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January 28, 2007

A March On Washington, DC . . . Where's the Music?

Y
esterday, "tens of thousands" of protesters assembled at the Mall to voice their displeasure with Bush's Iraq War and other policies, too. According to the WaPo's article, the crowd was quite a mixed bag -- from people born after the end of the Vietnam War to Vietnam protesters to pro-environment supporters.

Before yesterday, it seems to me that political marches on Washington, DC to voice a mainstream view had gone the way of the dinosaur. Starting with MLKing's "Dream" speech and cresting with the Vietnam Moratorium March-- the first one I remember -- the political establishment in Washington, especially the executive branch, had succeeded in marginalizing such events. That is, framing the political issue as one supported only by liberal fringe elements.

But the issues and protests of the 1960s did something else, too. They inspired great music (liberal music?).

Unfortunately, the zeal for protests and much of the politically charged music seemed to end after the shootings on the campus of Kent State on May 4, 1970. The government had become deadly serious about enforcing discipline among its citizenry at the end of an M-16.

Today, government discipline's not nearly so Bull Conner-ish. We have instead only widespread domestic spying . . . oops, I mean, terrorist spying . . . and political jawboning by the president, VP, and select Republican and Democrat[ ] Senators bemoaning those who embolden our enemies through that most dangerous of action, political speech. And of course there's the occasional temporary detention or rendition of the locals (see Jose Padilla and Maher Arar)

But where's the music? 'Cause when we get the music, and its at the top of the charts, it could well mean a political realignment is underway. [Unlike the '60s, however, I don't see this Supreme Court coming along for the ride.]

Posted by shertaugh at January 28, 2007 7:31 AM

Comments

The amazing thing to me is how the protests of tens of thousands gets more coverage and is seen as more significant politically today than the protest of millions in the winter of 2003. Our "liberal" press decides the narrative and then writes the stories rather than the other way around.

Posted by: elliottg at January 28, 2007 4:07 PM

There's plenty of protest music out there: it will become popular music when enough people get off their top-40/clearchannel rear ends and look for it, pay for it, and drive it up the charts.

Posted by: Jonathan Dresner at January 29, 2007 5:08 AM

Attention Comrades!
Please visit http://ministryoflove.wordpress.com to learn about our creative protest of the Military Commission Act.
Or watch our video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOq5yHDkQgY
Regards,
O'Brien

Posted by: Comrade O'Brien at February 4, 2007 9:54 PM