Strong And stable Leadership: Inside The Conservatives' Election Slogan

Do you even lift, Jeremy? PA/ Jane Barlow

By Scott Taylor, University of Birmingham

If you’ve heard an interview with any Conservative politician during the current election campaign, you’ve probably heard the phrase “strong and stable leadership”. Theresa May used the phrase three times in seven minutes on the day she announced the vote.

It was clearly a key slogan – and therefore a key aspect of the campaign – right from the start. Since then, Buzzfeed has tracked May’s use of the phrase (giving up at 57 times in ten days). It even featured in the political cartoon for the first edition of the London Evening Standard under its new editor.

It would be easy to dismiss this as just one of those irritating political hooks that are part and parcel of any election. Political history is littered with some far worse campaign slogans (remember the Conservatives’ 2005 “Are you thinking what we’re thinking?” – an obscure slogan, to which the public’s answer was a clear “no”). But everything we know about leadership tells us that language is central, so we have to take this careful repetition seriously. What does Theresa May mean by “strong and stable leadership” – and why is it important?

Constructing a reality?
Linda Smircich and Gareth Morgan, two of the world’s most prominent and insightful analysts of organisation, argued in the early 1980s that “successful” leadership (that is, persuading someone to do something they wouldn’t normally do) depended on a leader persuading people of a specific reality. This process of social construction happens mostly through language. That makes language central to politics, as a means of persuasion as much as a means of communicating ideas or policies.

“Strong and stable” tells us that the Conservative party strategists want us to think of all other options as weak and unstable. Social theorists have been telling us for a long time that the meaning we derive from language is relational. The idea of “strong” is therefore understood in relation to an implicit idea of “weak”. Conservative-sponsored adverts in this election and the last in 2015 are keen to tell us the parties and leaders who are weak and unstable.

There’s usually a hierarchy in this way of constructing meaning. The implication here is that strong is better than weak. This is especially true of the idea of leadership. We are bombarded daily with implicit and explicit messages that strong leadership is the ideal. You don’t have to be a believer in “servant leadership” to doubt the idea of strong leadership. There’s plenty of evidence of the damage that strong leaders, in politics and in workplaces, can do.

The strong man?
There’s another factor at play here, too. The repetition of “strong and stable” is becoming important because it carries a series of assumptions with it. Who do you think of when someone talks about strong leadership? Someone tall, able-bodied, probably white, speaking in a deep pitch – and probably male. This ideal is reinforced by corporate commissioned leader portraits and by the representation of leaders in popular culture.

Are you getting the message yet? PA/Chris Radburn

The promotion of this leaderly ideal by a Conservative party led by a woman at the moment isn’t especially surprising. We’re in the midst of a significant fourth wave of feminist activism and theory and political representation is one of the key areas of activity. British politics, with the honourable exception of the Labour party, is notoriously resistant to structural change through positive discrimination schemes such as quotas. In representing their woman leader in this way, the Conservatives emphasise their contribution to that wider social movement, but without really questioning it.

This election campaign will see a lot of discussion about whether we can trust political party leaders. Laying claim to being “strong and stable” shouldn’t mean unthinking followership. When any of us hear a politician, or someone with leadership responsibility in a workplace, tell us what kind of leadership they think we need – ask why they need to use language in this persuasive way, what they’re not saying, and what associations the linguistic images bring with them. Then maybe we can avoid following leaders without thinking. That can only end badly.

About Today's Contributor:
Scott Taylor, Reader in Leadership and Organisation Studies, University of Birmingham

This article was originally published on The Conversation.

Bonus Pictures:

Image via Trumpton

Image via Trumpton

Emmanuel Macron Takes Step Closer To French Presidency With Strong Performance In Fiery Debate

On your marks. Eric Feferberg/EPA

 By Delia Dumitrescu, University of East Anglia

Emmanuel Macron was a virtually unknown figure in French politics before 2012. Now, as leader of the new political movement En Marche! he finds himself in the position of being the defender of French liberal democratic values in the second round of the French presidential elections against the far-right Marine le Pen.

Many doubted that he would hold his own during the televised debate between the two candidates on May 3, the only one before the second and final round of voting on May 7. But Macron delivered a masterclass performance in public speaking.

A relative newcomer to politics, Macron has espoused policies that are too left-wing for many voters on the right, and too right-wing for many voters on the left. Yet during the debate, he proved he could deliver a clear and coherent message. He also proved that Le Pen’s programme could not stand the light of scrutiny.

Timing, tone, and attitude
Macron’s approach during the debate was pitch perfect. With both candidates given the same amount of talking time, Macron’s mastery of his own time was remarkable. He took control of the debate at the beginning, taking more time than Le Pen to deliver a message that both played on national pride, but also accused her of telling lies and spreading nonsense. After letting his opponent talk more in the middle of the debate, Macron finished strong, unmasking Le Pen’s contempt for the French justice system, while urging the French to be optimistic about the future.

Research has shown that people remember and are persuaded more by information they receive either at the beginning of a message, or at the end, rather than in the middle. At the beginning and at the end of the debate, Macron was at his strongest.

The debate was full of accusations and insults on both sides, making it uncomfortable to watch. It is well known that people do not like incivility in debates. But here Macron was again a step ahead of his opponent. While he accused her of telling lies and not having her facts right, his accusations were for the most part specific, relating to what she had done, or had proposed to do or had said. When justified, people are more willing to accept incivility in debate.

On the other hand, he also debunked her accusations, for example when she accused him of being in charge of the takeover of a mobile phone company at a point when he did not hold elected office. At the end of the debate, she was reduced to simply shouting out the names of politicians who had endorsed Macron while he was espousing his vision for the future of France.

His nonverbal demeanour was also striking. Looking straight into the camera or straight into his opponent’s eyes, sitting slightly leant backward, shoulders straight, speaking with a clear, strong and calm voice, he exuded confidence. Opposite him, Le Pen often crossed her arms, leant forward, and lost eye contact. Research has shown that displaying nonverbal confidence is very important for voters’ impressions of a candidate’s leadership and winning potential.

Supporters of Emmanuel Macron watch the debate at a bar in Paris on May 3. Ian Langsdon/EPA

Catching up to do
Since taking over the reins of the Front National from her father in 2011, Marine Le Pen has strived to convince the public that the party has changed, that it is no longer a party catering to a niche electorate of the extreme right, but can be a party in government. Numerous analyses of her discourse throughout the year have shown this not to be the case, and that the changes are simply image based.

During the debate, the lack of viability of FN policies, such as on removing France from the euro, and Le Pen’s inability to show command of state and economic affairs, such as when she was surprised to learn that many medical drugs are produced outside of France, was obvious. She painted the FN’s familiar apocalyptic picture of France, full of despair and bleakness, mentioning key phrases such as “national interest” multiple times, but offered nothing else new.

Macron, on the other hand, clearly expressed his desire to change the way things are done in France, and to do so with a pragmatic approach that takes advantage of the current strengths of France, her people and her place in Europe and the world. On every topic raised during the debate, he presented a clear plan of action. He talked about small and very small businesses, about the problem of youth radicalisation, about schools, about fiscal policy, and about people with disabilities.

While both candidates’ performances may not change how people vote (Macron still has a 20 percentage point lead in the polls), it may have changed why people vote. No longer to stop Le Pen, but for Macron as a candidate and for his programme.

About Today's Contributor:
Delia Dumitrescu, Lecturer in Media and Cultural Politics, University of East Anglia

This article was originally published on The Conversation. 

Amazon: Stop Advertising On Breitbart! [Petition]

Image via CREDO action

Apparently, Amazon is still advertising on Breitbart... That's what the email I've received earlier from the peeps at CREDO (which I'm happily sharing on here) is about.

Have a read, and, if you live in the US, feel free to act accordingly. (Unfortunately, as I don't live in the US, I can't sign the petition...)

Thanks in advance

Stay safe!

Loup Dargent

Image via adweek.com

The Email:
"Dear Loup,

CREDO members recently helped force Bill O’Reilly, Fox News’ flagship racist and misogynist, off the air. Now we need to turn our attention to Breitbart, the white supremacist, misogynistic, fake news media outlet formerly run by Steve Bannon that helped fuel Donald Trump's rise to power.

After months of pressure from progressive activists, more than 1,000 advertisers have abandoned Breitbart over its racist, sexist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic reporting.¹ But one company stands out for continuing to fund Breitbart’s hate: Amazon.

Our friends at UltraViolet, SumOfUs and MoveOn — along with the social media campaign Sleeping Giants — have been pushing on Amazon executives for months, but they have so far refused to pull their ads. Can you help ramp up the pressure today?

Tell Amazon: Stop funding Breitbart’s hate. Click here to sign the petition.

Amazon won’t accept discriminatory ads on its own site.² There is no reason for it to advertise on a site that is literally the breeding ground for some of the most toxic hate in the country.

The outrage against Amazon funding Breitbart’s hate is growing inside the company. More than 550 employees have signed a petition demanding that executives stop advertising on Breitbart.³ According to an email sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Senior Vice President Jeff Blackburn, an employee asked Blackburn, "What is it going to take for us to stop advertising on Breitbart News?" at a March company-wide meeting.⁴ Blackburn shifted the blame from Amazon to the third-party ad exchanges through which it buys its ads, but that seems a weak excuse given the enormous number of advertisers who have successfully cut their ties with Breitbart.⁵

Amazon's ads on Breitbart are not the only troubling part of its track record when it comes to Trump’s dangerous agenda. In December, Bezos was part of a meeting between tech CEOs and Trump that helped normalize and legitimize Trump and his extremism. Bezos called the meeting “very productive.”⁶ That same month, CREDO partnered with our friends at Muslim Advocates, Color Of Change, MPower Change, Courage Campaign, Democracy for America and more than a dozen other progressive and civil rights groups to demand that tech companies refuse to help build Trump’s Muslim registry. While Google, Facebook, Apple, Twitter, IBM and Microsoft all pledged not to enable Trump’s xenophobic hate, Amazon failed to join them.⁷

Amazon’s leaders have a choice: They can get their ads off Breitbart and make sure they never appear on other sites that promote racism, xenophobia and misogyny, or they can keep funding hate. Can you add your voice to demand they do the right thing?

Tell Amazon: Stop funding Breitbart’s hate. Click here to sign the petition.

Thanks for everything you do,

Heidi Hess, Senior Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets"

Add your name:

References:

1. Tom Embury-Dennis, "Breitbart 'loses advertising deals' with more than 1,000 companies," Feb. 16, 2017.
2. Amazon, "Creative acceptance policy," accessed April 20, 2017.
3. Lauren C. Williams, "Amazon employees pressure CEO to kill Breitbart ads," ThinkProgress, April 14, 2017.
4. Charlie Warzel, "Over 550 Amazon employees are pressuring leadership to cut advertising ties with Breitbart," Buzzfeed, April 13, 2017.
5. Ibid.
6. David Streitfeld, "‘I’m here to help,’ Trump tells tech executives at meeting," The New York Times, Dec. 14, 2016.
7. Sarah A. Harvard, "These 3 major Silicon Valley tech companies haven't condemned Trump's Muslim registry proposal," Mic, Jan. 18, 2017.

375th Anniversary Of Montreal - Unveiling Of A Spectacular Totem Pole Created By Charles Joseph

Charles Joseph (born in 1959), Residential School Totem Pole, 2014-2016, red cedar, acrylic paint, H. 1,524; W. 762; Diam. 152.4 cm. Collection Jim Balsillie Photo Greg McKee 2016. (CNW Group/Société des célébrations du 375e anniversaire de Montréal)

Artist Charles Joseph (1959) of the Kwakiutl Nation of the West Coast of Canada will unveil his work Residential School Totem Pole to be raised in the ancestral territory of Kanien'keha:ka, the nation to which it pays homage, in the context of an official opening ceremony for the work. This totem pole, displayed for the first time, will form part of La Balade pour la Paix – An Open-Air Museum, an exhibition of public art, designed and organized by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts with the support of McGill University as part of the official programme celebrating Montreal's 375th anniversary

This monumental piece (21.45 metres high) will open the exhibition route along Sherbrooke Street West in front of the MMFA's Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion. The totem pole is a tribute to the First Nations children, of whom the artist Charles Joseph was one, who were taken away from their families and sent to the residential schools of religious communities. On May 29, 2015 the Canadian government acknowledged that these children had been, between 1820 and 1996, the victims of a cultural genocide.

Charles Joseph states: "Presenting this pole is for all Canadians, not just residential school survivors. This is my reconciliation, and my story is on the pole. The story is not just about Charles Joseph, it's about everyone who went through it. I need to tell the story in this form, but it is about survivors from across Canada."

According to Nathalie Bondil, the Museum's Director General and Chief Curator, "We are deeply moved today to unveil this new totem pole by Charles Joseph in the context of the celebrations. Only six of the First Nations of the West Coast ever carved these works… and there are even fewer today because the technical and artistic skills required to make them are so demanding. Traditionally the gigantic witnesses to their history perpetuated the story of important events for the Native Peoples. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada estimates that 150,000 children were torn from their families during the past century, complying with the government's assimilation policy. Telling the story of this tragedy through the powerful artistry of one of our leading creators is essential in the perspective of our new century."

"We are very honoured to be a part of this totem raising ceremony here on Kanien'keha:ka territory," says Christine Zachary Deom, Chief of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake. "Our territory has always been a place of gathering and exchange and we are very pleased to see these bridges being built with Montreal, the Kwakiutl Nation, and our community. Our people have been eager to have their presence and history acknowledged, and this is a great initiative towards reconciliation" she added.

"We salute the involvement of our First Nations artists in making Canadians aware of our history, even of its darkest side, as in the case of the residential schools. I thank Charles Joseph for this work, and above all for its positive consciousness-raising effect. This is a contribution that will help to bring about the reconciliation of our peoples that is so vital", stated Ghislain Picard, Chief of the Quebec-Labrador Assembly of First Nations.

"The Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary is happy to emphasize the close links that bind together the First Nations peoples and our City. With its over 30,000 Native citizens, Montreal constitutes the largest indigenous community in Quebec. La Balade pour la paix, the flagship project of the official programme for the celebrations of the 375th anniversary, is an ideal expression of the wealth of links between our peoples. The work of the artist Charles Joseph of the Kwakiutl Nation, raised on the ancestral territory of Kanien'keha:ka, is a prime example of the cultural richness of the First Nations and of the ties that bind us", said Alain Gignac, Director General of the the Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary.

"The City is firmly committed to reconciliation, and our pledge takes on new meaning as we stand before this totem pole and remember the thousands of Aboriginal people who passed through the residential school system. This totem pole reminds us of our present duty, and we are humbled by history. I would like to commend Charles Joseph for creating this work of art and thank all the partners who made its presentation in Montreal possible. As we celebrate Montreal's 375th anniversary, understanding and reconciliation with Aboriginal peoples are of vital importance," said Denis Coderre, Mayor of Montreal.

The totem pole is a symbol of reconciliation and commemoration. It embodies a strong sense of the identity and pride of the Kwakiutl Nation of the West Coast of Canada. Joseph's Residential School Totem Pole depicts, from the bottom to the top: the members of the family of the sponsor of the Totem; the cedar ring symbolizing safety; the wild woman responsible for the traditional culture; the killer whale, the guardian of memory; the crow representing the alliance of Church and State; the bear for its strength and wisdom; the Arctic fox, the witness of the past; the Kulus, the great black ravens that according to the legend created the islands of the West Coast of Canada by dropping pebbles into the ocean; and at the top the two-headed snake with its wings unfurled in the shape of a cross.

The sculptor Charles Joseph also works as a fisherman and in the forest to provide for his family. As a child he spoke only his mother tongue, kwak'wala, before he learned English. He is deeply committed to preserving his culture. The revitalization and dissemination of the Kwakiutl traditions is the legacy he hopes to pass on to future generations. His works breathe new life into a culture, his own, which might have been decimated by the policies and practices of the colonizing powers. These creations are part of the process of reappropriating the Kwakiutl identity and the preservation of the way of life of the ancestors.

La Balade pour la Paix –An Open-Air MuseumOn Sherbrooke Street West between the sections the MMFA/Concordia University – the McCord Museum/McGill UniversityJune 5 to October 29, 2017

La Balade pour la Paix – An Open-Air Museum is part of the official programme for the 375th anniversary of Montreal. A truly open-air museum, the route will display works by Canadian and international artists, and fly the flags with the colours of the Confederation of Canada and of some 200 other countries. Commemorating two other important events, the 50th anniversary of Expo 67 and the 150th anniversary of the Confederation, the Balade reminds us that Expo 67, visited by 50 million people, was a window on to the world, a memorable event for Quebec and for Canada.

The ambassador for this exhibition is no other than Louise Arbour, who has battled throughout her career for the rights of man. She is currently the UN Special Representative for International Migration.

The exhibition has been designed and organized by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts with the support of McGill University. Thanks to the support of the City of Montreal, La Balade pour la Paix runs for a kilometre along Sherbrooke Street between the MMFA and Concordia University and the McCord Museum and McGill University. The curators are Nathalie Bondil, Director General and Chief Curator of the MMFA, Sylvie Lacerte, art historian and consultant for public art and Diane Charbonneau, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Decorative Arts, Design and Photography at the MMFA. The design for the installation was conceived by Claude Cormier, landscape architect, in collaboration with designer Michel Dallaire.

To learn more about the contribution of the Québec government to Montréal's 375th Anniversary celebrations, click here.

SOURCE: Société des célébrations du 375e anniversaire de Montréal

Nalgene Outdoor Unveils New Marvel Universe-Inspired Bottles for the Guardians of the Galaxy

Nalgene Outdoor introduces a new universe of its popular reusable bottles inspired by Guardians of the Galaxy characters.

As part of its recent collaboration with Marvel, Nalgene Outdoor introduces a new universe of its popular reusable bottles inspired by Guardians of the Galaxy characters. The Guardians of the Galaxy bottles add to Nalgene's newly-launched Avengers bottle collection.

"We'll leave the fate of the universe in the Guardians' capable hands, but when it comes to defeating thirst, our bottles are known to hydrate even the toughest of Super Heroes," says Eric Hansen, product director, Nalgene Outdoor Products. "Nalgene's durable bottles together with the beloved characters from Guardians of the Galaxy bring this collaboration to life in another creative way we believe our users will enjoy."

For Marvel enthusiasts with big thirsts, Nalgene Outdoor selected its iconic, Made-in-USA 32-ounce Wide Mouth bottle for the Guardians collaboration. The new Guardians of the Galaxy bottles will include seven different designs featuring Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Groot and Rocket Raccoon. 

These bottles will join the popular Marvel Avengers collection featuring Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and Marvel Avengers group.

"Marvel, a brand whose celebrated Super Heroes inspire people to achieve their potential, has been a great collaboration for Nalgene," adds Hansen. "We're looking forward to introducing the Guardians' Nalgene bottles and expanding the collection with other anticipated Marvel properties later this year."

All of Nalgene Outdoor's products are BPA- and BPS-free, dishwasher safe and carry a lifetime guarantee.

Samples and product or lifestyle photos are available upon request. For more information, visit www.nalgene.com.

Nalgene’s Marvel-inspired Guardians of the Galaxy bottles are now available in the iconic 32-ounce Wide Mouth style in seven different designs

About Marvel Entertainment 
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy-five years.  Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.  

For more information visit marvel.com. ©2017 MARVEL

SOURCE: Nalgene Outdoor