Post #261,694
7/14/06 10:59:23 AM
7/14/06 11:01:26 AM
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Couple quotes for you.
We say we have public opinion in America. We have none. We only think second hand. How many of us are there to-day who know whether it is better for the country to have a tariff or free trade? The only opinions most of us have on this subject are the opinions derived second hand from certain men who seek to influence us to their way of thinking, and their way of thinking is generally in a direction that will subserve their own private ends or the ends of the party which they represent. So, you see, we have no citizenship, and our so-called patriotism is a patriotism that is employed for the benefit of political parties and is made a party cry. There are two kinds of patriotism -- monarchical patriotism and republican patriotism. In the one case the government and the king may rightfully furnish you their notions of patriotism; in the other, neither the government nor the entire nation is privileged to dictate to any individual what the form of his patriotism shall be. The gospel of the monarchical patriotism is: "The King can do no wrong." We have adopted it with all its servility, with an unimportant change in the wording: "Our country, right or wrong!" We have thrown away the most valuable asset we had:-- the individual's right to oppose both flag and country when he (just he, by himself) believed them to be in the wrong. We have thrown it away; and with it all that was really respectable about that grotesque and laughable word, Patriotism. I take it Mark Twain is also on your shit list. [Edit: Added more complete quote to number 2] bcnu,
Mikem
It would seem, therefore, that the three human impulses embodied in religion are fear, conceit, and hatred. The purpose of religion, one might say, is to give an air of respectibility to these passions. -- Bertrand Russell
Edited by mmoffitt
July 14, 2006, 11:01:26 AM EDT
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Post #261,755
7/14/06 4:06:22 PM
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Nice! yours are better organized. 'Tis folly though :-/
I recalled the essence and was gonna rummage about for that delicious passage - must be from ~same time as the War Prayer zingers?
(Nobody reads that one anymore, either - it has just Too Much TRUTHINESS)
Then I thought ... Nahhhh.. pissin in the wind.
Just as.. "10 Christians == 10 Religions", where every single one has her Very-Own selection of the parts s/he Likes, (omitting the ugly Nasty-stuff that turns stomachs..) all censored from the Big Manual: it's ditto for patriotism, devalued now ~~ same way as Billy killed -off innovation, for at least a generation.
No listener can have the foggiest! about what memes are circulating in the sera of the user who hurls this shibboleth (any more than ya can ever get a 'Conservative' to hint roughly about W.T.F. s/he. wants. to. 'conserve'. Or to name the topics in the Bill of Rights.) Never mind that recent Ten-Commandments-All-Over yahoo - who could't quote One..)
I say - screw it.
(The dead-word -and- any pointless search for its arbitrary "Meaning"; this especially, as one reviews the actions of those who Use It A Lot?)
Like My Gramma.
I, Species-patriot
Screw all banner-waving Nationalists too, while we're at it.
Wave the fucking banner for: Getting this terminally-superstitious suicidal Species to, finally, Grow. Up.. Instead.
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Post #261,833
7/15/06 11:22:45 AM
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Both well stated opinions.
And if you would have been paying attention, you would have noticed that I don't deny her right to the opinion at all.
However, as an ENTERTAINER, she has placed her livelihood in jeopardy and the livelihood of her partners, managers, crew yadda...by NOT stating her opinion well, or clearly...and indeed stating an opinion that will likely alienate those that pay her wage.
Now, you can call that brave or stupid. Up to you. I know what I've already called it.
Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry.Adrian Belew
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Post #261,834
7/15/06 11:47:48 AM
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Pop tastes change.
The Bay City Rollers aren't too popular these days... Even if they had sucked up to those fans, they may have been squeezed out by newer acts. And don't forget that the Dixie Chicks aren't really a country group. [link|http://www.frontpagepublicity.com/dxc/bio.html|Bio]: When it came time to return to the recording studio, the Chicks knew that they wanted a new direction. Their last studio album, 2002's HOME, was itself a departure - a glorious celebration of their acoustic roots - so there was no obvious next move. They discovered that they shared a fondness for Rick Rubin's work, only to find out that he was a Dixie Chicks fan ever since seeing the trio "completely blow everyone off the stage" at a Sony Music function early in their career.
When sessions began in Los Angeles in May, 2005, Maguire remembers Rubin saying, "I think this should sound like a great rock act making a country album, not a country act making a rock album." Beyond that, things were left open to see where the creative process would lead. "It was a very different style of working," says Maines. "You have to learn to relax and be OK with experimenting. We just knew we wanted to do something different, and that's scary." Artists are supposed to be driven to do things that are different and unexpected. That's what makes them want to do art in the first place. Be happy for them - I am. Finally, their latest album isn't [link|http://www.dixiechicks.com/06_pressDetail.asp?newsID=616|doing too badly], so don't worry about them. OK? :-) Cheers, Scott.
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Post #261,835
7/15/06 12:08:57 PM
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While this disk
is doing ok, a large portion of what would normally be driven by radio play (which they aren't getting alot of thanks to her) is currently being replaced by media exposure surrounding the new release and the interviews related to her old comments.
While they may be "fine, thank you very much" through this...its still, in my opinion, somewhat silly to attack a somewhat large portion of your fan base, in essence calling them idiots, if they are indeed what is providing your livelihood. You make think its true, and I've no doubt the opinion is largely true. But you would think they'd have learned a lesson.
And we'll see, as the DC were the hottest thing going before her last go around, if indeed the backlash from these comments shorten's their span on "the scene"
Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry.Adrian Belew
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Post #261,853
7/16/06 1:20:59 AM
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Mob taste can change capriciously in weird times
and if these aren't weird...
(There are occasional periods when people actually prefer 'entertainers' with a spine to those who are well-managed, pretend everything's normal and just smile a lot.) 'Course fashion is ever fickle; once cheap gas and chances for a job improve, well - back to spineless.
But what if -
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