The Controversial Text “single-round election” in President Election 2009 Advertisement Analyze using semiotic approach

Democracy is human right of a people. Any people have a rightful to choose any one for represent they to be a president of Indonesia and their rights must to quote at the presidential election without intervene and forcing from the government. Nowadays, we know about the President Election 2009 in Indonesia. At the final round debate of the president election 2009, we have a problem of democracy.

The problems begin from one of the candidate that makes TV advertisements promoting a “single-round election” and the ad of “single-round election” not only shows on TV but in banner, newspaper and magazine too. The problem is why that candidate makes those ads? Is it a duping of democracy? Because the effect of those ads it’s so big to influencing the constituent choosing the candidate. Many people think that ad, its illegal ad and enter to black campaign and so unfair. Many people think those ad is a duping of democracy in Indonesia because they think the ad of a single-round is the tool of government for continuing a reign. They think the governments intervene constituent to elect one of a candidate and many people think it’s a political forcing.

This Paper will talk over about the issues of “single-round election” as the tools of government with point of view Louis Althusser theory “the political and the communication ideological state apparatuses” and Roland Barthes in semiotic Theory

Why we choose the news about single-round election issue because this is an interesting issue and many people want to know the meaning behind the issue.

For the first we will analyze this add with Roland Barthes theory, linguistic message of this add is the word “satu putaran saja”. Denotative of this word single-round election is more better than second-election from cost point of view because with single-round election we can economize political cost. But the connotative is democracy that could be valued in money terms. The second word is the word “Sebarkan” that bold in red color. Denotative of this word is only for escalade single-round election message to society. But connotative in this message is force of democracy because have bold in red color. Totally these add explain about democracy, but in fact this add like a black campaign. This add have many contradiction, for example when this add tell about “Indonesia memilih” as the symbol of democracy at the other context tell about force of democracy for choose one of candidate with photo. After we analyze linguistic message we will analyze the coded iconic message based on Roland Barthes “the visual connotations derived from the arrangement of photographed elements.”[1] Background color of these add is blue that we know if we want make democracy add we must use many color like green, red, yellow, and blue in one add but for these add they only use one color. The color is blue. That is the color of demokrat. And they use photo one of candidate. So the connotative sign of these add want forcing the constituent to choose one of candidate.

So after we analyzing those add, we have conclusion, the concept of those add was fail, because the democracy of those add was change by democracy force. The add maker want the constituent choose one of candidate.

Second, we choose althusser theory for analyze the ad of “single-round election” in Presiden Election 2009 because based on Althusser, Ideology, and Theoretical Foundations: Theory and Communication by Jennifer B. Gray, Althusser's theories of ideology and interpellation may be readily applied to the study of mass communication, in the context of perpetuation of hegemonic ideology via the mass media. So Althusser's theory is considered in the context of current media issues, communication theory, and research.

We use the Althusser ISA theory to analyze the ideological in that ad. But for the first we will tell about ideology. Althusser say “ideology is a structure”[2].  Why ideology is structure? Because its contents will vary, you can fill it up with anything, but its form, like the structure of the unconscious, is always the same. And ideology works “unconsciously.” Like language, ideology is a structure/system which we inhabit, which speaks us, but which gives us the illusion that we're in charge, that we freely chose to believe the things we believe, and that we can find lots of reasons why we believe those things. So we can use ideology to influence someone to follow our mind. But in Althusser theory, Althusser mentions two major mechanisms for insuring that people within a State behave according to the rules of that State. The first is what Althusser calls the RSA, or Repressive State Apparatuses, “that can enforce behavior directly, such as the police, and the criminal justice and prison system. Through these "apparatuses" the state has the power to force you physically to behave and the second is ISA (Ideological State Apparatuses) include schools, religions, the family, legal systems, politics, arts, sports, etc”.[3]

Based on Althusser theory we know the government in this case is one of candidate that still become a President of Indonesia uses the ad “single-round election” in the President Election 2009 try to forcing constituent to choose one of a candidate for economize cost of the election. They also use media to publish this ad continually to brainwash the constituents and indirectly carry a public opinion to obey the ad. The one of the candidate use what Althusser call “the communications ISA (press, radio and television, etc.)”[4]  Influence the constituent.

In the other side, the ad can make democracy in Indonesia frazzle, because democracy can value by money. For search a real president that can make Indonesia will be better we must free in anything, free from intervene and free from forcing. Democracy cannot value by money. Let people decide this election one or two round. In the final debates of president election 2009 Jusuf Kalla had mentioned the commercials, accusing Yudhoyono of promoting a democracy that could be valued in money terms and we are cant valued democracy in money.[5]

Back on Althusser concept for behave this ad, the government indirectly use the communications ISA to intervene constituent in a smooth way. Why they not use Repressive State Apparatuses (RSA)? Because if they use RSA many people in Indonesia will have assumption they like a government in “Orde Baru” that governing with violence use the state apparatuses like police, army, etc. The governments use ISA because they want influence people in ideological, because they think if we influence by ideological will be enter to deep down in person mind very fast. If the person was agree with the ideology, the person can obey the rules of states.

Althusser, by contrast, approximates ideology to Lacan's understanding of "reality," the world we construct around us after our entrance into the symbolic order.[6]

Based on that statement, the governments use the ad of single-round election as the symbol for represent the rule, and the people can indirectly obey the rule. That symbol can influence a people to agree invitation make the presidential election in single-round.

If the people agree with the ideological in the ad at a future they will make the rule of the election became the president for third, fourth, or livelong, because “ideology is more persuasive and more “material” than previously acknowledged”.[7]  And “Ideology is the powerful force behind the dominance of hegemonic institutions”[8]

Ideologies originate from mind of person and from deep down of the person so it can enter to the mind of the person very fast and the ideology can make a person obey the rule. 

CONCLUSION

So the conclusion this add is one of black campaign because these add force the constituent to choose one of candidate and the add maker use many symbol one of candidate for brainwashing the constituent to choose one of the candidate. These add have ideology, ideology can use for influence people to follow and obey the rules, so if any ideology in the rule indirectly many people will follow the rule. Governments of Indonesia not make a rule about single-round election in president election 2009 but they try to fill ideology in issues or ad single-round election, because they want influence many people in a smooth ways. With ideology in the ad many people will follow the invitations of the ad to continuing governs and make the election for single round. With many reason they try to forcing and intervene people democracy, for example for economize cost of the election, but democracy can not values by money. So I think governments make a wrong action using issues or ad single-round at president election 2009 for get sympathy of the constituent, because for get the real president that can lead Indonesia become better to better and from nothing become something can not decide in one or two round of the election, but how to actualize politic commitment from political elite for Indonesia.

REFFERENCES

·         file:///D:/My%20Camp/semiotic/sem06.html

·         http://www.tamilnation.org/ideology/klages.html

·         Jennifer B. Gray. Althusser, Ideology, and Theoretical Foundations: Theory and Communication

·         http://www.colorado.edu/English/courses/ENGL2012Klages/1997althusser.html

·         http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/marxism/modules/althusserISAs.html

·         The Jakarta Post ,  JAKARTA   |  Sat, 07/04/2009 12:58 PM 

·         http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/psychoanalysis/lacanstructure.html

·         http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/marxism/module/althusserideology.html

·         http://www.ibiblio.org/nmediac/winter2004/gray.html

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[1] “The visual connotations derived from the arrangement of photographed elements.” file:///D:/My%20Camp/semiotic/sem06.html by Daniel Chandler

[2] “ideology is a structure” http://www.tamilnation.org/ideology/klages.html

[3] “RSA That can enforce behavior directly, such as the police, and the criminal justice and prison system. Through these "apparatuses" the state has the power to force you physically to behave and the second is ISA (Ideological State Apparatuses) include schools, religions, the family, legal systems, politics, arts, sports, etc”.http://www.colorado.edu/English/courses/ENGL2012Klages/1997althusser.html

[4] “the communications ISA (press, radio and television,etc.)” http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/marxism/modules/althusserISAs.html

[5] “the commercials, accusing Yudhoyono of promoting a democracy that could be valued in money terms and we are cant valued democracy in money” The Jakarta Post ,  JAKARTA   |  Sat, 07/04/2009 12:58 PM 

[6] “ideology to Lacan's understanding of "reality," the world we construct around us after our entrance into the symbolic order.” http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/psychoanalysis/lacanstructure.html

[7] “ideology is more persuasive and more “material” than previously acknowledged” http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/marxism/module/althusserideology.html

[8] “Ideology is the powerful force behind the dominance of hegemonic institutions” http://www.ibiblio.org/nmediac/winter2004/gray.html