Pop Culture (part 3) - It's Gonna Be All Right

John Lennon/everystockphoto.com

Angry men! 

That could sum up the White Working Class during the 2016 election cycle.

And the Harvard Business Review has an excellent article about this constituency that felt disenfranchised for years:

* What So Many People Don’t Get About the U.S. Working Class (November 10, 2016)

And in the spirit of the age, some have felt drawn to this popular song from the musical, Les Miserables (2012).

A song of angry men

(reference: https://youtu.be/47E2tfK5QAg )

Based on the Victor Hugo novel, the setting for the musical is during troubling times in France.

1789–1832

The novel spanned the French Revolution, the Reign of Terror, the rise and fall of Napoleon, the Bourbon Restoration, to the July Monarchy. [ reference: France in the Long Nineteenth Century ]

And during the July Monarchy, the workers revolted against their abysmal conditions.  The scene in the video clip above reflects this protest.

Then in...

2016

This theme was picked up by some Trump supporters. Especially, after half of his supporters were described as a basket of deplorables:  Les Deplorables (September 16, 2016)

America has known turbulent times.  Just look back to the last century ...

The 1960s 

The unpopular Vietnam War sparked many protests and riots. The decade witnessed the assassination of many leaders: President John F Kennedy (1963), civil rights leader the Reverend Martin Luther King (1968), presidential candidate Senator Robert F Kennedy (1968). [ reference: America's Best Timeline (1960 - 1969 ) ]

Angry men...angry peoples... Even a call for....

Revolution?

And the Beatles, one of the icons of the era, had their take on the angry men of the time. It was even called  Revolution (1968) .

They put out this song answering the question about the Vietnam War. All the protests. All the riots. And their response in the lyrics is a surprising call for reason.

Let's take a closer look at them.

(reference: https://youtu.be/DJQtozWKCyg )

The entire lyrics can be found here: Beatles - Revolution Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Here's my comments on some of the meanings of the words.

* Point 1

You say you want a revolution
...
You tell me that it's evolution
...
We all want to change the world

 Revolution and evolution can be a good thing.
(Something we've heard a lot about in the past few election cycles.)
Hope and Change
Good intentions, right? 
Change the world for the better

* Counter Point 1

But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out
....

Violent protests, riots, vandalism, looting?
Allegedly sparked by grievances, real or imagined.
Especially when a group doesn't get their way ...
Like an election?

Destruction? 
Count me out!


* Point 2

You say you got a real solution
...
We'd all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
...
We're doing what we can

Of course, we want solutions to our vexing problems.
Social, economic, judicial, educational,...you name it.

What's the plan? 
How do we fix it?
Of course it will take effort, time, and money.
We'll do what we can.

* Counter Point 2

But if you want money for people with minds that hate
All I can tell is brother you have to wait
...

Hate is not the answer.
So often those who protest against hate 
seem to be the most hateful, don't you think?

It's calling out all the poverty pimps, fakers, charlatans
shaking us down for money 
Those who came to do good 
and did very well (for themselves) indeed.

* Point 3

You say you'll change the constitution
...
We all want to change your head

Yes, there's been a call to change the rules.
For example, abolishing the Electoral College, 
requiring an amendment to our Constitution.

And changing minds in the body politic.

* Counter Point 3

You tell me it's the institution
...
You better free you mind instead

Some claim our institutions are broken
Infected with white privilege.
The opposition is labeled as
 racist, homo-phobic, sexist...
yada, yada, yada

Those preaching tolerance
lecture those who disagree

Consider freeing your mind instead.
Like being truly open minded yourself.

But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow

Chairman Mao was China's dictator in the 1960s.
He brought about the Cultural Revolution 
as well as the deaths millions of his own people.
[ reference: Mao Tse-Tung ]

Oppression, suppression, death...
No, not this.

* Conclusion

Don't you know it's gonna be
All right...

In spite of all the turmoil, heated rhetoric, protests...
There's an optimism in these lyrics.

Even a faith expressed in a Higher Power.

After this election and the comings years...

It's Gonna Be All Right.

Yes,

It's Gonna Be All Right!


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Previous Post in the series:


Pop Culture (part 1) - Only Time and 9/11 (2015)

 Pop Culture (part 2) - Halloween Martian Invasion (2015)
  

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photo: John Lennon/everystockphoto.com

PC Watch (part 3) - Too Weak to Live with Freedom?

Wikipedia/Free Speech Wall

The above picture is of the  Freedom of Speech Wall in Charlottesville, VA. Permanently inscribed on one segment of the wall is this text from the Bill of Rights, Amendment I:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
[reference:  Bill of Rights Transcript Text]

Free Speech vs PC

My motivation for this thread - PC Watch - is a reaction to the disturbing trend to silence free speech.

You may have heard the recent controversies in the news.  Someone says something offensive or has expressed an opinion - even one expressed or acted upon many years ago - that does not line up with the prevailing PC - Political Correctness.  What ensues is an orchestrated campaign of personal destruction to censor, boycott, or run a person out of his/her job. (This could be a subjects for many posts.)

That strikes me as wrong, wrong, wrong!

I agree inciting violence and harassment should not be tolerated and not be exempt.  But now, it seems, we are to never speak anything to offend anyone - especially those with a powerful grievance lobby.

What has happened to Freedom of Speech in the America I grew up in?

Are some groups not strong enough to hear diverse opinion; therefore anything that offends them must be silenced?  Hence, the obvious question is ...

Are we too weak to live with freedom?

Alan Charles Kors who is s a professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania makes this case:

(reference:  http://youtu.be/qZsQMv08FSY)

Transcript, Alan Charles Kors Recalls a Career Fighting for Free Expression on Campus

Below is a list of some of the points made in the clip above.

Princeton in the early 1960s:

* Professors (though mostly left leaning) did not see their task as producing clones in the classroom

* Diverse set of readings were given to students

* Students were told *not* to write what professor had wanted to hear  (can you imagine that now?!)

* The following groups coexisted at Princeton in the early 1960s and were not censored:
   - Gay Liberation
   - Campus Crusade for Christ
   - Maoists
   - New Age Leftists
   - Campus Republicans
   - Socialists

* Students were free to argue among themselves and offend others

* Students learned to talk to each other and humanize each other - and hence change minds

* The answer to horrible speech was bearing witness to your beliefs (hence more speech)

The fallout today of Political Correctness:

* Today we are paying a terrible price for the "comfort" of not offending anyone

* Double standards evolved when enforcing exemptions of free speech on some groups, but not others

Some conclusions:

* Due process of law should protect freedoms for all - especially those whose expressions are seen as "abhorrent"

* We are either all equally free or we are not free

* There is cause for optimism as long as we hold this belief in our spirit -

It's a Free Country!!!

Any thoughts? 

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Reference of reading assignment for Princeton students as mentioned in the video clip above  -

Road to Serfdom:  The Illustrated Road to Serfdom

YouTube - http://youtu.be/mkz9AQhQFNY

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Previous post in this series:

 PC Watch (part 1) - Political Correctness (2013)

PC Watch (part 2) - The South Park Offense (2013)


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Photo from:  Wikipedia/Free Speech Wall

PC Watch (part 2) - The South Park Offense

everystockphoto.com/Cartman

Question Authority

That was a mantra of protesters in the 1960s, often credited to Timothy Leary.  [reference: Timothy Leary Quotes]  But Benjamin Franklin, an original American revolutionary, may have said it first.  [reference:  Benjamin Franklin Quotes/Quotations from Liberty Quotes]  Indeed, if we wish to think for ourselves, questioning authority is a good start.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the generation gap between the baby boomers and the "greatest generation" was made even more pronounced with this warning -

Never trust anyone over 30  

This slogan of the baby boomer generation is attributed to Jack Weinberg , though it is not a new thought and seems to recycle itself with each new generation.  [reference:  Quote/Counterquote: Don't trust anyone over 30 – or 40]

Time marches on.  Now, baby boomers are all over thirty and many of us have become part of "the establishment" - the very thing some had protested against in the 1960s.  And ironically some who had been part of the free speech movement (FSM) have pushed the political correctness in our times which seems to have a chilling repression of free speech.  [reference:  The Death of Free Speech on Campus]

But the following generations find creative ways of watching out for the people and exposing the abuses of the politically powerful.  One tried and true method of attack on "the establishment" is an offense through "children's stories" and humor.

Those who follow my blogs may have an inkling that my posts express a conservative worldview with a religious flavor. So it may seem a surprise that I have taken to the Comedy Central cartoon South Park.  Yes, this show pushes the boundaries of decency and nice as the first weekly TV show to earn the Mature Audience (MA) rating.  No doubt many find the cartoon offensive for its language and adult situations.

The South Park Offense?

Frankly, I see redeeming social value in South Park's humor.  It is an equal opportunity offender, sparing no special group of its barbs and satire, taking on the establishment and politically correct world with comedy.  And it can be a great tool to go on the offensive in the culture war and even teach children to question authority and think for themselves.

But this cartoon is not for children, is it?  It's MA - mature audiences only.  Yet, this clip makes a case that children can learn important skills of critical thinking:

(Warning:  Some mature content in video below.)

(Reference:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSHm8-zqy8g)

Quick summary for kids of all ages:

1.  Almost every episode shows the difference between legitimate authority and the abuse of power/scare mongering.

  Otherwise, South Park encourages us to think for ourselves - question authority, especially those in the establishment.

2.  Kids today (as well as us adults) are subjected to a "tolerance" and "diversity" that ring hollow and false.  

  But the show fosters a true live and let live ethos sadly lacking in most school curricula - as well as other institutions and much of the media.

3.  A core theme is taking personal responsibility for our own actions.  

   In many of the episodes, it takes a child to point out self-control and accountability to the adults.  It also lampoons blaming someone or something else for the problems we have created, such as Blame Canada!

And there have been many  types of "South Parks" throughout history.  

Here are a few of them:

* Court jesters

Often the court jester (or fool) was the rare person who could criticize the king with impunity and freely speak his mind.   [reference: Medieval Jesters]  One such example in western literature is  the Fool in Shakespeare's King Lear.

* Children's stories 

Listed are some examples of classics some of us have grown up with -
*  Nursery Rhymes [reference: Secret History of the Nursery Rhyme], 
*  Aesop's Fables [reference: "The Storyteller from Samos" by Donna L. Preble],
*  Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels [reference: George Orwell: Politics vs. Literature - An examination of Gulliver's travels]

These are only a few examples of how the commoners, the powerless of the day, were able to exercise free speech and criticize the politics and the abuses of the elite.  Under the heel of a tyrant, the critics of the political correctness of those regimes often came to an end that was not pretty.

Today, we may see ourselves as more civilized.  But we have our ways to silence free speech and dissent through character assassination and the politics of personal destruction.

The South Park characters are an example of the court of jesters of our times.  The show lampoons political correctness through the eyes of children so we may open our eyes and see that the Emperor really has no clothes!  [reference:  Hans Christian Andersen : The Emperor's New Clothes :: www.andersen.sdu.dk :: The Hans Christian Andersen Center]

And some of the South Park Offense is an effective offense in the culture war, questioning authority and perhaps get us thinking for ourselves.

Benjamin Franklin would be proud!

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Previous post in this series:

 PC Watch (part 1) - Political Correctness (2013)


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Photo from:  everystockphoto.com/Cartman

PC Watch (part 1) - Political Correctness

everstockphoto.com/yellow gaze

We have trouble, my friends, ....  That's a capital T , which rhymes with  PC and that stands for ... Political Correctness (not personal computer)

But here I am blogging about PC on my PC.  :)   Go figure.  And a succinct definition of political correctness can be found here - political correctness - definition of political correctness by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. (It's not all bad, but it can be.)

Look for the PC label

The PC label is continually punted about by both the political Left and the Right.  The Left makes a case that the Right uses the outcry of PC to trivialize policies correcting the wrongs that society had afflicted on certain classes of victims.  The Right sees PC as a mechanism to stifle free speech and shut down discussion - especially silence that discourse that challenges the Left.  Who's right?

I side with freedom ... 

That especially includes free speech, saying what some may consider as politically incorrect or even "offensive."  But that freedom stops short of inflicting deliberate harm - such as spiteful epithets - or words inciting violence.

What has been called Politically Correct can seem so ridiculous that it is downright funny.  But in reality, it is no laughing matter.  The effects of PC on freedom - freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of religion - can be downright CHILLING.  It's an assault on everything we claim to hold dear as Americans as expressed in the Bill of Rights.

And those that wrongfully wield PC to silence their opposition are - BULLIES.  I venture I would not be putting myself out there to state that most everyone hates bullies - except perhaps the bullies themselves (unless they are bullied.)

Below is a clip that give some perspective on Political Correctness via the "Sound Bite Generation" and personality, celebrity driven vice truth driven.  The PC discussion starts about 8 minutes into the broadcast.

This is a good start ... and away we go ....

With so many examples of Political Correctness, this series 
- PC Watch -
can continue for quite a while ...

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More examples and further reading ....

Ethics, Education, and Political Correctness By Marilyn Edelstein, Ph.D. (1992)

Online Speech Bank: Charlton Heston - Winning the Cultural War (1999)

Fritinancy: Word of the Week: Presentism (2011)

The origin and nature of political correctness (24/2/2013)

Michelle Malkin | Hello Kitty Bubble Gunfight at the PC Corral  (2013)


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Photo from:
everystockphoto.com - yellow gaze