Politics and Media in Belize

     There are two main uses of media I see heavily when time for elections comes around.To me it is stupid that there is so much focus put into these methods of campaigning. I do not mean to say that it is bad. There are few to no other ways of getting the people to come out and vote but it is the over doing of it that bothers me. What am i talking about? Firstly, I talk about the excessive use of flyers and flags.The other thing is the propaganda they create for their parties, whether it be supporting their cause or making the opposition look bad.

     When it is time for elections, all you see is red and blue. Every corner you turn to there is a flag, there is a banner, there is graffiti on the light posts or flyers. I mean, we get it. There is an election. The politicians' focus lie in getting the message to the people by any means necessary and to many it might work, but I think it is stupid. All the money used to get the message out there can be used to help the poor or save it to do community work if they win. They over do it. The purpose of propaganda is to  get the people to come out and vote, not slam it down their throats. Again, it is sad to admit that people will vote for a certain party regardless of how much advertising they do because they are already defined by a color.

      Again, what is over done is trying to put the opposition bad. Politicians try to destroy the reputation of the opposition. This is done in music videos, parodies, pamphlets and even the news. They constantly try to expose the weaknesses on thee other, rather than focus on the well being of their country. The sensationalism is at its peak in election time; the exaggeration.

     In the end, it is hard to think that the people are so accustomed to this. They are numb to the childish methods employed to get the attention of the people. What the people should be focused on, is diverting the attention of the politicians to the people, to the town to the nation of Belize.