In what would seem more at home in totalitarian states of past and present, "Sing for Change" presents a medley of Obama songs sung by earnest uniformed youths. Until recently the videos were noted on the Senator's website, but it appears that they are on their way down the memory hole. Also, anyone who questions the pro Obama bias the mainstream media has should note the involvement of NBC president Jeff Zucker. The second video is a portion of a somewhat similar slightly creeper "Dear Leader" Birthday song.
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I found this video terrifying. There is no reason that a elementary school child should be supporting a president as there is no way that a child could understand the implications of any candidates platforms, they don't even know what platform means. A production like this is nothing more than propaganda and should have nothing to do with a political campaign in the United States of America. While all campaign adds could be construed as propaganda this video offers nothing other than enticing imagery. Displaying young children who have a strong opinion on politics also predicts the end of the forum and political deliberation. If every child is raided to follow the views a candidate and not question the government then we have reached the end of democracy. This video also reminds me of Nancy Peloci's speech at the beginning of her first time as speaker of the house when she paraded a gaggle of children in front of the house to demonstrate that we need to do things for the children of America, because no one In the house know that. It also reminds me of a famous Nazi party propaganda film in which a young boy is stabbed by a communist at a political rally then praises the Nazi party and Adolph Hitler with his dying breath. The Nazi party video is more militaristic and extremist than Obama’s video, but Obama doesn't think we should be in Iraq any way.
I don't think I quite follow you, Alex. Are we supposed to raise some connection here? Because I can't, at least not without seriously stretching. OK, if you want to take it to the extreme, where the kids are being "brainwashed" by their parents into believing that Obama is the best there is, well, you do that. I see it as a bunch of cute, talented kids singing a song that their Obama-supporting chorus teacher taught them. Yeah, she shouldn't have, but the kids and parents seem to enjoy it, so what the hell, why not? It's disgusting that you could draw a connection so easily between that and a happy birthday song for a dictator, who maintains a stranglehold grip on his power. What is this world coming to, that we see the worst in everything?
Quick question for Todd:
I'm assuming that if you feel children shouldn't support a presidential candidate since there's "no way that a child could understand the implications of any candidates platforms," that you also believe they shouldn't be allowed to vote. What I'm wondering, though, is whether you feel the same way about (the many) adults who don't understand the candidates' platforms?
Using children for political sway is a tactic that has certainly been used before, but the moral implication of such a tactic isn't what's important here. What's important is the message behind Obama's campaign: unity; bringing us together with a commonground issue, that of happiness and peace (which includes children). Actually, the main point of the song is to sing. (Sing for joy, unity, etc.) Politics aren't discussed in the lyrics, but if you mean to say that Obama breeds an idealistic backdrop to his campaign, can't the same be said for Reagan's "new morning in America" platform? To draw a correlation between themes of peace and totalitarianism is rediculous and naive. The only connection between these videos is children singing songs. By the way I can't think of a way to prove the translation of the second video, nor is RobPong1.com a legitimate site. I don't know about the rest of you, but Obama's campaign ad didn't conjure thoughts of Nazi Germany either...
I actually think this is kind of sick. These kids are being drawn to Obama because of some adults views who wants to spread their views through children who for the moment have no preference. For most of these kids the learning process in poiltics will be disrupted because they have influence at such a young age. They will not have a chance to choose for themselves whether they want to be Democratic or Republican because the influence a child has is the strongest they will have in life. There is nothing like the innocence and cuteness of a child so I see this as a very creative form of propaganda. And I think it's funny because McCain would never have been able to pull this kind of thing off because it would be just wrong. Just like the Bush Administration is blinding us with negative information, people are blinding children that Obama is great. Not to say that he isn't great, but the children should find out their own information. They look old enough to know that their song has significant meaning. Intellectual activity is a danger to the building of character, as Joseph Goebbels would put it.
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