The first Tuesday of November is election day, so do your civic duty and vote... at least for this post, anyway. The first song in today's lineup pretty much says it all.
The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, No Matter Who You Vote For The Government Always Gets In (Heigh Ho!)
Oh, great, great slumbering nation,
Awake! Set yourself free!
Oh, smell the comforting bacon,
Taste the bromide tea.
Give a little chirrup as I ladle on the syrup
Promises are cheap.
Let me bear your crosses, make me Boss of Bosses,
Then you go back to sleep!
I don't remember exactly when or where I first encountered the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, but I think it might have been on a Dr. Demento compilation CD I borrowed from a library. Their song Death Cab for Cutie was featured in the Beatles film Magical Mystery Tour and was later taken as the name for a Washington rock band.
They were originally a jazz-influenced absurdist band referring to the Dada art movement in their name, later changed to Doo Dah, and then dropped altogether to just Bonzo Dog Band. When Neil Innes joined, it morphed into a rock-and-roll influenced sound with a heavy dose of silliness and absurdism blended with social commentary.
Don't forget to laugh amidst all the rage surrounding politics. Humor and joy are foreign to it. This is how we retain our sanity in a world gone mad.
Brave Saint Saturn, Blessed Are the Land Mines
Blessed are the land-mines,
Stretched across the desert floor.
God, bless the hands that formed them,
Filled their shrapnel hearts with war.
May You bless the companies,
The goose that laid the golden egg,
May they make a million more,
Blowing off a million legs.
Blessed are the black-tongued ravens,
Substituting fear for reason:
"To hate war is to hate us.
If you love peace, then you must love treason."
Beat your plowshares into swords,
Beat your pulpits, turn your tables,
Blessed are the hand-grenades,
Bless the church who rattles sabers!
Brave Saint Saturn is a side project of several members of Christian ska/punk band Five Iron Frenzy. This song sarcastically points out the hypocrisy of self-professed Christians who celebrate war, and includes a quote from televangelist Pat Robertson calling for the assassination of Hugo Chavez. Robertson tried to clarify that statement, but still falls flat philosophically and theologically in the process.
What's your favorite anti-war song? I dig The General by Dispatch. I also like Arthur McBride, particularly this version by Planxty.
Today, we have two parties vying for power, and neither offer peace as their platform. I can make the case that Trump might be less-bad, but that's just supposition. He may not have technically started any new wars last time, but he didn't actively de-escalate much, and he's fundamentally a belligerent old man. On the other hand, Harris has been part of the Biden policy team for the last 4 years, and has the endorsement of Obama and the Cheneys, for crying out loud.
Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, isn't on the ballot. Third parties at least offer the option to vote without being complicit in the warmongering duopoly. Vote, or don't, accordingly.
Celtic Nots, Student Edward
Where have you been the whole day long?
Son, come tell it unto me.
I've been to the school learning how we are ruled,
A lesson in democracy, mother dear;
A lesson in democracy.
So far as I can tell, this song was originally written by Ewan MacColl, and his version can be found on Bandcamp. I prefer this version by now-defunct Spokane folk trio the Celtic Nots, so named because they're not quite a Celtic band, I assume.
MacColl was a strident communist, but that doesn't mean he's wrong when he critiques the brutality of the State. We'd likely disagree about the fundamental problems and proper remedies, but this song is a harsh look at the violence wrought by government agents. People like to imagine they are voting for peace and prosperity, but all government policies conceal the threat of violence. MacColl would doubtless agree with this quote from free market economist Ludwig von Mises.
It is important to remember that government interference always means either violent action or the threat of such action. [...] Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men, of policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen. The essential feature of government is the enforcement of its decrees by beating, killing, and imprisoning.
I have no prophecies or predictions regarding any specific outcome today. I don't know whether there will be marches, protests, or riots in the coming days, weeks, and months. I suspect we're in for serious economic problems no matter who wins, because neither candidate has any real foundation for their intended policies.
I suggest you focus on your sphere of control and manage what you can instead of worrying too much about what you cannot. Save, pay down debt, store food and money, invest carefully, and try not to get swept up in (or swept away by) whatever comes next. Build your community, strengthen your family, and don't trust politicians.
