Part 2 - Conformity and Mediocrity

News Flash: The Baby Boom Generation is aging. One of the hallmarks of Boomerosity is an affection for merging music (especially 60s and 70s music). As the boomers age, many have turned inside out and become Republicans. It would be natural for the born-again GOPers to try to mix the tunes of their kidhood with their politics of today. For more details, read Clueless In The USA

John Mellencamp's catchy tune, Pink Houses, is similar to Springsteen's message: one person's American Dream is another's insomnia.

Well there's a young man in a t-shirt
Listening to a rockin' rollin' station
Hes got a greasy hair, greasy smile
He says: "lord, this must be my destination
cuz they told me, when I was younger
Boy, you're gonna be president."
But just like everyting else, those old crazy dreams
Just kinda came and went.

Oh but aint that america for you and me
Aint that america were someting to see baby
Aint that america, home of the free
Little pink houses for you and me

Sign me up right now! I want to vote Republican so that My America can be a Republican's vision for the USA.

Labels: clueless, conformity, gop, mediocrity, mellencamp, music, no longer a republican, pinkhouses, politics, springsteen

Something Fishy

News Flash: The Baby Boom Generation is aging. One of the hallmarks of Boomerosity is an affection for merging music (especially 60s and 70s music) and politics. As the boomers age, many have turned inside out and become Republicans. It would be natural for the born-again GOPers to try to mix the tunes of their kidhood with their politics of today. For more details, read Clueless In The USA

Ann & Nancy Wilson wrote and performed a rock 'n roll classic. It was aimed directly at a record company's A & R guy - a music promoter - who spent a lot of time indulging in his own fantasies by sexually harassing the Heart Sisters. It is not in any manner, shape, or form a compliment.

This misappropriation of music is supposed to be the theme song for the 2008 candidate for Vice-President of the USA. The GOP is emphasising Sarah Palin's tough, aggressive style of politics ... like a Barracuda.

You're lying so low in the weeds
I bet you're gonna ambush me
You'd have me down, down, down, down on my knees
Now wouldn't you, barracuda?

And if the real thing don't do the trick
You better make up something quick
You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn it to the wick
Ooooh, barracuda!

'Sell me sell you' the porpoise said
Dive down deep down, deeper than
You.. I think that you got the blues too

Yeah, you gotta love a barracuda. By the way, the string-powered opening riff of this song makes a great ringtone for your cell phone.

Remember - the Wilsons told the Republicans to cease and desist illegally using Heart's music - even if the use of the tune is anything but a good image for their candidate.

Labels: barracuda, clueless, conformity, gop, heart, mediocrity, mellencamp, music, no longer a republican, pinkhouses, politics, sarah palin, springsteen

News Flash: The Baby Boom Generation is aging. One of the hallmarks of Boomerosity is an affection for merging music (especially 60s and 70s music). As the boomers age, many have turned inside out and become Republicans. It would be natural for the born-again GOPers to try to mix the tunes of their kidhood with their politics of today.

News Flash: There are many things that are simply beyond the grasp of people as short-sighted as Republicans. Over the next few days, here you will find at least three examples of Republicans blundering through trying to make their brand of politics seem, ummmmm, hip. In each case, there are at least 3 problems with the right-wingers' choices in publicity-oriented songs:

1. It's the lyrics, stupid. Before choosing an advertising diddy, shouldn't you listen to the words? Do the words in the song really reflect what you want the public to believe about your party or your candidate?
2. There are copyright laws in this country. Before using using copyrighted material for gain, one must first obtain permission of the copyright holder - and be prepared to pay royalties each time the copyrighted material is used for either commercial gain or purposes other than for its original intent: personal pleasure. In each case here it is obvious that the GOP did not first get permission to use. I know this because in each case, the artists sent cease and desist letters saying don't use my (our) music to promote your cause.
3. Given #2, doesn't adherence to law - "Law and Order" mean anything to these people - the ones whose zeal led them into crookhood?
   

By the way, in 1992, the Clinton Campaign wanted to use Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" as a campaign theme song.

Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,
Don't stop, it'll soon be here,
It'll be, better than before,
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.

Why not think about times to come,
And not about the things that you've done,
If your life was bad to you,
Just think what tomorrow will do.

Now THAT is a positive message, no matter what the context. Not only did the writer, Christine McVie, allow the Clintons to use her masterpiece - she and the band endorsed it. That's a long way from cease and desist orders, nicht wahr?

Put on your seat belts, kiddies. We're going to take a ride down the rabbit hole.

Part 1 - Born On Some Other Planet

Springsteen's signature song is about the failed American dream. Why would anyone in politics want to use that concept as a PR diddy - one that is supposed to say "We are the real Americans. Join us in celebrating our American-ness." look at these portions of the lyrics:

Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog thats been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up

Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man

Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years burning down the road
Nowhere to run ain't got nowhere to go

Now there is a positive image for the Republicans. Would you want to vote for a party so clueless - or who thinks that stomping on middle class aspirations is a good idea?

Labels: barracuda, clueless, conformity, gop, heart, mediocrity, mellencamp, music, no longer a republican, pinkhouses, politics, sarah palin, springsteen

The other day George Bush tried to take a shot at Barack Obama by citing a Senator who regretted not negotiating with Hitler. Bush tried to imply that a Senator who was willing to talk to people whom Bush considers to be enemies was an appeaser.

George, George, George. You are so clueless. Someone should smack you upside the head with a reality sandwich.

Reality:

1. The senator involved was Frank Borah, a Republican senator. He was a candidate for the Republican nomination for president in 1936 and 1940. Like most Republicans in the 1930s, he was an isolationist who argued strongly against getting involved in the "unrest" in Europe.
2. The Republican Party platform in 1936 included the following:

   Foreign Affairs
   We pledge ourselves to promote and maintain peace by all honorable means not leading to foreign alliances or political commitments.
   
   Obedient to the traditional foreign policy of America and to the repeatedly expressed will of the American people, we pledge that America shall not become a member of the League of Nations nor of the World Court nor shall America take on any entangling alliances in foreign affairs.
   
   We shall promote, as the best means of securing and maintaining peace by the pacific settlement of disputes, the great cause of international arbitration through the establishment of free, independent tribunals, which shall determine such disputes in accordance with law, equity and justice.
   
   National Defense
   We favor an army and navy, including air forces, adequate for our National Defense.
   
   We will cooperate with other nations in the limitation of armaments and control of tragic in arms.
   Source: The American Presidency Project

3. In those days, there were many Republicans whose patriotism was at best, suspect.
   
   One prominent Republican Senator was not content with denouncing our war effort against Nazi Germany. He continued to do business with the government of Germany while we were at war with Germany. Among his activities was providing financing to the government that was killing our troops. Finally - during the war - the US government seized those businesses, over the objection of that Senator and other Republicans.
   
   The senator was quite wealthy. His children and grandchildren attended the finest schools and entered "public service." His name: Prescott Bush. His son and grandsons George, George, and Jeb became great leaders.
   
   Grandson George disparages anyone who agrees with those portions of the Republican party platform. Not only has he not renounced or denounced his grandfather's dealings (and the inherited wealth generated by those dealings).... he closely associates with Republicans who likewise deal with the enemy. As one example, Halliburton Corp, under the leadership of Bush 'associate' Dick Cheney, did business for many years with Iran. Iran has been 'the enemy' for 30 years; it was (and is) illegal to do business with Iran.
   
   
4. For several days (or weeks) prior to this bonehead's bone-headed statement, his own handpicked Secretary of State (Ms. C. Rice) has been working behind the scenes to set up high-level talks with officials of (gasp!) Iran.
   
   
5. On the same day as the bone-headed bone-headed statement, the Bonehead-in Chief's own handpicked Secretary of Defense (Mr. R. Gates) supported Ms. Rice and said

   "The United States should construct a combination of incentives and pressure to engage Iran, and may have missed earlier opportunities to begin a useful dialogue with Tehran, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday.
   
   "We need to figure out a way to develop some leverage . . . and then sit down and talk with them," Gates said. "If there is going to be a discussion, then they need something, too. We can't go to a discussion and be completely the demander, with them not feeling that they need anything from us."
   
   In the meantime, Gates told a meeting of the Academy of American Diplomacy, a group of retired diplomats, "my personal view would be we ought to look for ways outside of government to open up the channels and get more of a flow of people back and forth." Noting that "a fair number" of Iranians regularly visit the United States, he said, "We ought to increase the flow the other way . . . of Americans" visiting Iran.
   
   "I think that may be the one opening that creates some space," Gates said."
   http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/05/14/ST2008051404020.html
   

Shall I go on? Or is it clear that neither the Prez, nor his speech writers understand what's going on around them, understand history, have a clue, and see the irony in all of this.

And my imaginary friend wonders why I can no longer support those people.

Labels: appease, arms limit, clueless, Condeleeza Rice, George Bush, republican, republican party platform, Robert gates