This is a music blog. Actually it's my blog, so it can be about unicorns and red wine and you'll like it! But one thing that grinds my gears, torques my chain and downright gets my goat is politics. The only real reason I care about national politics is the fact that the world is watching, too. Terrorists use our policy ideals to recruit more terrorists. Conversely, people around the world look to America's policy and politicians as examples. Why? I'm increasingly not sure but it's true and if you don't think so, ask yourself why Obama won a Nobel Peace Prize. He won largely on the fact that he stands for an America that has at least moved toward tolerance or the idea of such. George Bush talked about the war on terror as a "crusade". We saw how violent and irrational a perceived non-tolerant Pres could be and the Nobel Prize was the world's relief, expressed to a man who hadn't really done anything on the world stage, yet.
But this pendulum of relief is only temporary and always swings back toward anxiety and fear again. This is especially true within the United States. We live in somewhat of a culture of fear. We choose our diets because we fear high cholesterol, choose safe cars or safe neighborhoods because of fear, all we get from talking heads on TV is information about what is to be feared. We were so afraid in 2001 that George Bush pulled the biggest one on us yet. He managed to convince us, or our representatives at least, that we needed to waste billions of dollars and thousands of lives, invading a country that had nothing, NOTHING, to do with 9/11. All to finish daddy's business.
We caught up to wily W's plan around the time he was to leave office and the ills of the GOP galvanized Obama's massive movement of youth to the polls. Now, I believe, we are experiencing yet another shift, a pendulum swing back to the right. Look at the highly fragmented Tea Party movement. In the 90's they wouldn't have stood a chance. Newt and his Contract with America solidified the GOP's personality such that plat-formless, libertarian-minded groups could do little to penetrate the Grand Old Party. But the lines are creeping to the right. People are scared and reacting to the huge, but necessary, financial bailouts.
Now it's like a free for all. Democrats are anxious to support their president, while fearful of opponents who spew off ridiculous claims regarding taxes and the deficit. Listening to economists you realize this whole deficit situation is pretty simple. We have three major sources of spending: Medicare, Social Security and the Military and one major source of revenue, taxes.
SO...GUESS WHAT'S GOOD IN THE HOOD PEOPLE? If we clean up unnecessary spending for programs that don't make people healthier in Medicare and stop considering the notion that rich people shouldn't pay taxes, we could maybe get ourselves out of this hole. Oh yeah, that multi-billion dollar, needless war that Bush and Dick started didn't help either. Let's neutralize Osama bin Laden and the Al-Queda sects in both Afgani/Pakistan AND Yemen. Yemen is where that lowly sack came from who tried to blow up the Christmas party plane last year over Detroit.
Then we can return to making policy decisions that don't help terrorists recruit more terrorists. Right now, all they have to do is turn on the news.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 12
Wednesday, August 11
Wyclef, Politik Artist
I recently heard that Wyclef Jean is running for President of Haiti. While he won't have the powers of the PM, the move is interesting for a musician. You can follow him on Twitter here:
http://twitter.com/wyclef/
And if you haven't caught on to the whole Twitter thing, realize that this web page is an instant announcement to 1.5 million people whole follow Wyclef, a large percentage of which are presumably fans who know about the man for his rhymes more than his rhetoric. They might not be in Haiti, but it's hard not to imagine Haitians of all ages voting for the native-born, international superstar.
What Haiti needs now is a symbolic fundraiser as President, while their PM picks up the ministerial pieces after the January 12 earthquake rocked the developing, fragile nation.
That makes Wyclef seem perfect for the job, although his detractor on NPR the other day was quick to point out that he's had trouble here in the US with the IRS and his own non-profit, Yele Haiti. The following was taken from uprisingradio.org:
While some question whether Jean is qualified for Haiti’s highest office, others are critical of his politics. His familial ties to the coup government and his implicit support for it have caused concern. Wyclef Jean, who has remained a Haitian citizen, described his decision to run for Haiti’s highest office saying, “I always say that Wyclef Jean is not running for the Presidency of Haiti, I’m being drafted by the people of Haiti.”
While Wyclef's main problem is his severe inability to speak in the first person tense, I support what he's trying to do. Extreme times do call for extreme measures and while electing actors has proved fateful in American politics recently, I do think a distinction can be made there.
Actors are masters of empathy, but that's where the politicians get ya in the first place! Our voting decisions are oftentimes made on emotional criteria (think abortion or immigration), when in reality logic should rule the voting process. The immigration issue is a prime example. Conservatives have argued to repeal the very amendment in our constitution that makes it such that anyone born on US soil is a US citizen. It's easy for them to stir the emotions of a nation who, in reality, keep 90% of illegal immigrants here and for a reason. This reason is economic and we've all heard the "they do they jobs we don't want" spiel.
Artists, by comparison, and I mean real artists (not Pink or Brittany or Justin Beib... what's that kids' name???) are masters of individuality. An artist finds her place in the world by personal observation, not interpersonal empathy.
I'm not saying actors can't have strong opinions, or artists can't selflessly promote their work. What I am saying is that Wyclef was passionate about Haiti and it's politics before the earthquake. That makes me think he is less of an opportunistic snake-in-the-grass and really cares about the country as a whole, not just the part that will vote for him.
But ultimately he's got the best attribute of a politician his party could ask for. He can win.
http://twitter.com/wyclef/
And if you haven't caught on to the whole Twitter thing, realize that this web page is an instant announcement to 1.5 million people whole follow Wyclef, a large percentage of which are presumably fans who know about the man for his rhymes more than his rhetoric. They might not be in Haiti, but it's hard not to imagine Haitians of all ages voting for the native-born, international superstar.
What Haiti needs now is a symbolic fundraiser as President, while their PM picks up the ministerial pieces after the January 12 earthquake rocked the developing, fragile nation.
That makes Wyclef seem perfect for the job, although his detractor on NPR the other day was quick to point out that he's had trouble here in the US with the IRS and his own non-profit, Yele Haiti. The following was taken from uprisingradio.org:
While some question whether Jean is qualified for Haiti’s highest office, others are critical of his politics. His familial ties to the coup government and his implicit support for it have caused concern. Wyclef Jean, who has remained a Haitian citizen, described his decision to run for Haiti’s highest office saying, “I always say that Wyclef Jean is not running for the Presidency of Haiti, I’m being drafted by the people of Haiti.”
While Wyclef's main problem is his severe inability to speak in the first person tense, I support what he's trying to do. Extreme times do call for extreme measures and while electing actors has proved fateful in American politics recently, I do think a distinction can be made there.
Actors are masters of empathy, but that's where the politicians get ya in the first place! Our voting decisions are oftentimes made on emotional criteria (think abortion or immigration), when in reality logic should rule the voting process. The immigration issue is a prime example. Conservatives have argued to repeal the very amendment in our constitution that makes it such that anyone born on US soil is a US citizen. It's easy for them to stir the emotions of a nation who, in reality, keep 90% of illegal immigrants here and for a reason. This reason is economic and we've all heard the "they do they jobs we don't want" spiel.
Artists, by comparison, and I mean real artists (not Pink or Brittany or Justin Beib... what's that kids' name???) are masters of individuality. An artist finds her place in the world by personal observation, not interpersonal empathy.
I'm not saying actors can't have strong opinions, or artists can't selflessly promote their work. What I am saying is that Wyclef was passionate about Haiti and it's politics before the earthquake. That makes me think he is less of an opportunistic snake-in-the-grass and really cares about the country as a whole, not just the part that will vote for him.
But ultimately he's got the best attribute of a politician his party could ask for. He can win.
Tuesday, November 10
WTF People?!?
After a string of shootings in places far, and way too near to myself and loved ones, I have only one question to ask.
WTF America?
Gun violence is nothing new, even in (typically) quiet, suburban Denver. I can still vividly remember that day, before school lock-downs were commonplace, when our middle school class was told that students had been shot right down the road at Columbine High School.
Gun culture has always been pervasive in our society. The American Revolution, Frontiersman and Settlers, Cowboys and Indians, GI Joe... the list goes on. All of these inherently American institutions involve fire-arms and I don't see the trend going away any time soon. The NRA, military-industrial complex and a strong Washington gun lobby will make sure that gats and 9's are here to stay.
But still, WTF last week??? First, a psychologist goes psycho on those he was sworn to help at a military base in Texas. A laid-off engineer in Florida goes ballistic. A recent college grad gets shot in the chest in the Denver suburbs. A 20-year local in Vail lets loose with a hand-cannon in a bar. Not to mention a hostage situation at the same hour that night, just down the road in Beaver Creek, and a Seattle police shooting which occurred just as officers were filing out of a funeral for the last police officer who was slain.
I've never been a sensationalist and I do think the media over-covers negative news. But I think several of the events mentioned above hit a little close to home last week. Our band, Frogs Gone Fishin', played at the very bar where the Vail shooting occurred, exactly one week beforehand. The dude who was murdered in South Denver lived less than a mile from my house. Oh yeah, he played guitar and was in my high school graduating class, too.
I believe serious thought needs to be applied to gun control by the Obama administration. In the past, his attorney general has said there are "only a few gun related changes we'd like to make". And of course, I'm all for people doing whatever, and I mean whatever, they like to do. But let's think about our society and how all of us are prone to make momentary mistakes which we later regret. Mistakes made with guns, however, are oftentimes irreversible.
WTF America?
Gun violence is nothing new, even in (typically) quiet, suburban Denver. I can still vividly remember that day, before school lock-downs were commonplace, when our middle school class was told that students had been shot right down the road at Columbine High School.
Gun culture has always been pervasive in our society. The American Revolution, Frontiersman and Settlers, Cowboys and Indians, GI Joe... the list goes on. All of these inherently American institutions involve fire-arms and I don't see the trend going away any time soon. The NRA, military-industrial complex and a strong Washington gun lobby will make sure that gats and 9's are here to stay.
But still, WTF last week??? First, a psychologist goes psycho on those he was sworn to help at a military base in Texas. A laid-off engineer in Florida goes ballistic. A recent college grad gets shot in the chest in the Denver suburbs. A 20-year local in Vail lets loose with a hand-cannon in a bar. Not to mention a hostage situation at the same hour that night, just down the road in Beaver Creek, and a Seattle police shooting which occurred just as officers were filing out of a funeral for the last police officer who was slain.
I've never been a sensationalist and I do think the media over-covers negative news. But I think several of the events mentioned above hit a little close to home last week. Our band, Frogs Gone Fishin', played at the very bar where the Vail shooting occurred, exactly one week beforehand. The dude who was murdered in South Denver lived less than a mile from my house. Oh yeah, he played guitar and was in my high school graduating class, too.
I believe serious thought needs to be applied to gun control by the Obama administration. In the past, his attorney general has said there are "only a few gun related changes we'd like to make". And of course, I'm all for people doing whatever, and I mean whatever, they like to do. But let's think about our society and how all of us are prone to make momentary mistakes which we later regret. Mistakes made with guns, however, are oftentimes irreversible.
Friday, October 17
Music For A Change (Obama-Groove)
The musical community has spoken and Barack Obama is the clear choice for today's pop musician. I did a quick survey of some music sites and blogs, just to see where some the world's most popular musicians stand on the upcoming election.
The results:
On the GOP side of the aisle: John Mellencamp, Boston, Van Halen, Foo Fighters and Bon Jovi have all requested that their songs be removed from the opening music of several prominent Republican campaigns, including John McCain's and Sarah Palin's.
For the Democrats: Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Jay-Z, The Dead, The Allman Bros. and James Taylor have all played concerts supporting Democratic nominee Barack Obama.
It seems clear Barack and the Dems have your average, world-famous artist in an electoral lock-box. I think this makes sense for several reasons if you look at the above bands. Even the most famous of musicians don't make close to what many prominent Republican party constituents earn, salary-wise (think Big Oil). Jay-Z is an exception and certainly makes more than the $250,000+ Barack Obama has set for his business-tax threshhold. But he is still holding concerts for the candidate. This points to the fact that many artists are inherently social Democrats, even if they should be fiscal Republicans. If your art involves writing about the human condition (yes, Jay-Z writes about the human condition) you'd be more likely to affiliate yourself with a party aligned with helping the middle-class or poor, not with the economic trickle-down politics of the right.
But the political tides of this election season have trickled down far deeper than the current-day artists we've been talking about. A friend recently hipped me to a genius song written by Meter's drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, called Obama Groove. Please listen to this song for your musical health and political informedness.
Whoever you decide to vote for in three weeks, remember, 9 out of 10 musicians support Barack Obama. The tenth musician is Ted Nugent. And if you like Ted Nugent, please don't shoot any of your firearms at me.
The results:
On the GOP side of the aisle: John Mellencamp, Boston, Van Halen, Foo Fighters and Bon Jovi have all requested that their songs be removed from the opening music of several prominent Republican campaigns, including John McCain's and Sarah Palin's.
For the Democrats: Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Jay-Z, The Dead, The Allman Bros. and James Taylor have all played concerts supporting Democratic nominee Barack Obama.
It seems clear Barack and the Dems have your average, world-famous artist in an electoral lock-box. I think this makes sense for several reasons if you look at the above bands. Even the most famous of musicians don't make close to what many prominent Republican party constituents earn, salary-wise (think Big Oil). Jay-Z is an exception and certainly makes more than the $250,000+ Barack Obama has set for his business-tax threshhold. But he is still holding concerts for the candidate. This points to the fact that many artists are inherently social Democrats, even if they should be fiscal Republicans. If your art involves writing about the human condition (yes, Jay-Z writes about the human condition) you'd be more likely to affiliate yourself with a party aligned with helping the middle-class or poor, not with the economic trickle-down politics of the right.
But the political tides of this election season have trickled down far deeper than the current-day artists we've been talking about. A friend recently hipped me to a genius song written by Meter's drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, called Obama Groove. Please listen to this song for your musical health and political informedness.
Whoever you decide to vote for in three weeks, remember, 9 out of 10 musicians support Barack Obama. The tenth musician is Ted Nugent. And if you like Ted Nugent, please don't shoot any of your firearms at me.
Friday, August 8
Funky Obama
Hello this morning from foggy Boulder, CO. The clouds are misting their way up the flatirons and the result is magical, mysterious and unusual for Colorado weather; CO normally sees more than 300 days of sunshine per year. The natural beauty of mountains in the mist makes me happy that I can spend more than just a week in Denver and the rest of my beautiful state.
Although it will be comfortable for us Frogs to relax in our natural habitat, by no means are we ceasing the flow of booking, performing and rehearsing over the next month before heading out on tour through the South . In addition, I am focusing energy on the final New Orleans talent For/Sure Productions will be contracting to play at Mountainside Mardi Gras (exactly one year from today!). As usual, I can't release specific names... but one of the headliners is a Doctor, the other rhymes with prophylactic... I bet you can figure it out...
I've written about how Colorado inspires me creatively before. Soon, a major influx of minds both creative, political and otherwise will storm the city for the Democratic National Convention. Despite overly expensive lodging and no parking to speak of 17 days before the convention even starts, Denverites are tickled with excitement every time the convention comes up in conversation.
And so it is now that I, Trevor Colin Jones, officially endorse Barack Obama for the next President of the United States (I'm sure he'll be relieved when he reads this..). Considering this blog is about music and occasionally zombies, I have no problem operating on a completely biased, subjective basis. If you don't agree with me, start your own blog! The following is my perspective on American politics for as long as I've been jaded enough to follow them.
Bill Clinton was an excellent leader who got a great BJ accomplished. That's right, the Balance Job Clinton did on the budget in the mid-90's makes me wonder if Bush has ever done a BJ in his life (he now holds the record for biggest budget deficit ever). When Bush took over, some really scary stuff happened in New York and the scary images from that day played over and over on TV until we were collectively scared enough as a country to elect a tyrannical leader. That was our mistake and it wasn't a novel one. Abusive leaders have been coming to power in times of uncertainty for ages. I recently read that Bush was rated #1 worst President ever as determined by Worst President in the History of America Magazine's Worst President Ever Poll.
But now we can move past all that, and with the help of Denver and the DNC we have the chance to become a more progessive, even funkier country. Do I think Obama is funky? Yes. But, do I think that is a reason to vote for him? Yes. If we had a national dance during the Bush administration it would look something like a mix between line dancing, square dancing and a drunken wobble.
Obama can make America funky again.
Although it will be comfortable for us Frogs to relax in our natural habitat, by no means are we ceasing the flow of booking, performing and rehearsing over the next month before heading out on tour through the South . In addition, I am focusing energy on the final New Orleans talent For/Sure Productions will be contracting to play at Mountainside Mardi Gras (exactly one year from today!). As usual, I can't release specific names... but one of the headliners is a Doctor, the other rhymes with prophylactic... I bet you can figure it out...
I've written about how Colorado inspires me creatively before. Soon, a major influx of minds both creative, political and otherwise will storm the city for the Democratic National Convention. Despite overly expensive lodging and no parking to speak of 17 days before the convention even starts, Denverites are tickled with excitement every time the convention comes up in conversation.
And so it is now that I, Trevor Colin Jones, officially endorse Barack Obama for the next President of the United States (I'm sure he'll be relieved when he reads this..). Considering this blog is about music and occasionally zombies, I have no problem operating on a completely biased, subjective basis. If you don't agree with me, start your own blog! The following is my perspective on American politics for as long as I've been jaded enough to follow them.
Bill Clinton was an excellent leader who got a great BJ accomplished. That's right, the Balance Job Clinton did on the budget in the mid-90's makes me wonder if Bush has ever done a BJ in his life (he now holds the record for biggest budget deficit ever). When Bush took over, some really scary stuff happened in New York and the scary images from that day played over and over on TV until we were collectively scared enough as a country to elect a tyrannical leader. That was our mistake and it wasn't a novel one. Abusive leaders have been coming to power in times of uncertainty for ages. I recently read that Bush was rated #1 worst President ever as determined by Worst President in the History of America Magazine's Worst President Ever Poll.
But now we can move past all that, and with the help of Denver and the DNC we have the chance to become a more progessive, even funkier country. Do I think Obama is funky? Yes. But, do I think that is a reason to vote for him? Yes. If we had a national dance during the Bush administration it would look something like a mix between line dancing, square dancing and a drunken wobble.
Obama can make America funky again.
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