“For the introduction of a new kind of music must be shunned as imperiling the whole state; since styles of music are never disturbed without affecting the most important political institutions.” - Plato
Politics, in its broadest sense, holds immeasurable societal importance. It is pervasive; everyone has some conception of politics, regardless of whether they realize it. The eighth-grade girl is cognizant of the social politics surrounding her; she realizes that cheerleading co-captains Ashlee and Brittany hold greater influence amongst their peers than backgammon club founders Wilfred and Agatha. The homeless man sees, feels, and smells the effects of socioeconomic stratification all around him (those near him smell it as well). Even a family’s dog, as a pack animal, understands the politics of the pack; the concept of an “alpha male,” for instance, is not a foreign one to him. Any social division, any adherence to established rules intended to govern others, or any recognition of and obedience to authority constitutes an acknowledgement of political structure in one’s life.
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War: The Response of a Vulnerable Nation
In times of hardship and war, it is evident that people with a strong sense of unity, strength, and character come together against their common enemies. Whether in the holy name of civil disobedience, or under the overtly powerful command of rebellious protest, America’s history overflows with eras of disagreement between its government and its people. War, over all things, has proven itself to be one of the most controversial topics between the government and the governed. Here in the United States, where democracy is policy and where humanitarianism is a fortified pillar of American culture (at least this is true for the latter part of our history), wars have always caused a significant amount of unrest and resentment.
The Vietnam War era was especially notorious for the anti-war sentiments it planted in a vast number of sorrowful hearts. The American people were not psychologically ready to trace another portion of the earth with American blood. Adding more strife to the already dire situation was that a silent(although equally as important) war had emerged within America. This unspoken war was a direct derivative of a revolutionary cultural movement which was brought upon by the onset of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s.
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In the past century, the world has become a very dangerous place. Massive advances in the industries of transportation and telecommunications have forced week long trips down to hours and minutes. People live with the constant fear in the back of their minds of “what if.” What if tomorrow we fall into war? What if tomorrow a nuclear bomb detonates? What if? In these times of fear and panic, it is important that we choose the right leaders. Despite this, many continue to rely on less-than-stable pop stars to influence political decisions. How can the people that live a life so far from reality be trusted to pass judgment on a politician?
As usual, this trend wasn’t started by the Beatles, but they perfected it. As their early songs like, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” and “Can’t Buy Me Love,” changed to “Get Back,” and “Revolution,” the Beatles changed from four decent musicians from Liverpool to four commentators on global politics. They started the ball rolling on a political revolution that would take the 1960’s by storm. The influence of popular musicians on the political views of youth in the 60’s influenced future generations to follow their pop stars’ political views as well.
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Bad Religion expresses a very politically-charged message in many of their songs. Their values are magnified by their hyperbolic lyrics and punk-rock sound. Possibly one of Bad Religion’s most influential and interesting songs is “Let Them Eat War” from the album The Empire Strikes First.
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“Let Them Eat War” is a song about society, government, poverty, and corruption. The overriding message of the song is that the government fails to help those in need; instead using war as a means of distracting the populous and keeping poverty in check. The title of the song is an obvious play on the famous “let them eat cake” quote, supposedly spoken by Marie Antoinette. In the days leading up to the French Revolution she spoke these words upon hearing that the peasantry had no bread to eat and were starving1; showing her ignorance and inability to put herself into the place of a peasant. Bad Religion uses this loaded quotation to bring that same absurdity to the government of modern-day America. The song states that the government exploits the pitiful lower class by forcing them to fight our wars and fuel our economy.
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Rock propagates bigotry. Have a favorite band? Someone else does as well and it is probably not the same. Love a specific genre? Bet someone hates that particular kind of music. That’s bigotry right? Bigotry according to dictionary.com1 is a stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one’s own. Humans are not perfect, even the author of this piece is biased. There is bigotry from people and then there is bigotry from the music. “Immigrants and faggots/ They make no sense to me/ They come to our country/ And think they’ll do as they please/ Like start some mini Iran/ Or spread some fuckin’ disease”2, bigoted no? Admittedly not many bands are like this, but the ones that do can have a great impact. Rock and Roll spreads intolerance inadvertently through the people who utilize it to spread messages of hate, but is not itself necessarily bigoted.
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