Merle Haggard just put out an anti- bush song!

[robinlynne]

Tom Hartmann show, on right now. He played an excerpt of the song. unbelievable!

the refrain goes:

let's get out of Iraq
and get back on track
let's rebuild America first.

[Ian David]

1. Don't confuse "Isolationist" with "Liberal". Praise the song, not Merle

The Okie from Mashugina is not "one of us."

It's a great song that is sure to appeal to Bush's xenophobic, selfish, racist base.

We need that right now.

[pitohui]

5. it's explicitly anti-war

the dude wants the levees and roads and bridges rebuild, well, guess what, i have to live down here so i want the same

he supposedly repudiated okie from muskogee years ago

nothing here to appeal to the bush base

[IndyOp]

12. The fun part about the Okies and other rednecks that is

now they are the long-haired ones... Not all, but many, many country-western singers have been for a long time. So, Merle's lyrics from Okie - "we keep our hair cut short" aged pretty quickly.

:hi:

[Ian David]

14. "America First." Read the website. Watch the whole video.

I'll paraphrase it and translate into ultra-cynical Republican-speak:

Hey, why are we helping THEM?

Fuck the Iraqis! Rebuild America First!

'Merica First!


(Pretty much forgetting Collon Powell's "Pottery Barn Doctrine.")

This will appeal to Bush's remaining 33% who don't care what happens to anyone but themselves.

Now, I'm not saying that Merle Haggard is a bad person, or that he's selfish or racist or xenophobic himself.

I'm just saying that this is the message of his song, and that this is the message that will repeal to Bush's Quaeda.

[blitzen]

7. wrong...Merle is an iconoclast....sometimes seems "right-wing," other

times "left."

Example, his song "Irma Jackson" from the 60s--about an interracial relationship, with a critique of "a world that draws a line" between whites and blacks (there are lots of other examples):



I'd love to shout my feelin's from a mountain high
Tell the world I love her and I will till I die
There's no way the world will understand that love is colour blind
That's why Irma Jackson can't be mine

I remember when no one cared about us bein' friends
We were only children and it really didn't matter then
But we grew up too quickly in a world that draws a line
Where they say Irma Jackson can't be mine

If my lovin' Irma Jackson is a sin
Then I don't understand this crazy world we're livin' in
There's a muddy wall between us standin' high
But I'll love Irma Jackson till Idie

She tells me she's decided that she'll go away
And I guess it's right but she alone should have the final say
But in spite of her decision forcin' us to say goodbye
I'll still love Irma Jackson till I die

If my lovin' Irma Jackson is a sin
Then I don't understand this crazy world we're livin' in
It's a muddy wall between us standin' high
But I'll love Irma Jackson till Idie

[IndyOp]

10. Watch the video - it has Veterans for Peace,

shows pictures of US graveyards, has homeless people, African Americans, a pic of Bush Snr & Bill Clinton (but no Jr) --

It is isolationist, far more than it is pro-peace: There is nothing about the suffering of Iraqi's or the immorality of pre-emptive war.

He didn't create the frame "US invaded Iraq to help the Iraqi people" - he is just singing to the people who believe that...

Will it appeal to *'s xeonophobic base - yes, but not as much the racists or the selfish, I think.

:hi:

[Media_Lies_Daily]

11. Nice pre-judgemental jump to unsupported conclusions.

[Ian David]

13. Did you watch the video? Did you read the rest of the site?

I did.

Did you?

[robinlynne]

2. I was just so surprised.

not a country fan, except for the dixie chicks.

[Ian David]

15. I grew-up on country music-- rebelling from my parents

I was the only country music fan in my elementary school.

I still have cassette tapes I recorded off the radio from WKHK-FM New York.

FYI: Give a listen to Steve Earle.

[JohnnyRingo]

3. Yes it is good

"Get Out Of Iraq" See the streaming video here:

http://www.merlehaggard.com/
Excellent

BTW...Here's a very prophetic editorial from '03 on his site:
http://www.merlehaggard.com/merles-editorial.html

[pitohui]

4. video link on front page of his website

http://www.merlehaggard.com

boys you think i'm blowing smoke
i tell you it ain't no joke
i travel coast to coast 20 times a year

ooops, jinx, johnnyringo and i posted the link at the same time!

[MissMarple]

16. The video is also on CMT and GAC. It is quite powerful.

It speaks the truth about the average American's middle class reality. Someone is benefiting from this economy and it isn't the middle class and the working poor.

[Swamp Rat]

6. Thanks for the heads-up!

I'm sure he will play it again at some point.

:patriot:

[mandyky]

8. Merle the Pearl has not liked Bush

for some time now - he saw the folly of Iraq almost immediately.

[OneAngryDemocrat]

9. Is there an MP3?

Anywhere on the net?