Drilling and the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy

In the the late-80s/early 90s, Michael Franti fronted a rap group called the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy.  One of their best songs was "Music and Politics."  In that vein, it's back to the internet!


DRILLING


Depressing news on the spill, as the top kill failed to cap the well this weekend.  Don’t expect anything to work until BP drills a relief well in August. This is the second major oil spill in the last 10 months. In both the Gulf of Mexico and the East Timor Sea last year, the companies that drilled the wells made things worse by NOT having a back up plan in place in case of a blow out.  And in both cases, neither company had a relief well handy; in both spills it seems to take 3 months to get a relief well in place.


There are many tragedies to this spill, and it will likely get worse as the oil keeps flowing towards Florida’s coast. Or worst of all, if a hurricane develops between now and August and brings oil on shore. If that occurs we could see a biblical catastrophe – an ON shore oil spill caused by OFF shore drilling. 


POLITICS


Since this is a Carolina-Hellenic blue blog, I’d like to point out that Rand Paul is a Dukie and J.D. Hayworth is an NC State grad.  Makes sense that two of the tea bag standard bearers are barbarians trying to destroy civilization nurtured and advanced in places like Chapel Hill and Greece.


In the wake of the spill plenty of tea bag types are whining about the Obama Administration. Of course, there’s no federal role for oil spill clean up.  If tea baggers want the government to clean up this corporate-created catastrophe they need to fund a new federal agency, or expand the authority and training of existing entities like the Coast Guard.


Expecting intellectual – or ideological – consistency from the tea baggers is a waste of time.  I’ve said before, will say again: you cannot be anti-government/anti-taxes and pro-military/pro-social security.


But I think there are bigger problems with tea baggers like Paul. His complaints about the Civil Rights Act forcing private businesses to serve customers they don’t like, for instance, makes me wonder if he actually understands democracy. 


Democracy doesn’t simply mean elections. Democracy, at least the way we envision it, is THE corner stone of a civilized society that values each citizens’ rights.  In fact, democracy is a human right as much as a system of government.


Unfortunately, Ron Paul and his fellow tea baggers don’t trust the public so they don’t trust democracy. They are right wing nuts first, small d democrats second.  Their distrust of the public, of their fellow citizens considered equal by a democratic society, is one reason why they don’t believe in choice (either reproductive or sexual or whatever), and why they love guns – they’re surrounded by potential killers! How can you build a real democracy – trusting the public with the right to vote – when you don’t trust them with your life, and need to carry a gun?  


Again, expecting them to be consistent is unrealistic, but you would think tea baggers and other wing nuts would at least believe in the concept as well as the practice of democracy.


MUSIC 


For the record, I picked Lee DeWyze as the next American Idol three months ago.  Though we were rooting for fellow diabetic Chrystal Bowersox it was fitting to see Lee win.  


For a little more than a year and a half - roughly coinciding with the election – there was (for me) a lot of great new music. I particularly enjoyed records from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, U2, TV on the Radio, Santogold, and singles from MGMT and others.  But then a drought (at least for me) set in.  


That new music drought has happily ended with new releases from Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and especially LCD Soundsystem.  Like most really good records, it has taken a few listenings to really get into it, but I am weary the figurative grooves of the new disc “This is Happening.” 


Finally, I also downloaded “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys.  I like a little Jay-Z, though he’s way too boastful and apolitical for my tastes.  The funny part of downloading the song was my kids saying YOU like hip hop? I had to remind them that hip hop and I go way back, and that the genre wasn’t invented by Jay-Z.  So the download resulted in a good song on my iPod AND a teachable moment.

Of course, everyone knows once you stop thinking about music and politics you go to sports.  Look for that blog post soon.