Confessions of a Conservative Punk
Coming Soon:
How a Socialist Punker (the author) abandoned the Left and became a Conservative finding true independence, individuality, and even rebellion along the way.
Yours Truly circa 1995
How a Socialist Punker (the author) abandoned the Left and became a Conservative finding true independence, individuality, and even rebellion along the way.
Yours Truly circa 1995
posted by BohemianLikeYOU at 7/27/2005 12:01:00 AM
8 Comments:
This comment placed here for the same purpose that a bartender puts a couple of his own dollars in the tip jar at the beginning of his shift. Comments beget comments.
Here's my tip -- Get off the street!
The image you use of Ronald Reagan shows him gesturing with a finger -- pointing backwards to an era of American history that existed only in his mind. Ultra Conservatives (whether they be Republican Americans or the Taliban and their ilk or Ulster Unionists) live in a dream world based on a false reading of history and a distorted view of reality. I get so bored with you guys! -- Ray B.
And so the Clash say:
Yankee soldier
He wanna shoot some skag
He met it in Cambodia
But now he can't afford a bag
Yankee dollar talk
To the dictators of the world
In fact it's giving orders
An' they can't afford to miss a word
I'm so bored with the U...S...A...
But what can I do?
Yankee detectives
Are always on the TV
'Cos killers in America
Work seven days a week
Never mind the stars and stripes
Let's print the Watergate Tapes
I'll salute the New Wave
And I hope nobody escapes
I'm so bored with the U...S...A...
But what can I do?
Move up Starsky
For the C.I.A.
Suck on Kojak
For the USA.
Ray,
Heh heh - you're making my case for me.
Comparing Conservatives to the Taliban is what I grew tired of. You'll have to read my story.
Let me ask you, do you really believe you're oppressed?
I just never got The Clash. I'm willing to accept that it's my problem, that they really are a great band, since everyone in the world loves them.... but I just never got it. Boring music, if you ask me.
Ray spake thus: The image you use of Ronald Reagan shows him gesturing with a finger -- pointing backwards to an era of American history that existed only in his mind
How can you point backwards to an era of history if it existed only in your mind? If that era of history existed only in his mind, to point at it, shouldn't he be pointing at his head?
Oh, I'm sorry, Ray. I'm using logic. You obviously have no use for that.
:-) I don't feel oppressed. Am I concerned about the Right in this country? Yes. Those guys (you guys?) scare me. Too much religion and dogma for me.
There is a political spectrum and I think Republicans and conservatives of whatever stripe or nation are on one side. That's just a fact.
I love the Clash. But, they were 21 years old writing those songs. You're supposed to be a Socialist at 21. I assure you, the surviving members are all avowed Capitalists now. Hell, even peace-nik Paul McCartney just moved all his taxable assets to New York recently for the lower taxation.
The Left doesn't debate. They go from zero to (Taliban, Nazi, Fascist) in under 3 seconds. :)
Back to the Clash for a sec - when I was 14, most of my classmates were listening to Grateful Dead, Loverboy, Led Zeppelin, etc... I did not like those bands or really any bands besides the Kinks.
When I heard the Clash singing about geo-political topics like the Cold War, Spanish Civil War, Amerasian kids, Eichmann, Federico Lora, "Kings and Queens and Generals", etc...I was fascinated. It sparked my interest in a topic I would later study and earn a degree in - Political Science.
While I don't raise my fist to "Police and Thieves" or "Safe European Home" anymore, I still respect the hell out of this band for their contribution to raising the literacy rates of Punkers.
Oh yeah, I can't help but smile when I hear "London Calling" on the new Jaguar commercials. Something tells me they're not revolutionaries anymore. :)
Like the Who and so many other rock bands whose fans thought they would never "sell out," even the Clash have their songs in commercials now (as the Bohemian said).
I know you conservatives are probably amused by all this musical commerce but I’m not happy about it. Other than Bruce Springsteen, I can't think of a major rock musician who hasn't sold something to "corporate" America. It’s not that I don’t think a musician can’t make a commercial or sell one of his or her tunes to be used in a commercial. It is the particular songs that get used that bother me.
For example, Dylan recently lent a song of his to Victoria Secret and appeared briefly in the ad. That didn’t bother me. I thought it was funny. But when Michael Jackson let Nike use the Beatles (Lennon’s) “Revolution” in one commercial (it was pulled after about a week) that bugged me.
I’m not thrilled about Pete Townsend selling practically all the Who’s songs to various companies either. From “Love Reign O'er Me” for 7-Up, “Bargain” for Nissan, “Overture” for Claritin, “Happy Jack” for Hummer, “Baba O'Riley” for Hewlett Packard, to “I Can See for Miles” for Sylvania – let alone all the songs they have given to CBS’ CSI spinoffs. Their most recent addition to their TV commercial land is “I’m Free” – a song written for the rock opera Tommy which now is helping to sell Saabs (does that mean that the present day Tommy would operate the car himself – “he sure drives a mean Saab car.”). I don’t like it. But I guess I’ll have to get use to it because apparently the Revolution Will be televised: Recently there have been Verizon commercials using Jefferson Airplane's "Volunteers" ["Got a revolution, got to revolution..."]: www.jeffersonairplane.com/audio/volunteers.ram
Post a Comment
<< Home