in accordance with the three principles of rhetoric – it is not fair, accurate or principled. And it is definitely not balanced. Does the situation we are in today call for this sort of “news” and political discussion? Is it appropriate, is it the “kairos” for pathetic arguments? I believe the answer is no. Yes, we are in the most troubled times that any of us have ever seen. Yes, many people are suffering from the financial crisis and we are facing a shifting of global influence, as well as many other scary prospective situations in our future. But, just because things are changing does not give the media, and the elected members of our government, the right to manipulate the public in the way that they have become so fond of doing.
There is too much focus on assigning blame and tearing others– individuals, parties, groups, etc -- down to build one’s own point up. We, the public, are not given the honest facts or figures, we are overwhelmed with biased news and political figures too focused on pointing fingers to focus on fixing things. It’s absolutely imperative, especially in a democratic nation, that the public be provided with unbiased and untainted information so that we can make the most educated decisions possible, in regards to our public actions, our political affiliations, our voting choices and the activities we wish to engage in or support. As I said before, we are so bombarded with information that most of us do not have time to take a claim made by some news reporter, or some politician, and further research it for its validity. We should be able to trust that the people we elect, and the people working to provide the American public with information, are doing their jobs with the country’s best interests in mind and with complete transparency.
Obviously, it is necessary to make the public aware of the dire situations taking place and to not hide from us how bad things are, and so in those situations pathos, and its various fallacies, are perfectly acceptable tools to utilize. Pulling at heart strings, trying to use anger and dismay to bring about public action, are not in themselves bad. And in certain situations, at certain times, they are crucial tools to use in order to get people to see all sides of a situation, not just the logical (cold) one. But, I for one, have a really hard time taking a lot of the stuff in our news today seriously because I am so sick of all the bickering and the blaming and the lack of positive, effective action that is taking place in the “United” States of America.
