FYIWDWYTM

So as part of my recent ‘rediscovery of music I listened to a few years ago’ series – made possible by a generous contribution from the Annie E. Casey Foundation* – I’ve been listening to a lot of Rage Against the Machine lately.

Hard to beat songs like “Ghost of Tom Joad” and ‘Renegades of Funk” but for me the all time classic Rage song will always be ‘Killing in the Name Of.”

Revisiting that catalogue, and in particular “KITNO” has been interesting.

One, listening to Rage in the olden days helped deal with the tepid liberalism of the Clinton years, but also complimented them.  At least we were kind of in charge back then.

Two, the left could use a band like Rage right now, to energize and piss off young people again.  It’s easy to forget that Rage wasn’t a fringe band like many lefty acts or punk rock band; they sold tens of millions of records, and their second album debuted at number one.

Three, funny to realize that the tea baggers would probably enjoy singing along with the chorus of ‘Killing in the Name Of,” at least the part where Zach repeatedly shouts “Fuck You I Won’t Do What You Tell Me!”

Four, what’s really funny is a 48-year old man listening to a song where you repeatedly shout “Fuck You I Won’t Do What You Tell Me!”  Who am I talking to?

Finally, I guess our 13-year old has been dipping into my iPod.  This morning as Ariadne got out of the car she said ‘Love you mom, love you Evan, don’t love you dad.”  At least she used the PG version of “Fuck You I Won’t Do What You Tell Me!”

* I'm lying about that.

American Idol, American Poverty

So tonight was the annual 'Idol Gives Back,' a kind of telethon. According to Simon Cowell, 'IGB' raised $15 million for a number of worthy causes, mainly projects sponsored by Save the Children.  


For me - and Ariadne - the show was half impressive - $15 million is a lot of cheese - but half embarrassing.  Tonight's show focused on Kenya, Congo and other third world places that lack everything.  But IGB also focused on Appalachia, the inner city, and rural parts of Mississippi and Arizona.  It was an embarrassing display of poverty and neglect in the wealthiest country the world has ever seen.   


The low point had to be the teacher in southern California - a married public school teacher with a house, mortgage and two kids - who has to depend on a local food bank.  A working American serving his community that has to rely on a hand out, on free food, to fight off hunger.  Is there anything more embarrassing - or damning - than that?


The plight of these Americans looks even more stark when compared to a glitzy show - on Fox no less - like 'American Idol.'  But at least they are giving back, buying thousands of bed nets to fight Malaria in Africa, books in Appalachia, and sponsoring mobil health clinics in rural parts of the United States.


It also makes one wonder how we as Americans can put up with so much poverty?  The tea baggers whine about being taxed too much when we have teachers - whose salary is paid by taxes - dependent on free food in order to teach our children.  


Want to complain about taxes - complain about them being so low that a teacher can't afford to feed his family.


More Idol

• One odd sight and sound was Mary J. Blige singing 'Stairway to Heaven.' She did a pretty good job with that song, as she did with 'One' by U2.  She usually oversings when performing her trademark shlocky and overproduced modern R&B but Blige shows some restraint and more range when singing rock and roll.  
• Ellen Degeneres is funny.

Political Contradictions

So we're celebrating President's Day in Politics and Prose's coffee shop this morning.  As I sip my Fair Trade coffee surrounded by other upper northwest liberals, I'm struck by the political and cultural schisms within the left and increasingly the right.


You can generally (and I'm being very general) describe the left as made up of three groups: college educated NPR listeners, the new left, and what's left of organized labor and minorities, the old left.  Politics and Prose is a new left nirvana - an independent bookstore where you can get a vanilla steamer, an Andean Quinoa Salad or fig jam served to you by an emo-listening and tatooed 20-something taking a semester off from Oberlin. 


The differences between the old and new left couldn't be more stark when you are sitting in P&P.  Culturally, the old left is more into cheeseburgers and beer than quinoa, prefer Maxwell house to lattes, is more religious and left complicated that the new left, and would rather listen to Led Zeppelin or Bruce Springsteen than Conor Oberst (is he still popular?).


Finally, the new left is more concerned with personal issues like gay rights than the old left is, though both groups are equally concerned about labor rights and minority rights; we can all agree on fair trade coffee and using union hotels for our conferences!


That kind of cleavage is kind of old hat for the Democrats.  It was perfected in the 60s, and led to Richard Nixon getting elected in 1968.  And some argue the new left voting for Nader cost Al Gore the election in 2000.


The right has done a better job of papering over their own schisms - but that may not hold this year.  Everyone from Charlie Crist to John McCain to Utah Senator Bill Bennett are fighting off primary challenges from the new right.  


The old right worships Wall Street but wants less government intervention in their personal life; they golf and play tennis but aren't known for being big NASCAR fans.  The new right - epitomized by the tea baggers this year - want the opposite.  They think Obama is conspiring with Wall Street (to keep the white working class down, deliver the nation to the Muslims, etc.).  And of course they favor government telling women what they can and can't do with their bodies, and want government to prohibit gays and others from having equal rights (marriage, military, etc.).  


They are so mad - and so crazy - that if their candidates lose those primaries there is no guarantee they will loyally stick with the Republican brand this November.


So who knows, 2010 could be a rerun of 1968, where people in the streets are mad but don't get what they want via the ballot.