The Demonization of America

I realize that this might be somewhat of a repeat of my last post but once again I find myself outraged that many people would consider me a monster because I am a capitalist who eats meat and does not believe that the end of the world is just down the corner if we don't do everything that Al Gore tells us (obligatory bow to the general direction of Al Gore - protector of earth mother). What has inspired my ire? Apparently Natalie Portman considers me and all people who are not vegans to be rapists. I did not read her entire article because frankly I got tired of Hollywood types claiming to be the saviours of mankind since Oprah declared her supremacy in the Pantheon of celebrity Gods who tell us what to do.

However, I believe the article talks about the maltreatment of animals in slaughterhouses and so on and so on. Point taken and I am not without compassion for animals but here is the apparent irony that I find so hard to reconcile. I have no doubt that Ms. Portman worships at the altar of political correctness on a regular basis. While I have no confirmation, no doubt the outraged Portman would have no problem partially delivering a child and then sticking, for lack of a better word, an ice pick in the back of its scull and then delivering the no doubt tortured and lifeless corpse. Our beloved president (again, bowing in his general direction chanting yes we can, yes we can), has no problem taking the child resulting from a failed abortion and allowing that child to die in the back closet of a hospital or better yet, finding a public iceberg to send our beloved seniors off to their death, morphine drip provided by uncle Sam (of course, death panels are really just the same as the tooth fairy - they don't really exist right?).

So what is the problem? In a word, hypocrisy with a capital h.

Now as for Mr. Gore (obligatory bow). A few problems here, nuclear energy, offshore oil and natural gas. Truth is there are lots of energy solutions but some would rather have us that to move in any direction that would actually help the environment is also not environmental so we are left with a quixotic dream that windmills will save us (well, as long as we chant yes we can). Or better yet, we can just plug our cars into the liviing room wall at night. Hmm, I wonder what produced that electricity? Logic, nah, we don't need no stinking logic, only Al's smiling face.

And then of course I have Michael Moore telling me that the very system that made him rich is wrong. But guess who will not be waiting in mile long lines for a block of government cheese and moldy bread when hyperinflation hits (but we did need to fund studies on the Siberian snipe did we not?) OK, I jest but the logic confuses me. I guess I think one and one have to add up to two. In the world of Ms. Portman, Mr. Gore and our beloved saviour and self proclaimed big brother you only need to say change and smoke some of that medical marijuana so that when you are waiting for soylent green because the economy has collapsed you will not feel anything even if soylent green is people. I guess the good thing is that soylent greeen will not be animals and Ms. Portman can continue to wallow in her cloud of illogical and idealism with her Hollywood paid doctors while the rest of us will go to the slaughterhouse (oops, sorry I meant hospice) when we get old.

Shoot Me I Am a Captislist

I have been debating for a while to enter into the political foray on my blog. Politics often creates much stronger emotions than musical things which I have found tend to bring people together. Then again, I have been seeing my country change around me and frankly, I feel a bit queasy lately like the rug is being pulled out from under me.

I also realize that many who follow me here might not agree with what I say here. That is your right but I ask that you respect mine as well. The right to make my music, practice my faith and speak my mind. I don't want to wake up in a world where all of those are denied by the government that claims to be looking out for my interests.

My Grandfather fought in WWI and my father in WWII and the Korean war. They fought for freedom. It seems to me that that is what is at stake right now and very few Americans even see it and that bothers me even more.

Lets bring music into this. We have so many great bands, musicians, composers, musical instruments, synthesizers, you name it, because people had the freedom to make them. No one asked if they were green or politically correct or if they made Barack Obama smile. Now my president is CEO of GM who will be forced into mediocrity. Sure, the unions will be happy, or perhaps, only for a while. But I guess that there is a cost to a massive campaign war chest right? Political friends have to be paid off, its the Chicago way.

So what makes for good products. Innovation. Is that bad? I don't think so. Michael Moore apparently thinks so but I guess I agree with John Lennon. "If you are going to go around carrying pictures of Chiang and Mao you ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow". Seems to me that there are people in high places that admire Mao who are called czars arn't there. I guess I just call them a shadow government but that just me. Him, I guess they missed the tanks in the square all those years ago. That's just history anyway and we can rewrite it. Maybe the czars need some new history books.

I really love the movie Wall Street, Gecko in his slogan for runaway capitalism, greed is good. Truth is, Michael Moore is right in that that kind of greed is not good. I saw him on Fox recently and agreed with much of what he said (suprise!). Truth be told I am not a big fan of the kind of capitalism that is only about making money. But those who have watched the movie might recall the father of Gecko's naive apprentice? Keeping companies alive is what is important. Companies that employ people. The same ones that Barney Frank wants to line cmpanies against the wall to be slaughtered by his panel of economic death panels. Frank who wants to be the self appointed substitute for the free market system. Hmm, dont' remember him winning the Nobel Prize in ecomonics but...

I guess this is all I am saying. The next time you turn on your car, light bulb or play a CD or MP3, realize that it came from capitalism. Is greed good? No, but wanted to make a good product, well, it seems to be that's a pretty good thing right?

It seems to me also that we are a generation of self indulgent children who are now tired of playing with our toys and want to throw all of them out and get new ones. I guess its time to take the cross of the wall and replace it with a picture of Mao, Stalin, Lenin, Pol Pot and let our children sing us songs to lull us to sleep, Obama's going to change it, rearrange it, catchy isn't it? If you want the words just ask your child's school teacher. I did my hat to the new constitution, "yes we can" but I guess I also realize like the Who that "I pick up my guitar and play. Just like yesterday, and I get on my knees and pray, we dont' get fooled again". But in the end, I guess the question is should we change? Is change always good? If not, what kind of change is good? I think there are ways to find out right? Shouln't our children be taught philosophy and logic and all those things that can help us find out? Or perhaps, we can sing our little indoctrination song and fall fast asleep. Perhaps my father and grandfather who fought for their country and freedom might see things a bit differently than those who have lost a sense of real history.

If I have offended, go back and sleep and wake up in you bed in the morning and believe whatever you want but make sure that your president appoves.