Come The Revolution...

[MineralMan]

Come The Revolution
A Ditty by MineralMan

Come the Revolution, you may be up against the wall.
When you're gone forever, it won't bother me at all.
Come the Revolution, it's you and him will fight.
I'll be here to tell you just which side is right.

Come the Revolution, things will go my way.
I'll get what I wanted, and you, my friend, will pay.
Come the Revolution, there'll be no meat to eat,
You'll eat lots of tofu, and say it can't be beat.

Come the Revolution, all the stores will close.
We'll kill the corporations, and give 'em all the hose.
Come the Revolution, you'll make the things you use,
And trade some to your neighbors, in exchange for shoes.

Come the Revolution, we're gonna live in peace,
And if you all don't like it, we'll put you on your knees.
Come the Revolution, things won't be this way,
We'll tell you what you want, and tell you what to say.

Come the Revolution, we'll all be Democrats,
Everyone is equal, without those rich fat cats.
Come the Revolution, everyone will work,
With equal pay for one and all, and none will ever shirk.

Come the Revolution, you won't need any car.
What's the point of going anywhere that's very far?
Come the Revolution, you'll ride upon the train,
To go to work and then to come right back home again.

Come the Revolution, you'll eat what we think best,
Lean and thin we'll keep you, just like all the rest.
Come the Revolution, everything will be just great.
You won't need to worry; you'll know what's on your plate.

Come the Revolution, there'll be no need to vote.
We'll pick the best to lead you, and send you all a note.
Come the Revolution, you'll do all things our way,
There'll be no need to wonder exactly what to say.

Come the Revolution, I'll still be sitting here,
Typing fancy words, and drinking fancy beer.
Come the Revolution, you'll know that I was right.
There will even come the day you'll see it in that light.

Chorus:

Oh, join the Revolution to put the world aright.
Our glorious revolution will start this very night.
Don't be weak and join the doomed who venture to oppose.
Come join our Revolution and vanquish all our foes.

[Edweird]

1. Um....

[MineralMan]

2. Speechless, eh?

I was planning to do a parable, but that'll have to wait for another day.

[Edweird]

35. "How many liberators really want to be dictators...."

Where do ya draw the line - The Dead Kennedys

[MineralMan]

36. Based on history, all of them, pretty much.

That's the idea of a revolution, or at least the reality of it. There are all those people who don't like your revolution, so you have to have a firm, firm hand to keep them from their own revolting behavior.

Now, the United States Revolution was a little different. Its leaders came up with a nifty form of government where the people...all of the people...voted to pick their leaders and lawmakers. That sort of eliminated the need for a tyrannical government, just as long as everyone agreed that what happened in the elections would be how things would go, until the next election, at least. So far, so good, more or less. Not everyone's happy with everything, of course, but that's built into the system.

But, there's always a tiny minority on one side or the other that thinks that they know best, and that the people don't know what they want or need. So, there's always a revolution in the works...usually on both sides. Luckily for us, it's a revolution that can never take place, since there aren't enough people who want it, and the ones who talk and write about it aren't the sort to actually take up arms.

So, our system is perfectly capable of letting the people who want a revolution chat amongst themselves about it. It's a harmless sort of revolutionary plotting. All words. It's always worth keeping an eye on, of course, just in case, but we can go along having our elections and choosing our own leaders and lawmakers anyhow.

As I often say, "Ain't America Great!"

[TheKentuckian]

37. Our Revolution did not give everyone a vote at all. Just white male property owners

Further, they set up the electoral college to remove direct representation to make sure the masses did not dictate the terms to the wealthy and powerful and set the Senate up to be elected by state legislatures.

Finally, to be sure representation was completely jacked up each state got two Senators regardless of population.

We had a revolution like any and set a carefully crafted system to benefit the wealthy.

The revolution wasn't a populist deal either, if I recall only about a third of the Colonists favored throwing off the yoke.

[MineralMan]

39. Yah, and then we up and changed it so we elect Senators

directly, huh? As for the Presidency, we kept the Electoral College. I don't think it's produced any unexpected results, really, of any note.

We changed it, too, to give everyone suffrage. Cool, huh? It took too long to suit me, but I was born after suffrage for women, and helped with the civil rights thing when I became an adult. These days, we pretty much do have universal suffrage. Too bad more people don't take advantage of it, I think.

Very clever, those founders. They made the system changeable, and we've changed it. Not always wisely, but that got corrected at least once, with Prohibition.

I haven't seen a perfect system yet. I'm not entirely sure one is possible. For now, ours works. Still, if you have a better idea, it's time to start writing. We even have a mechanism for creating an entirely new Constitution, if we want, so I'd work on that perfect system. If it turns out as good as you think, we can put it in to replace our current system. As I said, those founders were pretty smart cookies.

As for your final point, you are correct about it only being a third who supported the Revolution. I wonder what the percentage was who didn't give a crap one way or another. Pretty substantial, I imagine. It usually is.

[spin]

76. I agree. The founding fathers either through genius or luck ...

produced a unique system of government that works and survives.

I believe they would be amazed at how well the Constitution has worked over the years and agree with many of the amendments passed.

The founders might disagree with the 17th Amendment which allows direct election of Senators. Many would have felt that this would tip the balance of power from the states to the Federal government. There are good arguments for and against the 17th Amendment. I favor direct election. While it does make electing a Senator a popularity contest, it helps to eliminate corruption and bribery.

I also feel that the founders would be upset at the power multinational corporations exert. Many people, even here on DU, suspect that our politicians are bought and paid for by these corporations.

I doubt that any of the founders would have predicted that the form of government that they devised would last anywhere near this long.

[MineralMan]

78. Thanks. Sadly we have no way to find out what they might of

thought about the USA as it is today.

I think the reason for the three separate ways to choose House members, Senators, and the President were designed to provide different paths for the three bodies. With the judiciary selected by appointment with consent by the Senate, the three branches of government used four distinct methods to select officials. With the Senate being chosen by direct vote the number of methods was the same as the number of branches.

I'm not sure the founders could even have conceived of multinational corporations, since communications simply didn't make them possible at that time.

They managed, somehow, to design a system that could be altered to compensate for changes. I think that was a deliberate choice. Otherwise, why include the mechanism in the Constitution. Very clever, that bunch of old guys.

I have not seen anyone suggest a system of government for a new United States of America. The call for drastic change always seems to leave that detail out. And yet, without a replacement system already designed, such a drastic change is not possible.

Idealism forced into power in some sort of upheaval, but without a practical plan, ends in anarchy. That trick never works.

Thanks for your thoughtful, serious post!

[spin]

88. I recently read an excellent novel on the founding fathers ...

and the framing of the Constitution in 1787. the name of the novel is "Tempest at Dawn" by James D. Best.

While historical novels are far from accurate, they do often portray the times in an entertaining and enlightening manner.

It has often amazed me how enlightened and educated the founding fathers were. It could be argued that there was far less knowledge to absorb in their days, but even so their reasoning ability still impresses me.

If we were to produce a new Constitution, I fear it would run at least 20,000 pages and be totally incomprehensible to the average person.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MineralMan]

8. Couldn't say. I haven't been to that site since 2006.

Never had anything to do with any Chambers of Commerce, either.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MineralMan]

10. It's not a person at all. It's a song. I could sing it for you if you like.

[AnArmyVeteran]

59. Put it on youtube! I'd like to listen to you sing it...

[yurbud]

5. this is ripe for parody

[MineralMan]

11. Hmm...it might even BE a parody. Who knows?

Wow...three replies in a row from the same person. That's a new record for one of my posts.

[zeemike]

6. Yep that is kind of the problem with revolutions.

Meet the new boss....same as the old boss.
It seems that peace is never part of the plan.

[MineralMan]

12. I think you've got it....

:toast:

[asdjrocky]

7. Jesus God, forgive him for he knows not what he does. nt

[MineralMan]

13. What does Jesus have to do with this?

I don't get it...

[azmouse]

17. Probably just someone who thinks He turned water into whine.

[MineralMan]

23. Presto Changeo!

Make mine Petite Sirah, thanks. I'm having lamb for dinner.

[asdjrocky]

18. I'm sure you don't.

But whatever you do, don't quit your day job.

[MineralMan]

21. What day job? I work for myself. My day job is whatever I

decide it's going to be that day. Today, I'm being a satirical songwriter. Tomorrow...I think I'll be an angler. Monday, I'll write some blog entries for a HVAC company, if I feel like it that day, or maybe I'll procrastinate and do it on Tuesday.

MineralMan - Doing what he pleases, since 1974.

[ibegurpard]

9. oh, i have a great idea!

sound that little gem out with a fundraising appeal!
better keep it to the Wall Street crowd, though.

[MineralMan]

14. I don't think the Wall Street boys would like it at all.

[NJmaverick]

15. Give me evolution not revolution

[ibegurpard]

16. 'cept you're actually cheering for devolution

[NJmaverick]

68. Not quite, more like you are griping in the face of great accomplishments

[MineralMan]

19. That makes sense, I think.

Evolution has been working just great for about a billion years. Sounds like a plan to me.

[Fumesucker]

20. The revolution will not be televised..

Because it won't happen until the TV is shut off.

It was not mere happenstance that the Roman public was provided with bread and circuses, keep the peons fed and entertained and they won't burn down your villa.

[MineralMan]

22. That's right. Give the corporations the hose.

It's all in the song.

Come the revolution, there won't be a TV.
Nothing there to watch, and nothing there to see.
Come the revolution, you won't have need to think.
Just go to work and do your job, and you'll be in the pink.

[Fumesucker]

27. Wake up and smell the Zyklon B.. n/t

[MineralMan]

29. Yeah...it always seems like modern Revolutions end up that way,

doesn't it? That's the trouble with revolutions. You always have those pesky folks who don't like what you have in mind. What are you going to do, you know? The opposition just has to be dealt with. I think you're getting it. I'm proud of you.

[yurbud]

24. I think that ''no need to vote'' is more appropriate for the DLC & GOP side

Come the neoliberals, you can go ahead and vote,
chose the guy who scares or the one who gives you hope.
Both will work for Wall Street and treat you like a rube,
and both will surely rape you, but the hopey ones use lube.

[MineralMan]

26. See, you can write verses, too. That's what's fun about ditties

like this one. Maybe you've missed your calling. I'm glad to see you joining in...

Revolutions are all the same. They're undemocratic as can be. They can only lead to a tyranny of one side or another. Ain't America Great! You appear to have gotten the point, after all.

Bravo, yurbud. Bravo!

[yurbud]

87. congress should be forced to debate in verse.

[Odin2005]

25. *DOUBLE-FACEPALM*

[MineralMan]

28. Trouble with a double-facepalm is that it leaves a guy

sightless.

[MineralMan]

30. A note about Deleted messages in this thread:

I do not alert on posts in my own threads. Just so you know. It's just not my style. I like to see what people have to say. I like others to see what people have to say, too. It's informative.

[OutNow]

31. Nice ditty - but I like this one better

As we used to sing back in the day


When the revolution comes
Kill them all with knives and guns

Bourgeoisie

Bourgeoisie

[MineralMan]

34. That seems awfully straightforward with its violence, though.

But, it's certainly short and sweet.

[Scurrilous]

32. Good job.

:thumbsup:

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Warren DeMontague]

38. *

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH6b_lSQst0

[Hannah Bell]

pfft.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxA3Q96a8XE


We must begin here and now
A new continent of earth and fire
Come on now gettin higher and higher
Tear down the walls
Tear down the walls
Tear down the walls
Won't you try

[EFerrari]

41. I liked this chant from my favorite anarchist

G8, G20
You few, we many

alternately

You're sexy, you're cute
take off your riot suit

We don't have enough doggerel in GD. What a treat!

:rofl:

[Hannah Bell]

44. :>)

[EFerrari]

47. I think I'm in love with Franklin Lopez.

Which is unseemly in every possible way.

lol

[MineralMan]

45. We also need more whimsy in GD.

Whimsy is good. I like whimsy.

[Hannah Bell]

46. whimsy brings people together; it doesn't divide.

whimsy is open & light, not heavy & mean-spirited.

[MineralMan]

55. I didn't claim that this OP was whimsy. It's not.

It was not intended to be. I do use whimsy, though, in other posts.

[EFerrari]

65. Really?

As someone who needs to make other people think and who uses the royal "we", whimsy is probably not something you'd enjoy -- unless it was yours or under your authority.

But thanks for prescribing for GD. :)

[Hannah Bell]

40. .

[Hannah Bell]

42. ,

[MineralMan]

43. Third time's a charm, they say.

So, did you write that? Pretty good.

[NNN0LHI]

48. Hey MM, while I got you here if you don't mind?

On those circle hooks you write about in your fishing blog. You said(I am paraphrasing here), that after you notice the fish has taken the bait you just point the pole toward the fish and start reeling it it.

My question is do I not need to set the hook? You didn't mention that. I tried some of them(With varied success), and the fish were spitting out the hook just as I was getting them to shore without setting the hook. Is that normal? Am I doing something wrong?

I later tried setting the hook and had one catfish out of 3 still swallow the damn circle hook. Had to destroy that 40 cent hook cutting it in half with side-cutters to remove it.

Thanks in advance.

No rush to answer this either. Whenever you get time will be fine. Although my wife and I are going fishing in about an hour so I wish you would hurry it up.:)

Don

[MineralMan]

53. Yah, that's the idea with the circle hooks.

I've had good success with the point and reel method. You do have to reel really fast to drag the hook out to the corner of their mouths where it will automatically hook them.

Typically, if you haul back to set the hook when using a circle hook, you'll pull it right out of their mouths and lost the fish.

What brand of circle hooks are you using, and what size? Also, what bait are you using for catfish? If it's cut bait, then you may have too large a chunk on the hook. That can prevent the hook from rotating at the corner of the mouth, which might be the reason the cats are spitting the hook as you get them to shore. The point of the hook and a portion near the point need to be fully exposed. If the bait moves and covers up the hook point, the hook won't work properly.

From my experience, catfish aren't fussy about visible hooks, so you might try a smaller bait chunk or a larger hook. Catfish have some big mouths, so they can handle sucking in a pretty good size chunk of bait

[NNN0LHI]

60. Been using Gamakatsu Octopus Circle sizes 1/0 and 1

Good chance I wasn't reeling in fast enough as you suggest. Thanks for that suggestion. I will try that this evening.

Using night crawlers for bait. Not really even fishing for the catfish. Caught a largemouth the other night that was big enough to have mounted but I am not really fishing for them either. What I am trying to catch is some of the grass carp we put into this lake. They get huge and fight like hell. That is what I want to catch if I can. But they are smart. If they feel the slightest bit of resistance on whatever they pick up they drop it. I am thinking these hooks may not be the best for what I am actually trying to catch?

Thanks for the advice.

Don

[MineralMan]

73. Well, I've caught several common carp on the circle hooks, up to

about 20 lb. They seemed to work very well. I fish with nightcrawlers, too, most of the time. What I do is thread them on the hook, instead of hooking them several times in loops. That always seems to produce better results for some reason. I wish I could watch the fish as they approach and decide to take the bait. I'm sure I'd learn a lot from that.

[MineralMan]

84. For the grass carp, try a fish-finder type of rig, that lets the

hook and line run through an egg sinker. Use a swivel to stop the sinker, then about a 2' leader. Leave your bail open or the reel in free-spool mode. The fish will take the bait and swim off a ways with it. Give them time to swallow the bait. They won't feel the weight of the sinker, so they won't drop it.

Then, after some line has been taken and you think they've swallowed the bait, carefully reel in the slack, then go with the fast point and reel to engage the circle hook. That should work for your grass carp. It does for the catfish and carp around here.

[NNN0LHI]

86. The faster reeling paid off for us this evening

Caught some nice fish with no swallowed hooks. Made things much nicer for all involved. Thanks for the advice about threading the worm too. I have done that before more by accident than anything else and now as I recall it always did work good.

Thanks again for the ideas.

Don

[name not needed]

49. +1

[proteus_lives]

50. Nice song.

Revolutions usually are, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

[MineralMan]

56. Sadly, you're right. I think some may have missed the point

here. Most "revolutions" end up as tyrannies.

[okie]

67. What about the tyrannies they replace?

"There were two 'Reigns of Terror,' if we would but remember it and consider it; the one wrought murder in hot passion, the other in heartless cold blood; the one lasted mere months, the other had lasted a thousand years; the one inflicted death upon ten thousand persons, the other upon a hundred millions; but our shudders are all for the "horrors" of the minor Terror, the momentary Terror, so to speak; whereas, what is the horror of swift death by the axe, compared with lifelong death from hunger, cold, insult, cruelty, and heart-break? What is swift death by lightning compared with death by slow fire at the stake? A city cemetery could contain the coffins filled by that brief Terror which we have all been so diligently taught to shiver at and mourn over; but all France could hardly contain the coffins filled by that older and real Terror -- that unspeakably bitter and awful Terror which none of us has been taught to see in its vastness or pity as it deserves." Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court

[Hannah Bell]

75. oh, horsepuckey.

[MineralMan]

77. Nice and concise.

Thanks for the kick.

[LoZoccolo]

51. It reminds me a bit of "California Über Alles" by the Dead Kennedys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CR2rxRMcTE

It's kind of interesting that people think of punk rock as being aligned with radical politics, and yet here we have a satirical call for moderation as one of it's classic staples.

[LoZoccolo]

54. (clearer studio version here)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW8UlY8eXCk

[MineralMan]

57. Wow! Thanks. I'll have to go listen to that.

[Hannah Bell]

58. that song is making fun of lifestyle libs; it's not a "call to moderation". jeez.

California Uber Alles"

I am Governor Jerry Brown
My aura smiles
And never frowns
Soon I will be president...

Carter Power will soon go away
I will be Fuhrer one day
I will command all of you
Your kids will meditate in school
Your kids will meditate in school!

California Uber Alles
California Uber Alles
Uber Alles California
Uber Alles California

Zen fascists will control you
100% natural
You will jog for the master race
And always wear the happy face

Close your eyes, can't happen here
Big Bro' on white horse is near
The hippies won't come back you say
Mellow out or you will pay
Mellow out or you will pay!

Now it is 1984
Knock-knock at your front door
It's the suede/denim secret police
They have come for your uncool niece

Come quietly to the camp
You'd look nice as a drawstring lamp
Don't you worry, it's only a shower
For your clothes here's a pretty flower.

DIE on organic poison gas
Serpent's egg's already hatched
You will croak, you little clown
When you mess with President Brown
When you mess with President Brown

[LoZoccolo]

61. Do you know any lifestyle libs who support the suede-denim secret police?

[Hannah Bell]

62. do you know anything about jerry brown in the 70s?

[LoZoccolo]

64. I heard that he was the governor of California.

[Hannah Bell]

66. yes. and no hippie. california uber alles was released in 1979, the beginning of the yuppie era.

& california's upper classes were in the lead with their organic/spirituality/be the best me i can be bullshit = lifestyle libs.

[MineralMan]

79. I do. What did you want to know?

[LoZoccolo]

63. Also, I find Jello Biafra to be a pretty reasonable guy albiet to the left of me.

I've listened to some of his spoken-word stuff and found him to be pretty thoughtful and persuasive.

[asdjrocky]

70. You clearly misunderstood the song. nt

[LoZoccolo]

71. NO U n/t

[asdjrocky]

72. Funny.

But coming from someone who sat at the feet of Jello Biafra, you've got it wrong, and he would only laugh at your attitude. And not in a good way.

Listen to Freedom of Speech, Just Watch What You Say. The whole album.

[LoZoccolo]

74. Why is your explanation better than mine?

[okie]

52. Vive la Revolution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHsdGdrAPWw

[asdjrocky]

69. Here's a real revolution song-

As true now, as it was then-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viYdHvYM6ao

[MineralMan]

80. Yah, mon!

How'd that revolution turn out, anyhow?

[MineralMan]

81. Here's another revolution song. You may recognize it:

You say you want a revolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Alright alright

You say you got a real solution
Well you know
We'd all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well you know
We're doing what we can
But when you want money for people with minds that hate
All I can tell you is brother you have to wait
Don't you know it's gonna be alright
Alright alright

You say you'll change the constitution
Well you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it's the institution
Well you know
You better free your mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of chairman mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow
Don't you know know it's gonna be alright
Alright alright

[Joanne98]

82. I like it.

:thumbsup:

[MineralMan]

83. Thanks, Joanne98.

It seems like many disagree, though.

[agent46]

85. Remember the war with Franco -

They won all the battles but we had all the good songs!
:smoke:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtAfIjRKUak