In the last several decades, political discourse has been characterised by labels that are becoming increasingly irrelevant today. Everywhere you turn, somebody is calling somebody else some name – shorthand for what the other person’s political philosophy or ideological leanings are perceived to be. No wonder many are increasingly becoming cynical of our leaders’ effectiveness in improving our lives.
Business leaders know the importance of the impact of product labels on consumers. Some old established brands stick to the labels they have used for decades, knowing their clients trust the labels that deliver the quality they expect from a product. Unfortunately, most political leaders use labels to demonise their adversaries without providing what the public expects from them.
If labels inform, then they can be helpful. However, when they confuse or mislead, they erode consumers’ trust in the product. Some political analysts blame the irrelevance of political labels to the general dumbing down of educational standards in the past few decades.
The resulting degeneration of public debate has led to a disillusionment with the commonly used political labels. Too many politicians hone their rhetorical skills. Some even aspire for eloquence excellence.
They believe this is all that matters today, where communication on social media reaches everybody interested in keeping abreast of current affairs in real time. Such mediocre political leaders and their diehard acolytes simp.
