Angry Rant: Hypocritical Rock Stars

Angry Rant Time
I was watching CNN today in a hope of gleaming some type of interesting news, instead I had the displeasure of listening to a CNN corespondent give an interview with John Mellencamp. Now the majority of the interview was about how poor old John had finally sold himself to the big evil corporations by allowing them to use his song in their commercial.

Something he had promised never to do.

His reasoning? He was getting no air time, and no air time equals no cash. He blames his old record company, and claims that letting Chevrolet use his song was the only way he could promote his song.

Let’s forget the fact that he is basically breaking his promise in the pursuit of a little more cash, hell I understand the desire for cash, I just wish he wouldn’t cloak his desire for cash under the veneer of artistic expression.

What has got me rilled is the fact that CNN just had to delve into his opposition to the Iraq war, fine good he’s against it. Hell it’s his constitutional right to be, but what annoys me is that he decides he is Sun Tzu and adds his to sense on military strategy to the mix, claiming we would need hundreds of thousands of troops to win in “HIS” estimate.

Does this guy have military credentials I’m missing?

I know the great swooning masses like to give credence to those who we like, but will someone please explain to me why the hell Hollywood actors feel the need to sprout their mouths off as if they knew what they were talking about?

Against the war? Great!

Go do what every other lefty rocker does, have a concert and denounce America as the evil jingoistic imperial power you believe her to be, and make money from other peace sign waving progressives. It’s bad enough we have other music stars singing about booting “a boot in their” ass, call me old fashioned but I prefer my musicians to focus on music.

Yes yes yes I know about the first amendment, hell I agree they should have the right to sing about whatever they want, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be denounced for the ignorant self-righteous bastards they are.

For those whose political affiliation swings a little lefter on the pendulum then right, well don’t feel like I’m signaling out the annoying lefty rockers. There are some, albeit a little less then average right wing rockers who spew “spirit de nation” and believe all dissent is the sign of the devil.

The fact is, John was the moron on CNN and so he got the full fury of my literary wrath.

I’m sure he’s trembling in his environmentally friendly boots.

Nations To Have Powwow On Iraq

It seems now that one of the key recommendations from the Iraq Study Group will be implemented, the United States is going to have a regional conference with neighboring countries and the five permanent U.N. Security Council members — the U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China —are going to send deputies to the conference.

Apparently the era of the “go it alone” diplomacy of the Bush Presidency might be coming to an end, while softening his stance on North Korea, accepting the UN’s laughable response to the Iranians nuclear program, and the fact his only supporters are the more… enthusiastic wing of the Republican party, the president might be deciding that pragmatism is the better part of valor.

The Iranians sound skeptical, then again this could be a chance for them to get the United States to ease off their “strictly for energy nuclear program. I can see a diplomatic deal being worked out that would give both sides what they want.

The Iranians would use their considerable influence to help tone down the sectarian militias, Iraq would begin to partially stabilize, and President Bush would have another “end of operations” moment declaring victory to make a hasty retreat.

The Iranians would gain some breathing room, there is no international will for any type of military strike against Iran without the United States leading the charge. The Europeans much like always, are content to rely on diplomacy and the Iranian promises to do no evil.

Europe much like a squalling child has the amazing ability to bury their head in the sand, and one day it’s seriously going to cost them. Also with the leaders of the United States and Iran face hostile publics, one tired of waging a war with absolutely no end in sight and the other worried that their leaders inflammatory rhetoric could lead to Iran regressing back to the stone age, courtesy of the United States Air Force and Navy.

One rogue glitch in any deal would be Israel.

America is to Israel as Iran is to Syria and Hezbollah, we provide them money, arms, and are generally ideological allies. Still the Israeli’s don’t have the same qualms about attacking Iran if they believe the Iranians are getting nuclear weapons.

Fifty years of fighting insane religious zealots would give anyone an itchy trigger finger.

So while Bush might find some salvation in this conference, it might be spoiled by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert who could use an attack on Iran to rally public support for him. His government has faced severe criticism for it’s handling of the last conflict with Hezbollah.

As we all know, nothing like a good war to rally the public.

Personally there are to many factors to accurately predict what will happnen, it will probobaly degenerate into a PR love fest with promises of brotherhood, aid, and sugar cookies. In the end each of the coutnries will head home, and begin plotting to make sure things go their way.

The nature of politics being what it is.

Humble Beginnings

“Cynics regarded everybody as equally corrupt… Idealists regarded everybody as equally corrupt, except themselves.”
Robert Anton Wilson

We are in the midst of a great age in human history, at least in my personal opinion. We live in an age of unprecedented potential, where technology has allowed man to become connected, intertwined, and more in touch with one another then ever before.

The idealist would consider this a recipe for greatness, the cynic would simply consider it a time where his own views are panned out everyday.

You see I turned eighteen and rode a wave of wonderful self-discovery. I discovered politics, and I began to take more notice of the world around then ever before.

I had firmly put my organized-religion-is-the-source-of-all-evil-atheist phase firmly behind me in my teen years. I was now entering the “blogsphere”, I was to witness something that would become a revolution in politics.

Finally honesty would become the standard, integrity would be where it had never been before and the dawning of a new political pax Americana was at hand.

Yes I was so green the grass was sprouting from my ears.

Yet then something changed, I began to watch the once pure innocence be corrupted by the very influences we had so valiantly promised to fight.

Now bloggers were becoming just another hired gun for each party, another cog in the machine, and just one more mouthpiece for the “man”.

Oh how could you blogsphere.

Still I soldiered on, I looked for the rare voices of sanity in a sea of partisan drabble. Soon though it wasn’t just the content of blogging that changed, it was the culture.

Bloggers began to believe their own rhetoric, one particular example is the “progressive” site the Daily Kos. These people represent the “nut-root” left of the Democratic party, it’s this paticular wing of the party that drove Lieberman into running, and winning as an independent.

If self-congratulations was an Olympic event, gold medal winners would be flowing from Kos like wine. The entire political blogsphere seems to be made up from the extreme partisans of each party.

Those who demand ideological purity from their candidates, condemn those who don’t sacrifice on the alter of the “net roots” and generally suppress all kinds of dissent thought.

You doubt me dear reader?

I suggest you post a diary entitled “Lieberman, Is he so bad?” or “McCain, Is he so bad?” at Daily Kos, and Red State respectively.

The ideological purists will launch into their tirades, about how A voted once for B and thus C means he’s not a true member of the party.

Still one may ask.

“Does your rambling have a point?”

Well aside from the fact it gives me a chance to vent some long held frustrations, it was meant to give you a sample.

I’m a cynic, these are my ramblings and it’s your choice if you intend to read them.

If my writing strikes a chord, then stick around and read my words.

If my cynicism rubs that idealist inside you just a little to much, then simply click that magical x button and go away.

Because it doesn’t get any rosier from here.