Well, to go along with those contradictory notions of Christ and warplanes or rights-at-moment-of-conception vs. not banning land mines and cluster bombs, those nutty folks that call themselves righteous really dig this Sarah Palin lady as well. Well, we already know that she's got designer glasses, can handle a semi-automatic weapon and is supposedly good looking (oh thank you American TV media for your in depth and meaningful coverage!), but what else do we know.
1) As Osama Bin Ladin and other leaders do (Mahmoud Amhadinejad comes to mind), Palin believes that "our national leaders are sending them [the troops] out for a war which is God's Plan." "Oh please," you say, that's just the liberal media talking. First, there is no liberal media. Trust me, I'm liberal and they're not. If I did the news you'd freak out (I believe that if God had a plan he'd put Amy Goodman in charge). Second, here's proof:
2) To her, "reform" means cleaning out the house to hire your friends and vindictively carry out vendettas against her opposition. She embodies the hatefulness and Republican dirty-baseball of the Rove generation. Check this excellent New York Times article thoroughly researched and co-authored by Jo Becker, Michael Powell and Peter Goodman.
3) She claims that though she has no foreign policy experience (and now admits that her "trip to Iraq" never happened), Palin believes that because one can see Russia from parts of Alaska, she's qualified to lead. As my co-worker so eloquently stated: "I can see the moon from my house, does that make me a f&*kin' astronaut?"
4) She supports "abstinence only" sex education and has a knocked up 17 year old daughter. That's funny! Actually, it's really funny. I also get a kick over what it must have been like for that boy who's the daddy when he woke up in the middle of the night to several men in dark suits who told him "you're getting married son, don't even think of anything else." At least he's marrying into a wealthy family.
I could go on for days, but this is a music blog so just go here and read some more truth. Lord knows there won't be any truth coming from the Republican party's advertisements when even the Sultan of Smear Karl Rove says McCain's party has gone "too far" from the truth.
So, where would Ras Michael stand? I bet, like fellow Rasta Cocoa Tea, or Caribbean neighbor and mega-Calypsonian Mighty Sparrow (video below), Ras Michael is all for Change this time out. After all, at the time most Rastas considered Reagan to be the devil-incarnate (his first/middle/last names each have 6 letters) and those in Jamaica have suffered dearly at the hands of the free trade clauses and oppressive policies of neo-con institutions like the World Bank and IMF (Do please check out one of the greatest documentaries ever, Life and Debt).
Ok, so this is a music blog and I feel like I owe you something for making it this far. Here's a link to the absolutely fantastic Ras Michael and Sons of Negus album "Freedom Sounds," a mix of bingi drums, guitars and vocals that might just make one feel like there's hope even amidst the barrage of consolidated media nonsense all around.
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7 comments:
Yup.
you are so right & thanks for all the nice music here
Hi! I'm afraid, I haven't understood you quite well.What's wrong of Rasta being on The Old Testament side? First of all, I don't call it politics(its Old Testament for Gods sake!), I call it finding answers on questions of a life in poverty and slavery(I wonder who is Babylon today mentioned in their songs), universal answers, I would say.Without Old Testament side there would be no reggae, it's soul of the reggae, music is the body. best regards
Pano,
Thanks for your thoughts. I don't see anything inherently wrong with the Old Testament but rather the varied interpretations of it that infuse global politics. For instance, it's various places in the OT sited most often in homophobic rants (which occur far too often in reggae and among the Republican party, although there in a more veiled manner). It's the OT behind Marley's complaints about the confused dress of non-tradition modern women in "Midnight Ravers."
For all intents and purposes I'm atheist and I get a kick out of it. After all, the Republicans start wars and Marley had innumerable extra-marital affairs, both of which are pretty much no-nos in the OT.
Still though, I love Roots Reggae, and I listen to a lot of Gospel too. I hear metaphors in the lyrics (in Gospel in particular), but I know for some people it's more literal. Personally I believe if we all concentrated on the metaphors that the myriad religious stories from all denominations provide as examples for how to lead a good life rather than as explicitly proscriptive religious practices, the world would be a much better place.
Fundamentalist religion in America scares me because, at least as far as it looks on TV, it's really not about love or service but is rather about clans against clans.
So, to wrap this up, I don't mean any disrespect to Rastafari, but as far as women's issues are concerned, I'm not on its side.
To answer you final question, I do understand who Babylon would be today: it's those posing with Old Testament (and New) as a prop while systematically destroying Jamaica's economic independence and keep the majority in poverty.
Yeah, b3, thank you for making it clear to me.
I agree with you about the women's issues, I don't think putting a wife behind the burning stove and let her have 13 children is a forward thinking, but you can't because of that special issue call the whole Rasta movement conservative(Let me a bit remind you:"I find Rasta politics for the most part a bit on the conservative, Old Testament side").
Is the "Midnight Ravers" the only song of Marley? What about "Burnin' and Lootin'" or "Them Belly Full", just to quote two out of hundreds.
The Lyrics for "The Rivers of Babylon", for example, were taken from "Psalms of David"(Psalm 138, or 139 in some issues) . They were written 2000 years ago(or even more!), but I don't find them conservative or even outdated. Or "The Declaration of rights" from Abyssinians... Roots Reggae doesn't necessarily speak only of women's issues, there is something else too, the oppression, for example. Rasta message is universal, it does not concern Jamaica only.
Asking me where is the Babylon today, I will reply: look to the Iraq, that's what once was Babylon.
Thanks again and much respect
Hey Pano,
I guess I'd say the operative phrase in your quote of me is "for the most part." I do think Women's Issues are pretty large--50% of the population and all our mamas is no small deal--but I don't think it begins and ends there.
Regarding Bob Marley, I love the man. His music is uplifting and inspiring. Still though, there are other quotes than "MIdnight Ravers" that could have been pulled. It's not original scholarship on my part anyway though, Carolyn Cooper has a whole chapter in her book Sound Clash that runs the lyric of Marley side by side with Shabba and concludes that, for women, Shabba's lyrics are the truly liberating ones. It's a brilliant and oft-contested chapter and one that I highly recommend just for the way it tickles the brain and provides a rather improbable perspective to the issue.
Running with my idea of metaphor, I'm gonna say that Babylon isn't Iraq anymore. I think it's in Washington DC or wherever Karl Rove and Dick Cheney happen to meet.
I just came across your blog. Thank you for your offerings. I haven't heard this album in a long long time. Going with your "Roots is for Everyone" theme, I thought I would also point out that the AMG review of Michael's second album says that one of his songs is built around "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," completely ignoring the fact that that song is built off an older South African song and a much older melody. I'll step down off the soapbox now. Thanks again.
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