US v. John Lennon -- one thing really struck me

[Bake]

And that is that Republicans, then AND now, seem to have a mortal fear of dissent. Any dissent. Nixon and his cronies were terrified of a rock star, and attempted just about anything and everything to get him thrown out of the country. Bush is cut from the same cloth - only worse. They cannot brook any dissent, any criticism, any disagreement.

There was a sign being held up in one of the clips - "Dissent is Patriotic." How ironic that we're still carrying that same sign, that same message, all these years later.

I highly recommend this film, if you haven't seen it.

Bake

[Hamlette]

1. it isn't dissent, they dissent all the time, its anyone who disagrees with them or what they do

remember the GOP during Clinton? Carter? FDR? They were 24/7 dissent.

and yes, its a great movie. everyone should see it. I lived it and there was stuff in there I'd long forgotten or maybe never knew.

[alfredo]

7. Their dissent comes from an authoritarian point of view.

Read John Dean's "Conservatives Without Conscience" It shows that the authoritarians gravitated to the political right because the left wasn't prone to following blindly. Most authoritarian personalities are on the political right. How many Tom DeLay's, Ollie North's, or Dick Cheney's do we have on the left?

The Communists tried to control the political left but we don't like authority figures. The political right does.
Look for the ties between Trotsky and the neo cons.

"I don't belong to an organized political party; I'm a Democrat." Will Rogers

[Warpy]

2. It's because their bullshit never stands up to close scrutiny

and because they are unable to admit the possibility that they might be wrong.

Disagree with one of them and you've shaken his faith in an orderly universe.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

14. It's why Rush and Hannity need call screeners

As I always ask my rightwing co-worker "If Rush's arguments are so solid and logic-based, as you tell me-then why doiesn't he ever debate on neutral ground or appear in public?"

[marlakay]

3. I watched it on tv last night

I didn't realize how many word for word things Bush has said that Nixon said...scary...I was young when most of this was taking place so not really knowing about it.

I always liked John and after the movie loved him! It made me wish we had someone with his influence willing to speak out.

[Bake]

4. Iasked my son, "Where are the Lennons and Dylans TODAY?"

Where are the voices speaking out like that?

Oh, yeah. They're the K-Feds, Timberlakes, and Spears - chasing the "me-first" dollar.

Bake

[nyhuskyfan]

6. For the most part, you're right

Gotta tip the cap to the Dixie Chicks a little - they spoke out when it was unpopular to do so. Guys like Steve Earle write great music but don't get the mainstream appeal.

Norah Jones spoke out on her last record with a song called My Dear Country, but that didn't get any mainstream play either.

"Twas Halloween and the ghosts were out
And everywhere they'd go, they'd shout
And though I covered my eyes I knew
They'd go away

But fear's the only thing I saw
And three days later it was clear to all
That nothing is as scary as election day

But the day after is darker
And darker and darker it goes
Who knows maybe the plans will change
Who knows maybe he's not deranged"


She also had a song called "Sinkin' Soon" that had a verse that she said was a veiled attack on Bush and Iraq (in a boat that's built from sticks and hay/we drifted from the shore/with a captain who's too proud to say/that he dropped the oar...and we're going to be sinking soon).

[shain from kane]

8. Wife said about Lennon film, "I didn't know John Lennon was a member of the Dixie Chicks. I'm

surprised that there weren't people yelling "Shut Up and Sing"".

I said, "There is one difference. Lennon incorporated his dissent into his songs. At one time, they were known as topical songs, and the whole folk music community was singing them. Pete Seeger was labelled as a Red, and everybody starting looking for cover."

[Bake]

11. Of course the Dixie Chicks.

But the people who are universally recognized, like Lennon and Dylan - where are they? The ones who are recognized today are the bland pop types or the gangstas. Dylan and Lennon were known as much for their social concerns as for their music - in fact, you couldn't separate the two.

God knows we need some voices like those. These are hopeless days, maybe as hopeless as in the 60s. We could use some hopeful voices. "You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you will join us ..."

Bake

[soothsayer]

9. yeah, where IS Dylan today?

[blues90]

12. Yeah , what a joke that is , how depressing

[H2O Man]

16. Right.

It would be nice to have an athlete with the inner strength that Muhammad Ali had, as well.

[blues90]

10. I am from that era , I too wish we had someone like Lennon today

However we will never have this again , it's a once in a lifetime deal .

You have to remember the times the Beatles came from and how they came along after Kennedy was murdered and how the world was looking for something to give us hope once again . So the times made this possible .

As the Beatles began to speak out , which was mostly Lennon there was this imagine already set and he had the voice we needed .

Music is not the same now , It's angry music if it's protest or some old group who never became political in quite the same way . Lennons music was of hope and truth .

I saw CSNY a year ago and they had a great concert and were well known and their songs still are relevant , but it's not quite as powerful as Lennon would have benn .

I other wonder what Lennon would think of this time if he were still alive .

Mnay times you get one chance and if you blow it it's gone for ever , that window of opportunity is just a moment .

[Bake]

13. McCartney lived through that age ...

I love Sir Paul, but he could be a prophet today instead of a vapid pop dinosaur.

Sigh.

Bake

[Cassandra]

5. The Authoritarians

http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/

[mdmc]

15. kick

[KharmaTrain]

17. Most Of Us Never Knew Until Later What Went On

Yes...this documentary is highly recommended. I watched with my 20 year old son and he noted how the tactics to stiffle dissent then was similar to what's happening now...be it Dixie Chicks or John Lennon.

What struck me was recalling the time...primarily the Summer of '72 when the deporatation hearings were happening. I vividly recall Lennon being on the Dick Cavett show discussing how he was being hounded by the INS and FBI and I didn't believe it. While I thought Nixon was evil, I didn't think our government would stoop so low to go after someone who advocated love and peace. It wasn't until the Nixon's enemies list came out during the Watergate hearings and then the investigation into the FBI survellience a couple years later that the focus and legitmacy of this conspiracy came to light. I suspect we'll find a lot of dark dirt this regime has tried...their ultimate enemies list...and we're all on it!