Flowings of Your Everlasting Taffyman

Spent the night hanging out. My mom's friend doug (who's wife just died) came over and had dinner, it was good to hear laughing and stories, i asked how things were going to my mom in private, she said tears and jokes. Doug and grant (my step dad) were both missionaries in different parts of papua new guinea... apparently it is a beautiful but dangerous country. I spent at least an hour on the phoen with illy, talking about child care, relationships and the state of being a early 20 something without much direction.. She asked me to marry her (a joke of course) I told her no, fairly easily.
zach and I and hollie might get together on sunday apparently... im not sure whats going on yet tomorrow, cuz i havent gotten a hold of becky. last i heard she might have to work, might not... i think.
I finished (kind of) one of two papers due monday. I thought it was due today and stayed up really late... not really getting the paper done, but collecting all the sources and making all the points i wanted to make. I been working on it for a few hours now... it doesnt have any citations, and im not sure if it really fits the criteria for the paper... but hopefully he will like it.

Heres a long ass copy of a paper for you while i got watch a movie at 3:00 AM

please leave comments if you read it. it hasnt really been edited....



War Theory and Justification in Music

The event of war often brings about many forms of expression and dialogue on the subject, poetry, stories and essays are often written during or after war, commenting either for or against it. Historically music has also been used to express ideas of war, traditionally to rally troops and later used as is the case now, to object to war as well. The wave of pro war music during our current crisis has been met with if not exceeded by music proclaiming anti war sentiments. Much like other forms of war expression the lyrics of popular songs present justifications both for and against the war. These come from a variety of perspectives including from the rational, pacifist and just war theories. Another form of reflection on the war can be seen in the way the war is depicted by the songwriters, it is easy to identify verses within a song that assume or deny the myths that Baritz points out such as the “City on a hill” myth, the assumption that America shines brighter than other countries and should thus lead and guide, or protect the principles of the nation by any means. Also found in popular lyrics much like popular movies is a belief that American technology is superior to the point of invincibility or some how shows American moral superiority. In short popular lyrics display not only the theories behind war, but also are a part of the structure that promotes or objects to American nationalism.
The songs used in this essay are all either from noted popular artists, or from songs that have charted highly with the exception of Sage Francis’ “Makeshift Patriot” which was a popular underground hip hop success. Interesting dilemmas of categorization will be explained when needed or when problematic. Songs that are used for specific points and quoted will be printed out and attached. They are also underlined in the following list.
The artists and the songs mentioned or alluded to are as follows:
The Beastie Boys, “In a World Gone Mad”
Clint Black, “I Raq and Roll”
Sage Francis “Makeshift Patriot”
Lee Greenwood “God Bless the USA”
Toby Keith, “Courtesy of the Red White and Blue (The Angry American)”
Pearl Jam, “World Wide Suicide”
System of a Down, “American Dream Denial” “Attack” “Boom” “Soldier Side” and “War?”
Darryl Worley, “Have You Forgotten”
Neil Young, “Lets Roll” and “Living With War”
All songs and view points presented in this essay, will be interpreted by me, hopefully without making any factual errors.
After the events of September the eleventh, 2001 when several U.S. landmarks were strategically attacked using United States’ commercial planes, resulting in the deaths of just under 3000 people on American soil, there was an almost instantaneous wave of patriotic sentiment that spread throughout the United States. Among the displays of patriotism were new songs created to commemorate the events and to celebrate the spirit of the United States. Also included in many of these songs was an embodiment of the patriotic sentiment which justified the retaliation for the attack. The retaliation began within one month, when the United States Government under a justification of a “War on Terror” decided to go to war with the Government of Afghanistan, and continues today with simultaneous wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and several other parts of the world.

Although most musicians and Americans in general reacted positively to the news of the war in Afghanistan, one extremely critical objection was made by popular underground rapper Sage Francis who came out with the song “Makeshift Patriot” on October eleventh, 2001 (4 days after the war began) in which he criticizes the seemingly unquestioning and non “objective” media with lines like “While a camera man creates news and shoves it down our throats on the West Bank, With a ten second clip put on constant loop to provoke US angst” the violent reaction of politicians “Some of them dug for answers in the mess...but the rest were looking for trouble” “It's the one we rally behind, He's got a megaphone...and he's promising to make heads roll” and the stagnant American public who either blindly followed or watched on, even in horror “The viewers are glued to television screens Stuck... cause lots of things seem too sick” and his final objection and response to the public “Don't waive your rights with your flags.” Sage Francis, in his objections criticizes the patriotism found in the songs like Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red White and Blue (The Angry American)” which was also written shortly after 9/11 but which charted at # 25 on the U.S. country charts in 2003. Although “Makeshift Patriot” does not seem to evoke any kind of justification for war or peace, it does highly criticize the rationality of even preparing for war with another country before knowing the facts.
Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red White and Blue (The Angry American)” begins by pronouncing that American children and citizens are aware of the sacrifices of the fallen, who’s deaths have allowed them to be at peace. He then moves on to suggest that his father was one such patriot who taught him that the U.S. and its flag was something to be proud of and was a “land of the free.” This is a popular background in many pro-war songs found in the U.S. and leads to the justification that when “the land of the free” is attacked the just thing to do is to fight back; “Now this nation that I love has fallen under attack. A mighty sucker punch came flying in from somewhere in the back. Soon as we could see clearly through our big black eye, Man we lit up your world like the Fourth of July.” is Toby Keith’s response. From the Realism perspective, Keith makes the point that his country was attacked and thus should be defended, but he goes on using criteria for just war theory in a sense, with the line “soon as we could see clearly through our big black eye” which in a sense suggests that the U.S. had thought through the decision and had weighed the options. The singer also chooses to inform the perpetrator that “he” is now in trouble, and continually refers to “you, your, his” which in a sense refers to the requirement of discrimination, it is not the world, a state, or civilians but the perpetrator himself that the U.S. is going to war with. Furthermore, the song resounds in the myth that the U.S. is the embodiment of freedom and justice in the world. The “city on a hill” myth is not spoken plainly by Keith but he uses popular images associated with American iconography such as “Uncle Sam”, “the Statue of Liberty” the “eagle” “mother freedom” and even the American flag, which all arguably are noted as symbols that embody the “city on the hill” myth. Thus Keith uses his song, to justify the war and uses symbols within the song to inspire patriotism and assure the audience that they must be doing the right thing, because they are American.
Also seemingly in direct confrontation with “Makeshift Patriot” is Darryl Worley’s “Have You Forgotten” in which he uses similar imagery as Francis; “fire,” “hell,” falling “towers,” explosions, and even the images on “T.V” to present the opposite view. Like Keith, he sees the 9/11 attacks as justification for the war though he does not draw lines to limitation of the conflict, in fact quite the opposite he objects to statements like “they say we don’t realize the mess we’re getting in” by implying that whatever the cost it will be worth it because of the attacks on 9/11. “Some say this country’s just out looking for a fight, After 9/11 man I’d have to say that’s right” in this line he seems to promote a Realism point of view, but he also implies in the song that the U.S. is more than a nation attacked, but a nation of “heroes” of “freedom” and that those who have died should never be forgotten.
The Iraq war which soon followed the invasion of Afghanistan found much more resistance, but songs similar to Keith and Worley’s, like Clint Black’s “I Raq and Roll,” seemed to follow the justifications found in earlier pro war songs. “Some see this in black and white, others only gray, were not beggin for a fight, no matter what they say, we have the resolution, that should put ‘em all to shame, but its a different kind of deadline, when I’m called in the game” suggests that this is a just war, one in which the rules of jus ad bellum were followed in that it was a last resort, or; “it might be a smart bomb, they find stupid people too, and if you stand with the likes of Saddam, one just might find you” which indicates the requirement of discrimination. His lyrics also point out the city on a hill myth in which the war is fought not because of a direct attack (which is contrary to just war) but because they are protecting and defending freedom; “there’s no price to high for freedom” a position the U.S. is uniquely comfortable with because “the stands America’s taken are the reason that you can (have the freedom to protest).” Black also implies a position that the U.S. is uniquely set up to use technology for the purpose of war, which is another widely believed American myth that Baritz points out. “I’m back and I’m a high tech GI Joe...it might be a smart bomb...I’ve got infrared, I’ve got GPS” also that the terrorists are “cowards” who “wont show us their weapons” where as the U.S. will demonstrate their military ability, which he believes shows our moral superiority, and the “obvious” conclusion that the U.S. will win. From Black’s portrayal of the Iraq war we are justified, and will be undeniably victorious.
With the increasing pattern of war on the part of the U.S. the public began to grow weary and soon began criticizing the efforts. This was echoed by the music community, and popular artists like the Dixie Chicks, the Beastie Boys, Pearl Jam and Neil Young as well as many others came out against the war. Neil Young for instance recently released an entire C.D. dedicated to his criticism of the war which was entitled Living With War. The title track “Living With War” includes the lines “I join the multitudes, I raise my hand in peace, I never bow to the laws of the thought police, I take a holy vow, to never kill again.” a statement which seems notable in its pacifistic tendencies, but Neil Young himself release a seeming pro war song shortly after the 9/11 attacks called “Let’s Roll” which was based on the conversations heard on flight 93 during the retaking of the cockpit which may have lead to the downing of the plane in Pennsylvania. “Let’s Roll” has lyrics similar to the pro war country artists, “you’ve got to turn on evil when its coming after you, you gotta face it down, and when it tries to hide, you gotta go in after it and never be denied.” which speaks of the same Realism tendencies of the earlier songs, and furthermore advances the “city on the hill” myth with; “lets roll for freedom, let roll for love, goin after Satan on the wing’s of a dove, lets roll for justice lets roll for truth, lets not let our children grow up fearful in their youth.” Young seems to imply that we are fighting on the side of God versus the devil, and that God is helping us because we are the defenders of “freedom, love, justice, and courage.” This is not to say that his later C.D. is somehow discredited, but it speaks to the differences some Americans saw between the two conflicts.
A rather popular song and video for the anti war movement was System of a Downs’ “BOOM!” a song that reflected the horrors of war, but also spoke out against the possible causes the band saw as pushing the war agenda “commercialism, capitalism, desensitization, mirrorism (the media’s portrayal of information), modern globalization, money.” The video itself showed the anti-war protest movement around the world in demonstrations, and pictures of civilians as well as a cartoon depicting Tony Blair, George Bush, Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein all riding bombs as they fell to destroy homes. The point of the video and song, seemed to be that just cause for war was not found or noted, and that the jus in bello or way the war was carried out was also not acceptable. System of a Down is an interesting band with many songs about or noting issues of war, in their song “War?” they exclaim “Call of the righteous man, Needs a reason to kill man, History teaches us so, The reason he must attain, Must be approved by his God, His child, partisan brother of war,” this song was written well before the current conflicts but it could be assumed that the audience of the band would be familiar with their work, and thus System acknowledges the “city on a hill” myth in a different way by noting that history often shows that wars are fought (on either side) with the validation of God. System also comments in a song called “American Dream Denial” on the way in which they feel the “city on a hill” portions of the American Dream were used in an unjustifiable way; “we fought your wars with all our hearts, you sent us back in body parts, you took our wills with the truth you stole, we offer prayers for your long lost soul,
your remainder is an unjustifiable egotistical power struggle, at the expense of the American dream.”
An interesting pattern can be seen in many anti war songs, which is that anti-war songs often depict alternate causes for war. They emphasize that the war is not just, by pointing out causes that do not fit the just cause of war criteria. These include from System of a Down “egotistical power struggles, global profits, religious beliefs, riches, international security, and money” and from Sage Francis cover ups for empowering “radical rebels,” power struggles, justification for oppressive laws, such as “racial profiling, curfews” commercialism, and nationalism for the sake of nationalism. Francis may make the most cutting attack on the “city on a hill” myth when he mocks “Bush” or perhaps “Giuliani” (the man with the megaphone) stating “We’ve unified over who to kill, so until I find more relevant scripture to quote, remember our god is bigger, stronger, smarter and much wealthier. So wave those flags with pride, especially the white part.”
These remarks on the various other “unjustified” reasons for war tend to fill anti-war songs, where as the pro war songs pay them very little attention. Anti-war songs often have the effect of being considered anti-nationalist as they call in to question the motives and pursuits of the country, where as the pro war songs tend to promote nationalism.
Music that reflects on the topic of war, much like other mediums of expression, demonstrates the theories and causes of war. It also reveals the popular American myths associated with going to war. Popular musicians such as Clint Black, Toby Keith and Darryl Worley demonstrate in their lyrics that the realist and just war theories are used to justify war. Where as anti-war musicians such as Neil Young and System of a Down tend to show pacifistic tendencies, or at least a questioning of the just war causes delivered by the Government. All tend to remark on American myths such as the “city on the hill” myth or the myth that American technology makes us superior both morally and in combat. Thus popular songs are a telling source about the nature, depiction and justifications of war.