One of our core competencies at Trend Influence is in being able to identify patterns in human culture that manifest themselves as trends and to be expert trend leveragers.  That means we maintain a consistent tacit knowledge base as a result of global fieldwork we do for clients and by tracking with all of the great thinking that is brought to the fore every day.  It is our opinion that trends (consistent patterns of behavior and human organization that both reflect and impact culture) are driven by even bigger, cataclysmic forces. 

One of the macro-forces I have been tracking as a part of our ongoing quest here at Trend Influence to be expert trend leveragers talks about the culture of fear that has been driving human behavior and culture over the past decade or so. We call this trend "Taking Control". At it's core, this force is "characterized by  a global backlash to cultures of fear that have pervaded in modern life. This force of humankind is geared toward reasserting our control of governing institutions, corporations and natural resources.  It is about human empowerment to change our own fate through physical, social and consumer action."

I bring it up because it is profoundly relevant to a political fiasco that I, along with millions of Americans, witnesses last night.  I saw one speech in particular in which the vice presidential candidate for the republican party not only delivered messages about the opposition that were out-and-out fallacies (although not relevant to what I am speaking of here), but used fear and fighting words to "rally the troops" to the republican cause.

The message was clear:  in order to make change you have to fight, and the only way to fight is in combat.  Diplomacy is clearly NOT a priority and is viewed as cowardly and as intentionally putting our American way of life at risk.  She also spoke of the detrimental effect that her opponents tax hike (for the wealthiest 5% of the country, btw...but I digress) would have on the American worker...instilling fear that blue collar workers would lose their livelihoods if the Democratic candidate is elected.

Other points of fear she spoke of were that, by not drilling for oil, the democratic candidate for president plans to "do nothing" to promote energy independence.

Lets not even bring up the bigger, more blatant fear-mongering tactics that have been seen coming out of that party. To quote John Stewart, they can go back to making their "Obama Bin Lauden" T-Shirts now.

I bring this up because i saw a direct connection to what I heard last night and what I believe our American People are capable of.  I was reading the introduction to Mark Penn's Book, Micro Trends last night.  http://www.amazon.com/Microtrends-Forces-Behind-Tomorrows-Changes/dp/0446580961

In it, he quotes a passage he read that was written by his political-thought mentor about 50 years ago.  That mentor was V.O. Key.  and the quote, "voters are not fools".  a simple and "radical" assumption , but I think one that politicians forget.

My impetus to do the work that I do, as a consumer anthropologist and strategist, is the belief that humans beings (consumers, voters, parents, students, workers, leaders and so on) are smart.  We make hundreds of decisions every day from the increasing amount of stimulus and curve-balls that are thrown at us.  We have the ingenuity to make our lives better no matter how difficult our situation.  

Consumers do not rely exclusively on marketing and hype to make the decisions on how they spend their money, time and energy.  Especially in an age where we have unprecedented access to information and to one another, it both our right and our duty to be informed and to speak up and to create the change we want to see in the world.

I pose this notion as a direct political call to action.  The intent is not to be partisan, but American.  Not to encourage voters to agree with my specific political point of view, but to make sure they get the facts....and if they see and injustice, to hold offenders accountable by speaking out.

So, listen to the speeches...but then get the facts.  Don't allow the Hype (negative or positive) to drive your vote.

The world is taking control back from the culture of fear that has been created for us.  I am optimistic about the journey ahead and have faith that the American people, in particular, will do what's right.  I am simply exercising my right and ability to reach other humans as a part of my personal contribution to the Macro force that is "taking control".