From: WK7@CORNELLC.BITNET
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Subject: life is a carnival
Date: 17 Oct 92 01:36:30 GMT
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU

I related to this topic a great deal, because for many years I've been
aware of how governments sedate their more rebellious elements. This also
relates to the question awhile back about the lack of political punch in
much of today's music.

I personally feel like I've been co-opted by my own kind - in other words,
'effete snobs for peace', 'nattering nabobs of negativism', to quote 2
of old Spiro's shots at the commie pinko liberal assholes, like me.

Actually, I don't feel I ever was taken in by the softening of the re-
bellious factions in this country, but I think it has perhaps critically
neutered the students of the 90's. Fer instance, and I know I'm talking
off the top of my pin-like head, but today kids feel rebellious by wearing
tie-dyed shirts they bought in Bloomingdales. They listen to rap and get
down with their funky black brothers, but they don't DO anything !
They buy pre-ripped jeans for mucho bucks and try to feel like the new
woodstock generation.

Although I already mentioned rap, here's another OMC: when I used to go
to see Jefferson Airplane it was a political as well as an emotional
musical experience. When Grace sang 'up against the wall, mother f**cker',
we all cheered, and got our anti-establishment batteries renewed. Now
a couple of minutes ago at work I heard the Jefferson Starship's song 'We
can build this dream together' or whatever it is, (a sad wimpy song for
Grace to stoop to, and a suitably stupid video), and it was on a lite
radio station played by my neighbor !!!!! AAAArrrrggggh!!!  Now kids do
weak acid and/or drink snapple and go to see the Dead and feel hip, and
Woodstockish. Ick.

I don't know if I'm politically informed enough to fully explain how this
insidious process of diluting people's dissenting wills happens, but I've
seen too many ex protestors, black armband-wearing english or social science
majors turn into clone lawyers with 3 kids and a house in the burbs.
Maybe I'm a mutant, or developmentally disabled, but I'm still pissed over
all that stuff that we supposedly 'accomplished' in the 60's and 70's !
We didn't change shit! Tricky Dick hung himself, and that whole scene was
fun, but then we let up or something, because after they stopped tear gas-
sing us at rallies and sit-ins, it seems we just walked around with our
banners and looked for a celebrity to do a soul handshake with. Ugh.

I try to adopt an attitude which I call 'benign anarchy', which I stole off
an old friend from London who actually evaded society better than I ever
did. I just wonder if, when the money runs out for the beer ball and fake
tie-dyed carnivals of the 90's will anyone have the stones to get up and
get angry again ? Will there be more Berrigans in the clergy or elsewhere?

In the meantime I try to jar people's minds back into reality, cast my 1
vote (for the lesser evil), and then duck for cover behind large rocks...
because you never know when the choppers will swoop down...or when a guy with
love beads tries to get me to vote republican...

                      i remain extant.
                                                   ....w c k ....