War. Peace. Kabuki. Fallacy.
I perform. Therefore, I am. Cheer. Boo. USA. USA. USA.
sound track for this post
Going in, I thought this would make a great photo-image-backdrop for a cool-interesting-thematic post. In one way it does. Not the way I envisioned it. But it is. (The shining-star reflection off the top of my head is an added bonus)
Much like Ukraine. Not like it was imagined. Or War-Gamed. What an obscene term. Necessary. But obscene nevertheless. And I imagine more or less as obscene as many things. Both public and personal.
As Kabuki shows us, not all pleasures are for the eye. But many pains are. Therein lies the fallacy. And we understand it all. Only because it is inherent in us. We live to hide. And we die to expose. Or when exposed. How is it the same now?
But what happens when kabuki is normal? And official. As we see. And are told not to see. Or, if we did see, then do not believe. We suffer discord. And detachment from reality.
What is the kabuki here? Hard to imagine riding the keyboard the whole day long under a blazing hot Joshua Tree sun. Hell, I couldn't even SEE the screen! So let’s call it humorous kabuki. I certainly don’t believe it could seriously be called a malicious fallacy. Do you?
So then a willful suspension of disbelief is good. Not only good, but encouraged and celebrated. Hollywood or Bollywood anyone? What happens when that “willful suspension” becomes an arrow in the quiver? Not my quiver. But any quiver. Isn’t it now a weapon? By definition?
Hey, the guy I hate can grab the arrow and stuff it up his quiver. Actually, it actually happened. Not euphemistically.
So let’s talk about War. Specifically, World War. Every generation is so wrapped up in itself. Very few generational cohorts have really saved the world. Most have squandered every single inheritance. Hmmm? Trust-fund-babies. Seems like first-borns fail.
My saving grace in this drama is my love for 4am documentaries on the history of the world. Not Monty Python's, but I think I will watch that tonight to escape. I wish my brethren in Ukraine could do the same. (TRIGGER WARNING - FUNNY SHIT HERE THAT PISSES SOME PEOPLE OFF)
Things I watch to help make sense
Monarchy With David Starkey
The British Monarchy has been held for over 1500 consecutive years. (America plans for 250 like a wedding singer asshole.) It was built out of the ruins of the Roman Empire. Unlike the Normans, no vestige of Roman occupation had influence.
Formed from the blood of defenders, marauders, interlopers, homicidal incestual maniacs, intrepid lovers, weak poets, psychopathic murderers, tyrannical despots. Oh, peasants too. Somebody had to be taxed then killed.
Abraham Lincoln
The 3-piece Lincoln History doc was beyond beef! The highest points (of the documentary) obscured the lowest, and the result was thus: a boy, a reader, a man, a lover, a fighter, a wreck, a shining star, a burn-out, a go-getter, a do-nothing, a weeper, a get-alonger, a go-it-aloner, a husband, a father. A savior.
Saviors are hard to come by these days. Maybe one is in the making in Ukraine.
WAR SONGS. and songs of peace
My friends, it is hard to live in a vacuum. Equally hard is writing in a vacuum. Without comments from my readers, I feel like the guy in the liquor store yelling about the war. Or Jeb Bush.
I curated and collated a playlist that I listened to twice. Today. And I will listen again right now. I cannot do anything. I want to go get a gun and jump in. And how will that help? Just one more body in the way.
I was horrified but calmly not surprised to learn that the new Vlad the Impaler, er, Vlad the Crematoriie’ has brought along the newest mobile incinerators to dispose of the bodies of the weak Russian Soldiers that died along the path of destruction.
Have we not had enough? One man drags us to the 18th Century. With 21st Century arms. I nightdreamedmared this before. And we analyze. And predict.
The occasion that led to hours of uninterrupted listening availability is the direct result of long drive times. This playlist is almost an hour. Songs that last nine minutes are hard to listen to. But we need to be uncomfortable right now.
Imagine 24 hours in a bomb shelter. Please do.
now sit there and listen. dont make time. spend your time. you cannot make time. you can only spend it. why are you collecting time? for the future? what future are you going to cash that time-check in for? please tell me. cuz it sounds like a powergrab. i want your time. why did you save it? it must be valuable.
Hence the Kabuki. Bring forth the Fallacy. We need bodies to kill. To make people feel something. How sad.
I curated and collated this playlist exactly for today. Because I am not sure that we all have another yesterday. War songs talk about that. yesterday I drove to Joshua Tree. today I drove to Lancaster. From there to here. And back.
I have listened to this coda 3 times now full-length. I cried. How can this be happening. Now. Is this the Now-Normal we waited for? Sacrifice shit.
So let the music speak to you. And yell back. And scream. And weep. Then live.
I began and ended with Al Stewart for some unknown reason. But upon listening, the reason is apparent. We have been here before. In Europe. With the same players. Only the calendar and weaponry has changed.
The poor wretch understated, wistfully, when asked what was left behind . . .
My husband. My house. my dog, my cats . . .
my life . . .
ROADS TO MOSCOW,
Al Stewart
And the pale sun of October whispers the snow will soon be coming
And I wonder when I'll be home again and the morning answers
"Never"
And the evening sighs and the steely Russian skies go on forever
About
Each verse of the song covers a different phase of the campaign, starting with the invasion by German troops that commenced on 22 June 1941. First comes the attack, the catastrophic destruction of Soviet Air Force aircraft at their aerodromes by the Luftwaffe, and the initial efforts by Soviet soldiers to escape the advancing Nazi horde.
The next portion of the song relates the Russian retreat through the Ukraine during the summer and fall of 1941, including the fall of Smolensk, culminating in the approach of the Nazi armies to Moscow during Operation Typhoon. Stewart next describes the onset of winter, with snow and mud proving insurmountable obstacles for the Germans in the Battle of Moscow, following which they were forced to retreat.
The German soldiers are portrayed as walking "in the footsteps of Napoleon", referencing the French Emperor's ill-fated invasion of Russia in 1812.
Next, the song turns to the activities of the Soviet partisans, who waged their own war against the Germans behind German lines. It then references the great Battle of Stalingrad, the turning point of the Second World War for Germany, which led to the destruction of the German Sixth Army and ultimately sealed the fate of the Nazis in the conflict. Two broken Tiger tanks are depicted, flames flickering from their open hatches to signify the destruction of the German armored forces at Kursk and other places during 1943 and 44, and the increasing hopelessness of their military situation.
The song moves on to the Soviet invasion of Germany itself, during which the Germans are able to offer little effective resistance. It speaks of "old men and children" being sent to stop them, but who are unable to do so. Then comes the Battle of Berlin, following which the Germans realize that their "dream" of world domination is over--together with Hitler's reign of terror.
Finally, the song turns to its protagonist, who is eagerly anticipating his return to Russia after four years of fighting. When he crosses the border, however, he is detained by the MGB when they learn that he had been captured by the Germans earlier in the war--even though he was released after only one day. He is separated from his companions and sent to the Gulag, where the song ends as he contemplates the "forever" expanse of the "steely Russian skies" above his camp.
Water No Get Enemy
Fela Kuti
I “discovered” this amazing artist from a writer here on Substack. The FLARE is crazy-eclectic and just cool to check out because your walk-away is a headful of take-aways.
T'omo ba n'dagba omi l'o ma'lo If your child dey grow, na water he go use If water kill your child, na water you go use T'omi ba p'omo e o omi na lo ma'lo
What is so essential to you? The human need for basic rights is something oppression can never kill.
Drink Before the War
Sinead O'Connor
Turns out the crazy dude raging in the wind is a prophet. If this song does not make you cry, much less weep, I would look for a soul if I were you. Who knew Sinead had this in her? I didn’t. The beauty of music is the absolute pain it causes.
No, no, no, it won't happen to us We've lived our lives, basically we've been good men So stop talking of war 'Cause you know we've heard it all before Why don't you go out there and do something useful? Oh, listen to the man in the liquor store He yelling "anybody want to drink before the war?" "Anybody want to drink before the war?" "Anybody want to drink before the war?"
War Pigs
Black Sabbath
"War Pigs" was inspired by the Vietnam War. Sabbath bass player Geezer Butler, who was also their lyricist, recalled to Mojo in 2017: "Britain was on the verge of being brought into it, there was protests in the street, all kinds of anti -Vietnam things going on. War is the real Satanism. Politicians are the real Satanists. That's what I was trying to say."
Generals gathered in their masses Just like witches at black masses Evil minds that plot destruction Sorcerer of death's construction In the fields, the bodies burning As the war machine keeps turning
Not much to say that Ozzy hasn’t screamed about in this one. I pity the fool that believes the war machine has morality.
A Farewell To Kings
Rush
When they turn the pages of history When these days have passed long ago Will they read of us with sadness For the seeds that we let grow? We turned our gaze From the castles in the distance Eyes cast down On the path of least resistance
History is either imposed or resisted. Then it is written. Who are you letting write your history?
Gates Of Steel
Devo
A man is real Not made of steel But the earth is all we know We pay to play the human way Twist away the gates of steel The beginning was the end Of everything now
I have listened to this song for decades. Today it has brand-new meaning. What do you call a thought not-thought? An imposition? Fair enough. Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed himself when I heard these once-familiar-but-not-now lyrics.
Immigrant Song
Led Zeppelin
On we sweep with threshing oar Our only goal will be the Western shore We come from the land of the ice and snow From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow How soft your fields so green Can whisper tales of gore Of how we calmed the tides of war We are your overlords
2 + 2 = ?
Bob Seger
Yeah. The Silver Bullet Band dude. Rock-Rapping a Vietnam War protest. Regarded as the first, beating CCR’s Fortunate Son by a year. So fucking timely. If you are pissed off, this is your fucking song.
Well, I knew a guy in high school Just an average, friendly guy And he had himself a girlfriend And you made them say goodbye Now he's buried in the mud Off in foreign jungle land And his girl just sits and cries She just doesn't understand So you say he died for freedom Well, if he died to save your lies
Universal Soldier
Donovan
Speaking of the bullshit that governments across the globe feed to their respective citizens. So Vlad the Russian Propagandist says the Ukrainians are Nazis. Hmm, sounds like a conspiracy to me.
Putin using false 'Nazi' narrative to justify Russia's attack on Ukraine, experts say
In announcing he had launched Russian forces against key Ukrainian military and logistics posts, Putin said he's striving for "the demilitarization and denazification of" the sovereign democracy in Kyiv.
Putin has long sought to falsely paint Ukraine as a Nazi hotbed, which is a particularly jarring accusation given that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish and lost three family members in the Holocaust.
Freedom Convoy: Trudeau calls trucker protest an 'insult to truth'
Mr. Trudeau said: "Freedom of expression, assembly and association are cornerstones of democracy, but Nazi symbolism, racist imagery and desecration of war memorials are not."
Joe Biden Says Pro-Trump Rioters On Jan. 6 Were Motivated By White Supremacy
He then mentioned the “through-line” of American racism, from enslaved Black people to the Ku Klux Klan, to far-right white supremacists and neo-Nazis. That timeline includes other recent episodes of racism in America, with Biden bringing up the spike in hate crimes against Asian Americans, police brutality against Black and brown people, the 2017 deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Jan. 6 insurrection.
And he's fighting for democracy He's fighting for the Reds He says it's for the peace of us all He's the one who must decide Who's to live and who's to die And he never sees the writing on the wall
One
Metallica
Fed through the tube that sticks in me Just like a wartime novelty Tied to machines that make me be Cut this life off from me Hold my breath as I wish for death Oh, please, God, wake me
DO NOT kill yourself after listening. This is just a test. This is a drill. I found this Average Joe explanation for possibly the greatest song about how war maims but does not always kill.
This song is about a soldier fighting in a war and a mortar blows off in his face. He can't hear, see, smell, taste and he doesn't have arms or legs. He comes out of a coma in a hospital. During the time he is in the hospital he reflects on his life and things his father told him. Eventually the doctors get worried because he's having spasms all the time, but he doesn't seem to be dying. They call in the general and he can't figure it out either but the soldier with the general recognizes it. "It's Morse code," he says. The general asks what he is saying and the soldier looks for a minute and then says, "He is saying K-I-L-L- M-E over and over again."
If I Could Only Fly
Merle Haggard
If I could only fly, if I could only fly I'd bid this place goodbye to come and be with you But I can hardly stand and I got no where to run Another sinking sun and one more lonely night The wind keeps blowing, somewhere, everyday Tell me things get better, somewhere, up the way Just dismal thinking on a dismal day And sad songs for us to bare
How many gone uncounted? Nothing left but a bitter loving memory. Are we over when we’re gone? Or are we gone when they’re over us?
Peace Train
Cat Stevens
Now I've been crying lately, Thinkin' about the world as it is Why must we go on hating, Why can't we live in bliss 'Cause out on the edge of darkness, There rides a Peace Train Oh Peace Train take this country, Come take me home again
Can a hopeless boy hope for hope? Or is that a wasted by-product of a forgotten ideal. Is Evil the new Good? Are we just gonna be ok with it? Maybe we will.
Palace of Versailles
Al Stewart
The wands of smoke are rising From the walls of the Bastille And through the streets of Paris Runs a sense of the unreal The Kings have all departed There servants are nowhere We burned out their mansions In the name of Robespierre
This song compares the French Revolution to The Vietnam War. It’s a haunting song to end with because it feels like this desolation will engulf Europe. Understanding Europe’s massive time-scale of history is probably difficult for the average American, who can’t remember what they ate for breakfast.
Look that dude Robespierre up. He campaigned for universal manhood suffrage. I know, right? Who knew. I like that campaign. Can I volunteer?
Seriously, I saw a man on the street segment the other day asking who was the president during the Civil War. I was disgusted for them. Oprah Winfrey was an answer. George Washington another.
Listening to the Ukrainians speak of their misfortune and suffering is at once beautifully elegant and hauntingly fatalistic and willfully defiant.
War for Love
Love of God. Love of Country. Love of Family.
War of Hate
Love of Power. Love of Control. Love of Solitude.
The Ukrainians are fighting a War for Love. The Russians a War of Hate. Truth be told, I cannot really judge which war America, would, or even could, wage right now.
Be well and don’t forget to stop and live now and again,
Ric
We live this life, breath to breath, we're all the same; we all bleed red
I am fascinated by the first photo in the article. I'm sure that's you, but how did you sneak onto an Ancient Aliens set?