So You Want To Be a Rock and Roll Star

So you want to be a rock and roll star, then listen now to what I say, Just get an electric guitar Then take some time and learn how to play. That’s the myth anyway, it permeates all aspects of our society even in rebellious rock and roll.The myth that says trust capitalism and all will be well.

I’m a big fan of Michael Moore, from Roger and Me through TV Nation where he once passed out hunter orange wallets to black men on the streets of New York City to help eliminate police shootings. Moore uses the little stories of every day people to ask the bigger questions of society over all.

In his film Roger and Me, Moore sought to meet with Roger Smith the Chairman of General Motors to ask him about closing plants in Moore’s hometown of Flint Michigan. But actually he was asking about America’s trade policy and a bigger question, do government and industry owe anything at all to the workers?

The answer is resoundingly no! In the famous book Love Story the phrase was coined, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” Well that goes double for capitalism. Moore’s film was insightful and entertaining but he was asking the wrong question, he should have asked. How can we call ourselves a great nation when we allow the government to treat our friends and neighbors like trash?

No different from Moore’s current film Sicko, but its not GM and it’s not the gun nuts or the media or the health care industry it’s the system. The dollar is our God, all praise his name, Donald Trump is a big shot because? His TV program was about who can be the most cutthroat and predatory capitalist, praise God.

I heard a story once of an old prospector wandering in the Nevada desert. His mule had died and the old man was lost. Starving and thirsty he was found by a man on horseback, the old prospector looked up and explained. “I’m lost and starving, I’ll give you my entire life savings of $50,000 in gold for something to eat and drink” The man on horse back handed him a cheese sandwich and a canteen of water for the bag of gold dust. Refreshed by the water the prospector asked, “Which way to civilization? The rider pointed to a hill and rode off and as the old prospector reached the crest of the hill he sees Las Vegas stretched out in front of him.

What a wonderful story! Capitalism at it’s finest, the strong exploiting the weak, as it was and as it should always be amen. Am I too harsh? I don’t think so, didn’t Haliburton use the same reasoning? Explaining that yes, they were paying as little as $1.18 a gallon for gasoline but because the Army was out in the desert they were entitled to the extra $61 million dollars. Recently during a down day on the stock market Goodyear bucked the trend and their stock price rose on news they would cut retirement and healthcare benefits to their retiree’s praise his name.

The Capitalist proposed, If we could build factories in Mexico without paying taxes on what we produce in them it would help to stop illegal immigration. Same song second verse, if we pass NAFTA it will help Mexico’s economy by creating jobs. But the number one tenant of Capitalism that should never be forgotten is, the Capitalist seeks only to help himself. There is no second tenant, I, me, mine.

This week in Indonesia 14,000 workers rallied to protest Nike shoes cancellation of a contract to produce its shoes. The protesters carried banners saying "Nike is a blood-sucking vampire" and "Go to hell Nike".

"We demand Nike consider that more than 14,000 workers have relied on the company's shoe orders for many years. Please, don't put our lives in jeopardy," union spokeswoman Elizabeth Sutarti said.

But Nike said the decision was final, Nike has terminated contracts with the two factories because of the "poor quality" of their products and services.

Maretha Sambe, a Nike media consultant, quoted the company's director for corporate responsibility communications, Erin Dobson, saying the company's decision to end the contracts with both factories was final.

She said Nike had already warned them of their below-standard output and other problems in March this year by decreasing shoe orders by more than 50 percent.

First it’s poor quality then it below standard output? They weren’t cheap enough or fast enough, forever and ever amen. Want to bet they found some place cheaper to make the shoes? Isn’t that why the shoe companies left America in the first place? So why should it be any different in Indonesia?

No different than Katrina Bush proposes aid for New Orleans by suspending the Davis Bacon act protecting prevailing wages. The response? Let them rot! If we can’t make a bundle on the deal screw them! Two years later public housing is still closed and home owners pay mortgages for non existent properties waiting for up to seventeen years for their day in court to settle with insurance companies that refuse to pay off fairly. And quite frankly why should they!

They’re just being good capitalists and good Americans, you screw everybody! Regardless of race creed or color. Amen.

A rich man once came to Jesus and asked how he might follow him, “Give all your money away to the poor.” What? All my money? Well the man left, as well he should have Jesus was a lousy Capitalist, maybe Jesus was like Bob Dylan? Dylan said he didn’t know where the songs he wrote came from and maybe Jesus was like that to? He said it but he didn’t actually mean the things he said because you won’t hear too much of that talk in many American churches today. Today it’s the gospel of wealth! If you give enough to the church God will make you wealthy so you can give more to the church and God will make you more wealthy. Jesus loves me yes I know for Pat Robertson told me so, and operation blessing used it’s aircraft to import mining equipment into a country run by a bloody despot, Hallelujah!

Dylan said he didn’t know where the songs came from but I do. They came from Woody Guthrie and Woody says, “When Jesus come to town, the working folks around believed what he did say, But the bankers and the preachers they nailed him to his cross and the laid Jesus Christ in his grave.” Amen.

The globalist age we live in is jackrabbit capitalism, brushfire capitalism. To go where the workers are most desperate or easily exploited where the tinder is driest and easiest to burn. To move the most polluting industries to areas that are least regulated then to move on. Not that capitalism can’t be made to work because it can. Capitalism is an engine and an engine unregulated will tear it’s self to pieces. 19Th Century America was a constant cycle of boom and bust but this is the 21st century do we really want to try that globally?

But Capitalist despise the word regulation for this is theirs I, Me, Mine they owe nothing to workers or nation states or to God. This is the new divine right! Our God is the dollar and they’ve got the dollars so they are the Gods. If you tax us we will go away and leave you destitute, we will move our factories to other third world countries.

Now maybe you understand why when George Bush says he talks to God it’s because he does! He’s got his phone number in the rolodex or when Dick Cheney shoots a man he tells the police to come back tomorrow. The Stock Market reached 14,000 yesterday not because America produced more but because we exploited more and praise God isn’t that what we are all here for?

Then it's time to go downtown, where the agent man won't let you down
Sell your soul to the company, who are waiting there to sell plastic ware
And in a week or two, if you make the charts The girls'll tear you apart
The price you paid for your riches and fame Was it all a strange game, you're a little insane
The money that came and the public acclaim Don't forget what you are, you're a rock and roll star

(Didn't make it past the first sentence of the article, sadly)

But I really enjoyed that.

I had to get out of bed about two hours earlier than normal and I'm damned glad I did. Otherwise, I would have missed this.

Keep 'em coming, Daveparts (and I'm not asking which parts).

k&r