Thursday, August 12, 2004
self-important politicking makes strange bedfellows, and that's exactly what the 'vote for change' alliance has done. i didn't think i would ever see the day that would put bright eyes and bruce springsteen on the same bill. i'm not surprised to see such an overinflated abuse of celebrity status from conor oberst, but the boss? i mean, come on! he wrote 'thunder road', forerunner of the entire chamberlain album the moon my saddle (which perhaps you won't like unless you're from the american middle west). death cab for cutie also has sadly jumped on the bandwagon to use its first amendment rights to become a mouthpiece for the democratic party establishment.
mike mills of r.e.m., also involved in the tour attempting to use 'art' (so-called, though not by yours truly) to sway votes in battleground states, had this gem of wisdom to utter:
"R.E.M. is very happy to be a part of the Vote for Change Tour. This unprecedented coming together of musicians underscores the depth of the desire for change in our country's direction, and it feels right to use some of the freedoms granted to us in a democracy to try and effect that change."
unprecedented? ummm...ever heard of woodstock? but, anyway, as long as it feels right...
but i was glad to see that dave matthews is an old-fashioned structuralist, breaking everything down into nice, clean binary oppositions. i quote:
"A vote for change is a vote for a stronger, safer, healthier America. A vote for Bush is a vote for a divided, unstable, paranoid America."
deep, dave. very insightful. john kerry wins and no one is divided anymore, because supporters of the opposition will just roll over and play dead, kind of like the left is doing right now...oh, wait. it's exactly the opposite.
keb' mo' opted to keep his comments, as recorded on moveonpac.org, more vague and contentless, stating:
"It's about showing up and being counted. I'll be there and I hope you will too."
showing up where? being counted where? in attendance at the concert? at the polls?
the artists' declaration begins thusly:
"Vote for Change is a loose coalition of musicians brought together by a single idea--the need to make a change in the direction of our country. We share a belief that this is the most important election of our lifetime. We are fighting for a government that is open, rational, just and progressive. And we intend to be heard."
rousing and inspiring, indeed. i almost raised my fist and shouted nonsensically when i read that. but at least they're limiting themselves to only one idea, because mobs are hard to keep together once you start looking at details. nevermind the fact that, if they were to define their terms, i would probably have to conclude that they're incompatible, because i would guess that some moves they might call 'progressive' are antithetical to a classical and consitutional understanding of justice.
here's the boss, from his own website, speaking in a similar vein:
"I don't think John Kerry and John Edwards have all the answers. I do believe they are sincerely interested in asking the right questions and working their way toward honest solutions. They understand that we need an administration that places a priority on fairness, curiosity, openness, humility, concern for all America's citizens, courage and faith."
i wish someone, just once, could speak with clarity, instead of such misty generalizations as one finds almost without exception: 'all the answers'? 'the right questions'? 'honest solutions'? what 'answers'? what 'questions'? what 'solutions'? does anyone even know? he does have one thing right, though--they don't have all the answers. but you can at least figure that they have several different and mutually incompatible answers to the same question.
speaking of musicians that used to rock, i would now like to speak of a musician who does rock. i went back to wal-mart to pick up my pictures, and did not resist the temptation to get bob seger and the silver bullet band's 'greatest hits vol.2'. i put it on in the car with my mom afterwards, and IT ROCKED SO HARD THAT SHE NOW WANTS TO GET A COPY TOO. no, that is not a joke. it is just sweet.
another aside: when i got my film developed, i also got two roles developed that have been in my shaving bag since sometime after spring break of my sophomore year of college. a couple of highlights: 2 shots of kevin weber giving lewis a mullet in the loft hallway of galloway, one with spectators; and a shot from above of the beau (not verlin) sitting indian-style on the floor reading a book.
mike mills of r.e.m., also involved in the tour attempting to use 'art' (so-called, though not by yours truly) to sway votes in battleground states, had this gem of wisdom to utter:
"R.E.M. is very happy to be a part of the Vote for Change Tour. This unprecedented coming together of musicians underscores the depth of the desire for change in our country's direction, and it feels right to use some of the freedoms granted to us in a democracy to try and effect that change."
unprecedented? ummm...ever heard of woodstock? but, anyway, as long as it feels right...
but i was glad to see that dave matthews is an old-fashioned structuralist, breaking everything down into nice, clean binary oppositions. i quote:
"A vote for change is a vote for a stronger, safer, healthier America. A vote for Bush is a vote for a divided, unstable, paranoid America."
deep, dave. very insightful. john kerry wins and no one is divided anymore, because supporters of the opposition will just roll over and play dead, kind of like the left is doing right now...oh, wait. it's exactly the opposite.
keb' mo' opted to keep his comments, as recorded on moveonpac.org, more vague and contentless, stating:
"It's about showing up and being counted. I'll be there and I hope you will too."
showing up where? being counted where? in attendance at the concert? at the polls?
the artists' declaration begins thusly:
"Vote for Change is a loose coalition of musicians brought together by a single idea--the need to make a change in the direction of our country. We share a belief that this is the most important election of our lifetime. We are fighting for a government that is open, rational, just and progressive. And we intend to be heard."
rousing and inspiring, indeed. i almost raised my fist and shouted nonsensically when i read that. but at least they're limiting themselves to only one idea, because mobs are hard to keep together once you start looking at details. nevermind the fact that, if they were to define their terms, i would probably have to conclude that they're incompatible, because i would guess that some moves they might call 'progressive' are antithetical to a classical and consitutional understanding of justice.
here's the boss, from his own website, speaking in a similar vein:
"I don't think John Kerry and John Edwards have all the answers. I do believe they are sincerely interested in asking the right questions and working their way toward honest solutions. They understand that we need an administration that places a priority on fairness, curiosity, openness, humility, concern for all America's citizens, courage and faith."
i wish someone, just once, could speak with clarity, instead of such misty generalizations as one finds almost without exception: 'all the answers'? 'the right questions'? 'honest solutions'? what 'answers'? what 'questions'? what 'solutions'? does anyone even know? he does have one thing right, though--they don't have all the answers. but you can at least figure that they have several different and mutually incompatible answers to the same question.
speaking of musicians that used to rock, i would now like to speak of a musician who does rock. i went back to wal-mart to pick up my pictures, and did not resist the temptation to get bob seger and the silver bullet band's 'greatest hits vol.2'. i put it on in the car with my mom afterwards, and IT ROCKED SO HARD THAT SHE NOW WANTS TO GET A COPY TOO. no, that is not a joke. it is just sweet.
another aside: when i got my film developed, i also got two roles developed that have been in my shaving bag since sometime after spring break of my sophomore year of college. a couple of highlights: 2 shots of kevin weber giving lewis a mullet in the loft hallway of galloway, one with spectators; and a shot from above of the beau (not verlin) sitting indian-style on the floor reading a book.
