Woodstock 2009: A Slow Learning Curve?

One generalization, that unfortunately holds true for “many” musicians and rock bands is, despite the fact they often have potentially huge audiences (the marketer’s dream), is that they often have little, if anything, intelligent and insightful to say about social and political issues.

So despite 40 years to have learned about what matters most in this society that presumes itself free, oldies but goodies rock and roll stars that will re-ensemble will likely have little to add to vital political debates of our day—save perhaps the typical “hippy” cliché like: “Peace everywhere man.”

Although, surely, there was some political awareness in the latter ‘60s that became symbolic at the initial and famous Woodstock concert, but still most people then were just “more” alienated to the older generation’s presumptions then to clear principles of what they stood. Did they really exude such a high level of critical awareness—other than the fact that they did not want to be drafted? Yet how long did it take before America’s youth finally took Vietnam seriously?

But even to this day there is little, if anything, to show for such madness and massive war machine bombing that put a humongous hellhole of bombs and fire into a foreign people’s livelihood—save what money was made by “investors” into this same military machine.

Yet today these times are, in some critical respects, even more dire, than back in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The dirty politics that has continued to transpire in its ebbing and flowing over decades has come to blow back in very big ways. So if there was ever a time for entertainers and artisans, of all breed and makeup (both the young and old), to be critically active and socially aware of political events—now is such a time—because the very foundation of our politic system continues on its downward trajectory.

First off, many have by now come to realize that the Obama administration has been “high jacked” by similar corrupt forces that corrupted the Bush administration—and this was already apparent in some of his staff choices. But more precisely he opts business as usual and to continue many of the Bush administration policies—despite his campaign promises to the contrary.

One of the more egregious of these issues is a seeming tentativeness for a continuation of Guantanamo—the most ostentatious symbol of America’s gulag system—and also our huge prisoner system. Apparently Barack has chosen not to confront these related realities from the American public—being unduly influenced by the same civil servants and corrupted Congress that equally were to blame.

But as noteworthy, intellectuals like those as The Nation magazine—which advocated for Obama, or the leading democratic candidate (and “not” for a third party or wild card candidate), now evince whining about feeling betrayed? Yet if any people should have known the Democratic Party was the other side of a corrupt coin, they, and their literati elitists and infiltrated institution, should have?

How did these fools, like so many pseudo-liberals, who could not leave their comfort zone, not realize the immensity of American corruption—and that something drastic needed to be done—which in their compromising complaisance itself is corruption—and this speaks of many on the left and their websites.

But more specifically, they will not likely assert the likelihood—that U.S. sponsored torture of Islamic prisoners has probably rendered “zero” results of quality or worthwhile intelligence (save perhaps what “Israeli” objectives might have wanted). The fact seems that so called manufactured “confessions” of Islamic terrorism were a continuation of the deceit of 9-11—that is that it was most likely a “false flag” operation meant to initiate a whole serious of wars, as another set of Medieval crusades, that were decided well in advance of George W being elected, and merely needed to be fobbed onto the American public. (see Naomi Klein’s “The Shock Doctrine.”)

Furthermore, few want to say what also seems rather obvious—at least to those who have studied deeper into the 9-11 controversy—and that is that the investor class and sector for the military industrial complex, and energy and oil companies, and some rightwing advocates for right-wing Israel had more to do with 9-11 than did any Muslims and Arabs (that is those not paid with proxy dollars).

So why are Americans continuing to imprison Muslims and Arabs and spy on Muslims and Arabs when they were not likely the perpetrators to 9-11? And is this why the Bush administration and the Obama administration, via their executive agencies, continue to advocate keeping a close guard on “their” secrets about so-called enemy combatants—that if the public sees such open trials they might get a glimpse of the levels of deceit perpetrated on the American people by a thoroughly corrupted government and media culture?

Where are the real patriots of American values?

Why are not American forces instead spying on likely Israeli connections, and their non-profit money streams, and phone calls coming and leaving the United States? Why instead have we been compiling an enemy and terrorist list that is more a favor to Israel (or enemies of the U.S. to the extent that the U.S. teams with Israel and vetoes resolutions at the United Nations—since practically every other nation is sick of Israeli attitudes and presumptions)?

Why should we continue to be saturated with the idea that Israel’s enemies are automatically America’s enemies—when Israel’s behavior has indicated on plenty of occasion they act more like an enemy to the people of the United States? And why are we not declaring war on Israel if right-wing Israel and their spy rings that invade our nation? Why are we not sending commando raids into their country of at least 200 nuclear weapons? Why are we instead being conned by their blackmail and undue influence in our internal politics—to the point that we are constantly entangled in other country’s politics for them—such as Iran?

There is, for example, something very deceitful about how certain Jewish organizations complain about anti-Semitism against Jews and yet how they continue to espouse propaganda that continues to use terms like “Islamo-fascism, Islamo-terrorism,” etc. in their ongoing campaign to convince us “naïve” Americans that Israelis are obviously American friends while Muslims are our enemies.

Just recently, the Simon Wiesenthal Center hosted a screening of “Third Jihad” produced by the Clarion Fund, a film that again stereotypes “Islamophobic” caricatures—something right-wing Jews and Christians and right-wing media have been doing for decades; but especially since 9-11—an event they apparently had hoped would set off at least 50 years worth of war pitting Christian countries against Islamic countries—for the benefit of gas and oil companies and Western consumption, and for Israel.

Now we are expected to continue a long epoch that American soldiers dying for Israel’s right to steal land and property from the Palestinians—similar to their “anti-human rights” propaganda that can be found in their Old Testament in which one demented Moses “claimed” Yahweh had “commanded” them to kill off the inhabitants of Canaan millennia ago? How convenient does religious propaganda work to justify what would normally be considered immoral in any normal context?

But apparently the naiveté of Christians, including Obama and Clinton, are still willing to turn the other cheek as the lambs they seem in respect to wolves in sheep clothing? But then this is part of Middle East religious dysfuntionalism that had saturated Europe via the Romans. If the God of the Old Testament was a tyrant—which he is clearly portrayed to be—then Jesus of the New Testament was a psychological slave to such a tyrant. So apparently Christians of the West will continue to “tolerate” whatever arrogance Israelis want to dish out—in the name of their “meaner” God—such violating our modern values?

But now this whole cover-up from 9-11 to torture continues to push the United States closer into a Nazi-like state—as more and more lies will be needed and more Americans become corrupted in the process. How many more “black op” bombings will be enacted by “terrorist proxies” and likely paid for by tax dollars—meant to fool the eternally stupid—but that will continue to be blamed on Islamic enemies via our powerful propaganda machines? How many more phony websites and phony videos will claim responsibility for al Qaeda attacks even when some such websites were established within the United States or created by bribe monies sent else-where? How many lies will be used to cover up lies to cover up how corrupt this culture’s elite and people have become?

What does America’s music and entertainment culture have to say about any of this? Where are the idealists of the ‘60s and ‘70s on these matters? Or is it a fact that Americans are too easily seduced by bread and circus, shopping and sports, gadgets and dumbed-down TV to give a damn about anything truly important? Yes we Americans have had the luxury of being ignorant and motivated by selfish pursuit of materialism and the ego baubles of status symbol—but for how much longer? (See Naomi Wolf’s “A Letter to a Young Patriot”.)

Regarding 9-11 and its purpose for war--most on the left-wing have remained silent—and have ignored the truth movement? And don’t say that Jews from New York City don’t know more about the truth of 9-11—despite the enormous peer pressure in Jewish circles to not recognize this “conspiracy theory.” So why are they staying silent? Well likely it is because they don’t want more history of anti-Semitism and because they support the state of Israel.

But this is not likely going to work—rather it will backfire. Such strategy may seem reasonable but then maybe they ought to recognize that it was a very “small” minority of right-wingers who were behind 9-11—and not Jews, Christians or capitalists in general—and that they ought openly partake in gaining justice and closure on this matter so it stops festering like a cancer and corrupting more people. Rather they, in their silence and misguided loyalty, like so many Americans in general, who have been sitting on their hands, have become the cover-up. Yet that people here should continue to hold, for example, resentment against the German population for not speaking out about Nazis—who equally had a price to pay—if not more? How the tables do turn.

The fact remains that Israel and Jewish lobbies did a “great” deal to push the United States into this disastrous war with Iraq, that has done so much to destroy and corrupt our economy—at least for the masses—and there is indeed plenty of resentment about this truth. There may be more anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel but perhaps there are motivating circumstances that need be addressed?

Meanwhile Israelis and some Jewish-Americans still have the nerve to push us toward another war with Iran—even though we know they stopped their nuclear program—whereas Israel secretly developed nuclear weapons during the time of the Kennedy assassination. Plus it seems we are being “tricked” into the quagmire of Afghanistan and Pakistan (as if we were being manipulated by the Russians and Chinese) on the assumption we have the resources to do what we megalomaniacally presume.

But why should American soldiers from American’s rural and suburban areas (the dumb rubes the likes of Sacha Cohen likes to portray in his gag movies) die for what appears as a conspiracy of multi-national terrorists as war profiteers? Or why should the United States fight a war for a Zionist project that discriminates against people who are not Jewish—when our own American creed is about equality irrespective of ethnicity or religion?

Where are the artists and musicians speaking out on the atrocities of U.S. foreign policy that is made by the richest one percent of Americans and other special interests and industries? Why should the poor and middle class fight wars that are meant to enrich the corrupt and impoverish the masses? Even during the Middle Ages the classes that fought were exempt from paying taxes. Whereas here in the U.S. the wealth class that does “not” fight is taking American’s tax dollar via excess profits.

Or for example newspaper pundits complain about federal spending but not when it has to do with the military budget or intelligence funding—funding of which goes to private corporations that have no accountability to the Freedom of Information Act.

Fascism seems to be growing under the Obama camp as well as the surveillance complex that continues to grow. But if a real tyrant comes into power after Obama then even all pretense of a republic and democracy is gone—with martial law already in place around the corner.

If President Obama had any “real” audacity for hope—he would tell the Israelis to separate Church and State and grow out of their delusional fairy-tale about some conspiracy theory of a God that made them a special people and gave them a special and eternal place.

Or to continue to hang on to the two state solution idea at this point is not only ridiculous it is insincere in its impotency—it shows a complete bankruptcy of American imagination. Why should we continue to live under the yoke of the European disease of kowtowing to egotistic religions?

Do those Caucasian, redneck, Israeli implants really expect the world to continue to support their historical basket case “tradition” that supposes a religious inheritance? Do indefatigably presumptuous “Jewish” pundits who write for big media—like Thomas Friedman’s latest: “Israel and America are having one of those periodic marital spats they have had over the years…” really expect that we are still ready to forever tolerate more Israeli ethnocentricity and intransigence? After all has not “every” Jewish administration lied to American administrations about sharing resources with Palestinians while they continued their thievery?

Face it—Obama was elected because he was willing to go into another war in Afghanistan, and because he was willing to “not” look at the shocking corruption of 9-11 and post torture—to which employees of the U.S. Agencies and State Department have come to work, “not” for an overall national security or the common good, but for the rich to prey upon the poor the world over, so as to feed the financial appetites of the financial elites—who have declared war on the rest of humanity. (See John Akbar’s video “The Corporation” to understand the psychology of the legal form of psychopath that our legal systems has created in the name of laissez faire capitalism.)

Why are America’s young not concerned about an economic system that could likely collapse to what happened in Russia? Why are so many Americans asleep to how deep the lies and shocking the truth?

Yet what can we expect from the hippies of yesterday and those of today—other than your typical escapist clichés as “world peace” or an advocation of adolescent anarchy that says I want to smoke marijuana? These attitudes are phony substitutes for true awareness or a spirited defense as awareness is the first defense.

There will never be total peace in any dynamic situation. And more importantly some wars are worth fighting—maybe not many—but some which includes intellectual wars that demand resolve and courage. Whereas pseudo-liberals and pseudo-patriots in there costumes of clichés act as if they are afraid to take a stand on anything daring—even if an American tradition. Such insincerity is escapist, drop-out, and turkey shit.

Rather let us “hear” about some “specific” concerns by an informed citizenry at that microphone that shows a little old fashioned passion. Let’s hear some Woodstock oldies talk like they have learned “up” to a culture of informed consciousness. It is time for the American citizenry to get off their lazy, intellectual asses; and start reading with a zeal and a skeptical awareness worthy of an intelligent and challenged people. It is time for America’s artists to grow up—rather than hanging on to ineffectual and eternal narcissism. Maybe even this time Bob Dylan will articulate some thoughts of social concern rather than playing a role of coy non-descript? Wake up and die right America!