You have probably heard about the USA Freedom Kids and the dispute that they are having with Donald Trump. In case you haven’t, the USA Freedom Kids is a group made up of five rather white girls who dress up in the red, white, and blue and sing (or lip-sync) very up-beat songs about how great America is. They performed at one event for Donald Trump. They wanted $2,500, but the campaign offered them instead a table where they could sell their music and related junk. Except that the campaign didn’t even do that.
That should have been enough, right? I mean, when a client doesn’t pay me, that’s the end of our relationship. But later, the Trump campaign offered for the five dears to come and perform again for a big event where they would get lots of media attention. The manager of USA Freedom Kinds, Jeff Popick, is a Trump supporter and thus gullible. You know the old saying: fool me once, please give me another opportunity to fool me again! So the group paid their own way to go to the second event, where they weren’t even allowed to perform.
USA Freedom Kids Sue
Now Popick is suing Trump and isn’t certain whether he will be voting for Trump in November. You know the old saying: fool me twice and I still might vote for you for president because I’m a total idiot.
None of this will matter for the Trump campaign, of course. As I noted yesterday, people just want to vote for an authoritarian. The USA Freedom Kids really are from another time. Don’t get me wrong: they scream authoritarianism. But it’s a more subtle kind that apparently can only be heard by people who know a bit of history. You know: roughly 10% of the country.
In a battle between a horrible strongman who has nothing to offer but chest pounding and five little girls singing a “modern” version of “Over There,” the strongman wins. That’s one of the the most important things about authoritarianism is that it is a kind of death cult — the death of the individual. This is why libertarians are so silly: they focus on theoretical threats to liberty while allowing the rise of real threats. If Donald Trump becomes president, it will be because libertarians and “reasonable” Republicans have defined the centrist Democratic Party as something akin to Stalin.
Nothing New for Trump
But this story of Donald Trump not paying the USA Freedom Kids is typical of him. Trump doesn’t think he should have to pay for anything just like Kim Jong-un. And the people are fine with that. Trump is literally the Übermensch: he defines his own moral universe. Sure, America loves the pathetic “patriotic” girls, but only so long as they know their place. They don’t define their own moral universe. None of us do; only Donald Trump.
Donald Trump isn’t expected to pay his bills and he doesn’t. And this is the man that Americans want for their president.
I’m terrified.
I think the media is paying attention to Trump again. Calls to have the Russians hack us tend to do that.
What songs about “America” actually make you feel proud of the country? I can only think of two offhand. One is Steve Goodman’s “City Of New Orleans,” which has the word “America” in the chorus and makes you proud our country produced Steve Goodman. Which is quite right. We should be proud of that.
The other one is a Canadian’s song, “Democracy.” Where America is described as “the cradle of the best and the worst.” Where it’s here the family’s broken and it’s here the lonely say, that the heart has gotta open in a fundamental way. Sail on, America. Through the reefs of grief and squalls of hate.
“City of New Orleans” is a good choice. But two Paul Simon tunes have America in the title. “American Tune” very much sums up my feelings about this country.
Its ambivalence is the best I can muster, I’m afraid.
Haven’t heard that one since I was a teenager. It’s good. Fits my mood!
You mean the Cohan song? It’s better than average war propaganda.
No, the Simon song. When he got to the part about how all his friends are despairing and broken, I’m like, “with ya, buddy.”
The funny thing is I went through a Simon craze at 19 or so, so I remember that song. But I didn’t like it at the time. I do now.
Yeah, it’s taken time for me to appreciate “America.” I liked “American Tune” immediately. I’m not the kind of guy to head off and look for America, I suppose.
I used to move every year. It’s about wanting to escape yourself. (I have a strong urge to do it now!) And that’s the song. It’s not people looking for “America” — whatever that is — it’s about the growing isolation and worthlessness people feel in an increasingly soulless society. “American Tune” is the same subject a few years later and a lot sadder.
Paul Simon probably could have been a terrific political songwriter if he wanted. But as an artist, ya gotta do where your heart takes ya.
“America” is about childhood; “American Tune” is about adulthood. I’ve always liked it most because I connect to the line, “Still, tomorrow’s gonna be another working day, and I’ve got to get some rest.” I’m probably more like the kids on the bus in “America.” But I feel the exhaustion of this country discussed in “American Tune” keenly. I might say something different tomorrow. I woke up with a nasty headache this morning.
I hate moving. My father built and remodeled houses and we moved all the time — as many as 3 times in a year. I like my space, but I don’t much care where it is. But it did occurred to me that should my father die, I will move out to the stormy Northern California coast. Just give me a quiet room and good internet connection to steer her by.
Plus redwoods. They’re probably doomed by climate change, so enjoy ’em while you got ’em.
It’s my plan to live in foggy Bodega when family needs allow.
I love our national anthem. I actually enjoy “America the Beautiful.” I like Simon and Garfunkel’s “America.”
I never liked “America The Beautiful” until I heard Ray Charles do it. Now like it a lot. Simon & Garfunkel’s song is good too. Bruce’s “We Take Care Of Our Own.” I’m sure there’s many more. Just not Lee Greenwood!
Any song can be made great by a great performer. This is why I like simple acoustic music: it highlights the song. Music production is destroying songwriting as an art form.
Ever since the crazies bombed New York, ballparks everywhere have been playing patriotic songs during the 7th-inning stretch (in the majors). It’s usually Greenwood or Berlin. But Seattle was using that Ray Charles recording for a while. (Toronto has a fan-written song about the Blue Jays.)
I like that in other countries. Teams should have their own songs. I’m pretty sick of America the Beautiful. And I didn’t even know Greenwood was being used. No wonder blacks are abandoning baseball.
I was at a game the other day and The Baseball Project was there. The crowd had no idea who they were at first, but as they played condensed versions of their songs between innings, more and more people gathered to watch. I dunno if people appreciated songs about the racism Aaron faced or the struggles Caribbean players go through, but it’s a tight band full of old pros and the music rocks.
Well, it’s rock and roll, so of course in between songs the band members kept hitting the nearby stadium bar. (Except the lead vocalist/lyricist. That guy could not tear himself away from the game. What a baseball nerd!) After singing “Take Me Out” in the seventh, they started packing up their gear. Then huddled, leaned over the railing, and yelled at the visiting center fielder “Eaton, you suck!” together like a bunch of 11-year-olds. It was really fun to see.
How ’bout “Be Kind to Your Web-Footed Friend”?
I wasn’t familiar with that one!
I much prefer Soviet Union National Anthem. For the record, I must have had to change the embedded video, because that is Richard Harris, not Richard Burton. Burton’s version was on the original cast album — he created the role.