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- Measuring 'hope' in dollars
This is hopefully the last thing I’ll be saying about the U.S. election for a while, because in general I think political voices for young people in Australia focus too much on American politics. Yes, U.S. politics is very influential here and around the world but we don’t… get to vote in their election. In general, I think we should be doing more listening than commentating.
Hypocritical tho, because I’m about to make a comment. But it’s about a general concept that applies to Australian politics too, so forgive me!
You might have seen that Kamala Harris reportedly broke the 24-hour donations record in U.S. history, after Joe Biden announced he would be stepping down. She raised US$81 million, mostly from small donors. Separately, one of the major Democratic fundraising groups said it secured US$150 million from donors who “were previously stalled, uncertain or uncommitted”.
It’s way too early to say what any of this means for the outcome of the election. No one knows what is going to happen – anyone who tells you otherwise is seriously misinformed.
But I’m reading the flurry of donations is a signal that some voters are feeling hopeful again. Hope is a very powerful political force – that’s the concept I’m interested in and think is worth unpacking.
In his 2004 essay ‘When Hope is Subversive’, scholar Henry Giroux gives this definition of political hope:
“Hope makes the leap for us between critical education, which tells us what must be changed; political agency, which gives us the means to make change; and the concrete struggles through which change happens… Educated hope is a subversive force when it pluralizes politics by opening up a space for dissent, making authority accountable, and becoming an activating presence in promoting social transformation.”
It’s not a long essay, so highly recommend reading it if you're interested in this stuff.
That point on “making authority accountable” is what moves people to action and support. When political leaders and representatives make us feel that a) we have no influence on their decision making process and b) they won’t act in our best interest, it creates hopelessness, defeatedness and cynicism. “They’re all the same, it doesn’t matter anyway.” But when a political leader demonstrates through their actions that they have heard the public, it shows accountability. The accountability sparks political hope (“they are listening!”). In this case, the demonstration of accountability was Biden deciding to step down. Seeing that accountability renewed the enthusiasm and hope from the voter base, measured in their donations.
To put it another way, hope is not possible without accountability. That means being able to voice valid criticisms without being told “not now”. That means being able to ask for proof that change will be made (and how), without being told you’re asking for “perfect as the enemy of the good”. That means keeping note of what promises have previously made and broken, what offers have been made and reneged on. Accountability means there are consequences.
Yelling and telling others what to do is not accountability, so it will not breed hope and will not move people.
Our systems are obviously very different, but there is a similar sense of disappointment, frustration and – let’s admit it – hopelessness in Australian politics at the moment. We’re not getting signals that accountability or dissenting views are welcome. So when it comes to local, state and federal elections here, the same underlying concept will be crucial: candidates who show they will be an accountable authority will reignite hope. It’s not a partisan idea at all. Hope is a mobilising force and that people on all sides of politics want to feel.
Keeping this in mind will help you better understand political developments as they unfold, who people choose to support and who they don’t.
Smart stuff on the Internet 💭
All the stuff I found on the web that made me think, smile, or have an ‘aha!’ moment. Spend your Sunday reading them – you'll be better off for it:
No One Person Should Be Able To Own A Dinosaur on Defector
"Scientists who are critical of the booming dinosaur bones market often frame these sales as a loss for science, and they are right. Those barons and tycoons have no obligation to allow researchers to study their specimens, and have functionally removed them from the realm of research… A loan is not the same as a donation. What will happen to Apex when Griffin dies, or when he changes his mind?”
Underconsumption Core: This Trend Is Not About The Economy on Zee Feed
“Media and wider society have become too comfortable with treating TikTok as if it’s a documentary about young people… The underconsumption trend is a good reminder to not draw too many conclusions from what they see creators posting online. Most young people don’t get a new phone every year; most of us have an ugly bathroom.”
Federal government faces challenge from NSW Labor members over Palestinian recognition on Guardian Australia
“Labor conference motions are not binding on the political arm of the party, but as the prime minister, Anthony Albanese’s, home state, the NSW branch is seen as particularly influential over federal government policy positions. The NSW conference motion calls on the government to recognise Palestine without those conditions.”
Meet the queen of the ‘trad wives’ (and her eight children) on The Times
I’m still sitting with my feelings about this, it’s a very uncomfortable look at one of the most famous ‘conservative values’ online influencers and the extent to which she is controlled by her husband. Incredible journalism. “Do you — I pause and look at her fixedly — plan pregnancies? “No,” Daniel says. “When he says no,” Hannah responds gently, “it’s very much a matter of prayer for me. I’m, like, ‘God, is it time to bring another one to the Earth?’ And I’ve never been told no.”