In-your-face anger. It's there, it's honest, and I respect it highly. It's time for a recognition of the obfuscations, the woolly-minded liberalism of 'don't be confrontational', let's all be nice to each other and everything will be Beatles Beautiful Sergeant Pepper Wonderland. I like this song David, perhaps more than others because of the honesty of the confrontational and challenging lyric. And, historically true. Appeasement of Hitler and the Nazis led to WWII. Are we seeing appeasement of Israel leading to a similar situation of superpower brinkmanship?
I hope (I don't pray) that this song will make the cancel-culture-vultures back off on their unreasonable criticism and harassment of you for your reasonable, rational, informed, and ultimately civilised act of interviewing a reformed white supremacist.
I hear echoes of a song that I used to play on my Latin American program 'Who, who, who are the real terrorists?' (hope that doesn't sound too angry :-)
I also hope (don't pray - The Ali Primera song 'No Basta Rezar' - it is not enough to pray "there is so much to be done before we come to peace") continue to hope, that this song will short circuit that totally erroneous presumption that criticism of the Israeli Zionist state, and expressions of sympathy and support for the Palestinian people as anti-Semitic and racist. The Semites are not just the Jews. It is so bizarre, given that the Palestinians were just one a number of the tribal families that split off from the 'Semitic' stock root. Revisiting the story of Jacob and Esau is instructive. Esau was not as resentful as he might have been, met with Jacob and headed off to do his own thing in the southern region of what was Judea (which even then had been invaded by the Judaic settler culture). It is instructive to read the last two verses of Psalm 137 that have been sanitised out modern editions. It is a beautiful and poignant protest of a people condemned to exile and adopted by Afro-Americans and Reggae artists as an expression of faith in a culture with roots beyond Empire. (In Rastafarian talk 'Babel'). A beautiful song 'By the Rivers of Babylon'. A belief in liberation through resistance. But - the last verses which are sanitised out of the English version are about revenge and blame, and talks about smashing out the brains of children because it was believed that the Edomites (Esau's branch of the family) betrayed the 'true' Israelite to the Babylonians. Who knows. Interestingly the Israelite were eventually allowed to return to their 'promised land'. Not sure what happened to the 'Edomites' after that.
I am sick of the Zionists playing the sick, neurotic, victim-hood card. I have always felt a kind of sympathy for the Jewish/Judaic people, and huge respect for their intellectuals, in spite of the errors of the Zionist project, but it has worn too thin, and your song brings it home. The Palestinians are Semites too.
I just hope that the inevitable paranoid backlash against this important song does not lead to harm. Take care, brother.
I love the comparison with the Nazis which is perfectly used in this case, my only concern in using this song as a teaching tool is the way the word "they" is used, im guessing you know this and could not so easily explain in short form who they is. I know you know "they" is not every Israeli or jew and I know the song is a fighting sone viva la revolution for peace, but in to days potential for peace the war songs might be better honest and strong as yours are but also with the suggestion as peace and reconciliation at the core...keep up the good work, I love you... PS if a poet does not make you uncomfortable sometimes, perhaps there is a place to do some work, thank you for making me think and do additional work on this particular subject, love from my hidden forest observation post.
always interested in your feedback, patrick! in this case "they" refers to whoever is doing these specific things, and people will interpret that as they may, if they interpret it at all, beyond understanding the word as the word that refers to the people carrying out a particular action or policy. if the song were about "who is they," then it would be really about "they." that's an interesting angle, and i already wrote a song on that subject many years ago, related to israel -- "what do you call it" is the name of the song, where i ask the listener to define who the "they" is that i'm talking about. the correct answer: fascists. also in this case, jewish fascists. the fact that they are jewish fascists may or may not be incidental, i don't know. i didn't create "the jewish state" -- they did that.
i would love to visit you in your corner of the forest, wherever you are! it's been way too long.
perfect answer, thanks to sub stack I will keep reading your work, it is soooo poignant and such a ride in todays world, where you choose so often to explore and, illustrate and point out the hostility's and issues so many folks ignore are have no idea about. yes seeing your physical representation anytime would be a trip, will be a trip. ✨🐒🧬❤️🌏
Dear David, This is a super song and lyrics. Please keep your good work
Beautiful ❤️ جميلة جدا
Thank you for your sound and mind.
In-your-face anger. It's there, it's honest, and I respect it highly. It's time for a recognition of the obfuscations, the woolly-minded liberalism of 'don't be confrontational', let's all be nice to each other and everything will be Beatles Beautiful Sergeant Pepper Wonderland. I like this song David, perhaps more than others because of the honesty of the confrontational and challenging lyric. And, historically true. Appeasement of Hitler and the Nazis led to WWII. Are we seeing appeasement of Israel leading to a similar situation of superpower brinkmanship?
I hope (I don't pray) that this song will make the cancel-culture-vultures back off on their unreasonable criticism and harassment of you for your reasonable, rational, informed, and ultimately civilised act of interviewing a reformed white supremacist.
I hear echoes of a song that I used to play on my Latin American program 'Who, who, who are the real terrorists?' (hope that doesn't sound too angry :-)
I also hope (don't pray - The Ali Primera song 'No Basta Rezar' - it is not enough to pray "there is so much to be done before we come to peace") continue to hope, that this song will short circuit that totally erroneous presumption that criticism of the Israeli Zionist state, and expressions of sympathy and support for the Palestinian people as anti-Semitic and racist. The Semites are not just the Jews. It is so bizarre, given that the Palestinians were just one a number of the tribal families that split off from the 'Semitic' stock root. Revisiting the story of Jacob and Esau is instructive. Esau was not as resentful as he might have been, met with Jacob and headed off to do his own thing in the southern region of what was Judea (which even then had been invaded by the Judaic settler culture). It is instructive to read the last two verses of Psalm 137 that have been sanitised out modern editions. It is a beautiful and poignant protest of a people condemned to exile and adopted by Afro-Americans and Reggae artists as an expression of faith in a culture with roots beyond Empire. (In Rastafarian talk 'Babel'). A beautiful song 'By the Rivers of Babylon'. A belief in liberation through resistance. But - the last verses which are sanitised out of the English version are about revenge and blame, and talks about smashing out the brains of children because it was believed that the Edomites (Esau's branch of the family) betrayed the 'true' Israelite to the Babylonians. Who knows. Interestingly the Israelite were eventually allowed to return to their 'promised land'. Not sure what happened to the 'Edomites' after that.
I am sick of the Zionists playing the sick, neurotic, victim-hood card. I have always felt a kind of sympathy for the Jewish/Judaic people, and huge respect for their intellectuals, in spite of the errors of the Zionist project, but it has worn too thin, and your song brings it home. The Palestinians are Semites too.
I just hope that the inevitable paranoid backlash against this important song does not lead to harm. Take care, brother.
Thank you
Heard it on Flashpoints on KPFA yesterday.
I love the comparison with the Nazis which is perfectly used in this case, my only concern in using this song as a teaching tool is the way the word "they" is used, im guessing you know this and could not so easily explain in short form who they is. I know you know "they" is not every Israeli or jew and I know the song is a fighting sone viva la revolution for peace, but in to days potential for peace the war songs might be better honest and strong as yours are but also with the suggestion as peace and reconciliation at the core...keep up the good work, I love you... PS if a poet does not make you uncomfortable sometimes, perhaps there is a place to do some work, thank you for making me think and do additional work on this particular subject, love from my hidden forest observation post.
always interested in your feedback, patrick! in this case "they" refers to whoever is doing these specific things, and people will interpret that as they may, if they interpret it at all, beyond understanding the word as the word that refers to the people carrying out a particular action or policy. if the song were about "who is they," then it would be really about "they." that's an interesting angle, and i already wrote a song on that subject many years ago, related to israel -- "what do you call it" is the name of the song, where i ask the listener to define who the "they" is that i'm talking about. the correct answer: fascists. also in this case, jewish fascists. the fact that they are jewish fascists may or may not be incidental, i don't know. i didn't create "the jewish state" -- they did that.
i would love to visit you in your corner of the forest, wherever you are! it's been way too long.
perfect answer, thanks to sub stack I will keep reading your work, it is soooo poignant and such a ride in todays world, where you choose so often to explore and, illustrate and point out the hostility's and issues so many folks ignore are have no idea about. yes seeing your physical representation anytime would be a trip, will be a trip. ✨🐒🧬❤️🌏
Une très belle chanson.
Wooooooooooooooooooooooh. You are something else.