I found a new Zappa quote utterly relevant to these times

[90-percent]

I transcribed it. The original was posted on a facebook zappa info site i belong to, and it appeared to be a first gen copy from a print newspaper. I do not know when he said it, but he disparaged Dems equally to Republics, so I suspect late 70's to early 80's, as he and Gail gave 200G's to the Dems in the early 90's and he transitioned to strongly favoring the Dems towards the end of his life.

Oh for those quaint days of yore when we only had the military industrial complex. For it is now the military industrial congressional surveillance complex. Enjoy. This one has greatest page written all over it!


When a reporter for the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command interviewed Frank Zappa for the commands news syndicate, the story was held by a superior who demanded that Zappa – who had been rather hard on the army – answer one more question: just who does he think will defend the country without the army?

Zappa’s reply: “From what? The biggest threat to America today is it’s own federal government…. Will the Army protect anybody from the FBI? The IRS? The CIA? The Republican Party? The Democratic Party?....The biggest dangers we face today don’t even need to sneak past our billion dollar defense system….they issue the contracts for them.” The interview was not run.



-90% Jimmy

[RC]

1. Can't be having the truth be uttered, now can we?

When a reporter for the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command interviewed Frank Zappa for the commands news syndicate, the story was held by a superior who demanded that Zappa – who had been rather hard on the army – answer one more question: just who does he think will defend the country without the army?

Zappa’s reply: “From what? The biggest threat to America today is it’s own federal government…. Will the Army protect anybody from the FBI? The IRS? The CIA? The Republican Party? The Democratic Party?....The biggest dangers we face today don’t even need to sneak past our billion dollar defense system….they issue the contracts for them.” The interview was not run.

[cliffordu]

2. Between Zappa, George Carlin and Elizabeth Warren,

It's kind of like all you need to know. Really.


OK - John Stewart for the daily hit.

[FredisDead]

3. Captain America: The First Avenger

So many people forget that the first country the Nazis invaded was their own.

http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0205341/quotes

[rhett o rick]

4. I believe that the intelligence agencies have tremendous powers. Those involved transcend president

What can a president do? He must rely on his intelligence agencies. They have zero oversight.

[alfredo]

10. When the Cold war ended, former CIA boss, and then President G HW Bush

changed the focus of our spooks to industrial espionage.

[rhett o rick]

12. I believe they control the government. nm

[alfredo]

13. I believe that too.

[Smarmie Doofus]

5. I'd stick "educational" in there too. Now that this admin's thrown in w. privatizers....

>>>For it is now the military industrial congressional surveillance complex.>>>>>>


... there's unfathomable truckloads of cash to be had for the taking.

Meanwhile, as Rome burns, our DEM pols fiddle.

Or even maneuver their way onto the gravy train themselves.

[orpupilofnature57]

6. A Sage !!!!!

He made more sense playing bike spokes, than people with a whole information complex at their disposal .

[Initech]

7. Zappa is a man who was way ahead of his time.

[jtuck004]

8. Nailed. It. And thank you for the quote. n/t

[Scuba]

11. Kick

[graywarrior]

9. I learned all about politics from reading his book

He changed my thinking, that's for sure.

[L0oniX]

14. more from Zappa...

"The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater." - Frank Zappa

[Initech]

22. Frank Zappa, George Carlin, and Bill Hicks all exposed the same message.

And for that they will forever be prophets.

[BobbyBoring]

33. And......................

We've reached that point. I feel so sorry for those that were born too late to see how things used to be in America. The Andy Griffith show and Ozzie and Harriet were the reality shows of that era. Look what we have now. RIP USA. It was a great experiment that has failed.

[blackspade]

15. Zappa was and always will be awesome.

[grahamhgreen]

16. Total Criminalization

SCRUTINIZER'S POSTLUDE

Eventually it was discovered
That God
Did not want us to be
All the same
This was
BAD NEWS
For the Governments of The World
As it seemed contrary
To the doctrine of
Portion Controlled Servings
Mankind must be made more uniformly
If THE FUTURE
Was going to work
Various ways were sought
To bind us all together
But, alas SAMENESS was unenforceable
It was about this time
That someone
Came up with the idea of TOTAL CRIMINALIZATION
Based on the principle that
If we were ALL crooks
We could at last be uniform
To some degree
In the eyes of THE LAW
Shrewdly our legislators calculated
That most people were
Too lazy to perform a
REAL CRIME
So new laws were manufactured
Making it possible for anyone
To violate them any time of the day or night,
And
Once we had all broken some kind of law
We'd all be in the same big happy club
Right up there with the President,
The most exalted industrialists,
And the clerical big shots
Of all your favorite religions
TOTAL CRIMINALIZATION
Was the greatest idea of its time
And was vastly popular
Except with those people
Who didn't want to be crooks or outlaws,
So, of course, they had to be TRICKED INTO IT...
Which is one of the reasons why
Music
Was eventually made
Illegal
- FZ

[Initech]

23. "Heavenly Bank Account"

And if these words you do not heed
Your pocket book just kinda might recede
When some man comes along and claims a godly need
He will clean you out right through your tweed

That's right, remember there is a big difference between
kneeling down and bending over...

He's got twenty million dollars
In his Heavenly Bank Account.. .
All from those chumps who was
Born again
Oh yeah, oh yeah
He's got seven limousines
And a private plane...
All for use of his
Special Friends
Oh yeah, oh yeah
He's got thousand-dollar suits
And a Wembley Tie...
Girls love to stroke it
While he's on the phone
Oh yeah, oh yeah
At the House of Representatives
He's a groovy guy. . .
When he Gives Thanks He is not alone. . .

He is dealin'
He is really dealin' IRS can't determine
Where The Hook is
It is easy with the Bible
To pretend that
You're in Show Biz
They won't get him
They will never get him
For the naughty stuff
That he did
It is best in cases like this
To pretend that
You are stupid

He's got Presidential Help
All along the way
He says the grace
While the lawyers chew
Oh yeah
They sure do
And the Governors agree to say: "He's a lovely man!"
He makes it easier for
Them to screw
All of you...
Yes, that's true!
'Cause he helps put
The Fear of God
In the Common Man
Snatchin' up money
Everywhere he can
Oh yeah Oh yeah
He's got twenty million dollars
In his Heavenly Bank Account
You ain't got nothin', people
You ain't got nothin', people
You ain't got nothin', people
Thank the man.. .oh yeah

[KG]

17. he always knew what time it was.

[frylock]

18. Frank Zappa was a national treasure.

[Enthusiast]

28. You are exactly correct......nt

[progressoid]

19. Rec!

[dogknob]

20. "If your children ever find out how lame you really are...

...they'll murder you in your sleep" -FZ

[stlsaxman]

32. Damn- beat me to it!

[RedCappedBandit]

21. Awesome

[whatchamacallit]

25. Where's Zappaman?

Boy did that guy pick the wrong handle

[BobbyBoring]

34. You got that right!

N/T

[zappaman]

36. Here I am, buddy!

Zappa in his autobiography declared himself a "practical conservative" although towards the end of his life, he became more Democratic.
Libertarians, like many on this board, like to claim Zappa was one.
Personally, I think Zappa would be appalled at douchebags like Ron Paul.

This quote would sum it up...

“. . . behind each breakaway movement is a breakaway demagogue who will set up his breakaway demagogue government.”

[whatchamacallit]

37. Here to spread the 'practical conservative' gospel, zappaman?

"Mirt!"

[90-percent]

38. Zappa aand the Libertarian Party

It was perhaps some time in the mid to late 80's that the Libertarian Party asked Zappa to be their Presidential Cantidate. He declined after he read their platform.

Pauline Butcher Bird's recent book about her times working for Zappa 1968 to 1970 approximately (Freak Out My life with Frank Zappa) reveals Zappa had aspirations to run for President since he was young! He did talk about it a lot more than once in the late 80's.

-jim

[Enthusiast]

26. Well there ya go. Perfect.

The following is an absolute classic. Only 1:32 long.

[Enthusiast]

27. My ship of love is ready to attack!

[Hubert Flottz]

29. I Miss Frank Zappa's Witt...

And I miss his music that could have been, about the things that have transpired since he passed on.

I'd have loved to seen what he thought of the George the Terrible crew.

[dusty trails]

30. The interview was not run.

I'm shocked - NOT !

i find myself question my government's actions more daily,
as I find myself reading The Nation magazine and listening to Amy Goodman on Democracy now.

[stlsaxman]

31. Frank and Ike (Eisenhower) were pretty much spot on... another fave of mine-

a couple quotes - are about "the kids"...

"If your children knew how lame you really were- they'd murder you in your sleep" to a Las Vegas crowd...

and-

"Ever take a minute just to show a real emotion
in between the moisture cream and velvet facial lotion?
Ever tell your kids you're glad that they can think?
Ever say you love them, ever let them watch you drink?
Ever wonder why your daughter looks so sad?
It's such a drag to have to love a plastic mom and dad".

But that was then and this is now. Personally i think the kids today are a hella more socially aware than the generation that came after the "counter-culture" generation (Alex P. Keaton and the "ME ME Generation).

[DontTreadOnMe]

35. I loved Zappa live.

I attended many Zappa shows in the 70-80s. My favorites were his Halloween runs in NYC at the Palladium.
One year (everyone wore costumes for Halloween), someone brought in about 100 Nixon masks, and passed them out to the entire first three rows. When Frank came out for the first song, everyone put on the masks -- Frank was laughing so hard he had to stop the song. There is a bootleg video of this event... is shows the audience dancing with the Nixon masks on... very funny.

Tell Gail to release more shows.

[90-percent]

39. LI is Zappa country

My first Zappa/Mothers show was the Oct 17, 1971 Stony Brook late show. Halloween and NYC was an annual Zappa ritual. I went with friends to a Palladium Halloween Show in 73 or 74?

Penn Gillette wrote the forward to Howard Kaylan's recent rock bio. Penn's first Zappa show was on the same tour two weeks before mine in Boston.

John and Yoko were on stage with the Mothers at the NYC Fillmore during this tour.

-jim

[drustrange]

40. Sources?

Can you please provide more information about the source of this quote (for example, the newspaper or magazine it was run in and the date?). The quote resonates for me and I'd like to share it but feel it's important to verify it first. In other google searches it's showing up in a couple of personal blogs, and as a photo of what looks like part of a newspaper column, but nobody's providing the source. Thanks!

[90-percent]

41. post 40

i've given my source for this to drustrange by DU email.

THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THIS INFO IN MY OP IS BOGUS!

the pic of the original clipping is over at todays bartcop

-jim