Bush, Cheney and Ashcroft have killed the dream of Peter, Paul & Mary

[Cyrano]

I was just watching Peter, Paul and Mary on PBS. They're fifty years older now and they're still singing "This Land is Your Land."

I remember hearing them as a kid and their words were the promise of a better world. However, the Bushs', Cheneys' and Ashcrofts' always win. The names change and the victims change, but the bad guys always come out ahead.

I thought that when Nixon fell, "goodness" would triumph. It didn't happen.

I thought that when Iran/Contra was exposed, "justice" would prevail. It.didn't happen.

I read about the Nazi's at Nuremberg and thought we'd never again see their ilk. It didn't happen.

"This land is your land. This land is my land," is a fantasy that I spent most of my life believing. This land belongs to Exxon, Mobile, Enron, Halliburton, Bechtel, Bush, Cheney, Ashcroft, et al.

Even if we win in November, nothing will happen to them. They'll live out their lives in wealth and comfort with no guilt at all.

Nonetheless, it's still inspiring to hear those songs after all this time. It makes you believe again, if only for a brief moment.

Sigh.

[Elidor]

1. That was Woody Guthrie's song, actually

But yeah, I know exactly how you feel. The dark ages have returned.

[Cyrano]

3. I know that. It wasn't the point. Sigh.

[TheWizardOfMudd]

5. Woody was a socialist

A socialist movement was needed during his time, as I believe it is now.

[napsi]

13. Socialism

Why because you have no money and think the government should give you some to be fair?

[TheWizardOfMudd]

19. No

Because the government takes your money and all of the other money is held by corporations who would gladly pay you two fucking cents an hour to create their products while they sit back and contribute money to senators and congressman who pass laws allowing the corporations to do it AND YOU'RE LIVING IN A FUCKING CARDBOARD BOX ON A HILLSIDE.

Any questions?

[King_Crimson]

21. Go here napsi...

and see what they're all about! For Certain...they don't muddy the news! http://www.wsws.org

[Cyrano]

6. Hardhead: Sorry, missed the dark ages comment .

Maybe someday in the not-to-distant-future, someone will come along who can pull the sword from the stone.

[Cat Atomic]

10. I wouldn't wait for an Arthur to come along.

Individuals don't change societies. Populations do it. In my limited experience, "leaders" are usually just people who try to make the population's changes acceptable to established centers of power, and take credit for the decisions and actions of the populace.

[Cyrano]

11. "Individuals don't change society."

Well, over the past 3 1/2 years the individuals who control the levers of power have not only changed, but are on the verge of destroying our society.

Sorry to be contrary, but show me where I'm wrong. And I'm also sorry to get off the music nostalgia bit, but perhaps once in a millenium, some version of Camelot does occur. One can only hope.

[Cat Atomic]

14. Haha- ok, you're right. I should've said,

"Individuals don't change society for the better".

Or something similar. Sure, there are plenty of individual leaders that have oppressed and stolen from the populace. It's much harder to find one that's actually sacrificed power and wealth for the betterment of society as a whole.

I truly believe that Camelots are created when the population decides to demand it. Leaders make whatever concessions they must, in order to stay in the castle.

[ClassWarrior]

16. According to Margaret Mead...

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

[Cyrano]

17. Unfortunately, right now, a small group of unthoughtful,

committed citizens happen to be the ones changing the world.They control all the levers of power and only if we're very, very fortunate will we get the chance to throw them out. In the meantime, we're screwed. And they're not letting up. They're depravities continue day after day after day. ("Never mind what the 9/11 commission says. Saddam was responsible for 9/11.")

[Cheswick2.0]

2. Cy, good does triumph

It just has to keep triumphing over and over and over.
I would love nothing more than to see these creeps in prison or deported. That will probably not happen. However we can't give up. If we do it just gets worse.

[Lancer]

4. I get the same feeling

when I hear Paul Simon's American Tune.

And I don’t know a soul who’s not been battered
I don’t have a friend who feels at ease
I don’t know a dream that’s not been shattered
or driven to its knees
But its alright, it’s alright
For we’ve lived so well so long
Still, when I think of the road we’re traveling on
I wonder what’s gone wrong
I can’t help it, I wonder what went wrong.

[Cyrano]

9. Amen. Maybe it's just the late hour, but right now all I can hear is

"The Sounds of Silence."

[mellowinman]

7. All of this nostalgia for Woody...

Why not drop over to Arlo's site, just to say hi, and let him know you're thinking of him?

He's a good guy.

http://www.arlo.net

[Eric J in MN]

8. Songs at moveleft.com

I put an excerpt of a Pete Seeger song about PEACE at:

http://www.moveleft.com/moveleft_entertainment.asp

It's titled "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" and it's in the middle of the page.

Or if you want to listen to the song without going to my website, click below:

http://www.moveleft.com/moveleft/audio/excerpt_last_night_i_had_the_strangest_dream_pete_seeger_lores.mp3

[DeadHead67]

12. This is a NEVER ENDING STRUGGLE !

And NO! no individual will accomplish it on their own. This is a COLLECTIVE EFFORT!!! You and Me, and ALL of us TOGETHER! There will be no single final victory after which we can sit on our collective ass and enjoy peace, freedom, equality, and love. Remember when you think everything is on track, there is some fascist asshole, or more likely a bunch of them, standing in the shadows working to drag everybody else into their darkness. Don't give up!:pals:

[Cyrano]

15. Not giving up, but,

"heart gets weary and sick of trying. I'm tired of living and scared of dying, but..."

Well, you know the rest of it. But Jeeez, whoever it is that supplies the fascists seems to have an unlimited supply. And regardless of our efforts to stop them, it seems that, in the long run, they always prevail while the graveyards are filled with those who tried to stop them.

I guess my bottom line, as a devout agnostic, is that anyone who believes in a just God is whistling in the dark.

[frogbison]

18. Maybe

this just God is an advocate of free will.

One can never allow a "heart 'that gets weary and sick of trying.'
If you get tired, someone else will keep working.

[Zorra]

22. Right on.

We need to kick ass and keep on kicking it.

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance".
Thomas Jefferson

[Cleita]

20. I saw them in concert way back then, when we were all young,

and we thought if we got through this rough spot, things would change and get better. It depresses me thinking about how wrong things have gone and pretty much destroyed what hope we once had.