Amid the swirl of portentous politics that was the 1960s, Phil Ochs remarked that every newspaper headline could be the first line to a protest song. Too bad Mr. Ochs isn't around anymore, because the abundance of protest-song worthy headlines would've allowed him to release a double album every month.
What headlines am I referring to?
How about the fact that Dick Cheney maintains the bald-faced lie that Saddam and Al Qaida were in cahoots?
Then there's John Ashcroft's assertion that the President is above the law, especially when it comes to how we treat our prisoners of war.
How 'bout Halliburton fleecing the American taxpayers to the tune of 8 billion? I imagine that they're doing important work over there in Iraq, but do they really need to use taxpayers' money to house their employees in 5-star hotels, or abandon $85,000 trucks because of flat tires?
I suppose my fantasy of seeing Phil Ochs burst Lazarus-like from his tomb, armed with a guitar and a notebook full of new songs is a bit far-fetched. In his absence, it's good to know that we still have Paul Krugman, and his assertion that "John Ashcroft is the worst attorney general in history."
Also, we still have Michael Moore, and on June 25, we get to see "Fahrenheit 9/11." Check out a few quotes from this glowing review:
"...a really brilliant piece of work, and a film that members of all political parties should see without fail."
"...a tribute to patriotism, to the American sense of duty — and at the same time a indictment of stupidity and avarice."
"...in the end, not seeing "F9/11" would be like allowing your First Amendment rights to be abrogated, no matter whether you're a Republican or a Democrat."
Guess what? These pull-quotes don't come from a review in some pinko-commie rag like the New York Times or Salon. They're from *gasp* FOX News! Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on those goose-steppers.
Lastly, and on a rather unrelated note, I can remember a professor of mine explaining that any historical investigation into the mental capabilities of Ronald Reagan at the end of his term in office was taboo. Well, now that he's left us, I suppose we can speculate. The New York Times has an interesting article that does just that.
What headlines am I referring to?
How about the fact that Dick Cheney maintains the bald-faced lie that Saddam and Al Qaida were in cahoots?
Then there's John Ashcroft's assertion that the President is above the law, especially when it comes to how we treat our prisoners of war.
How 'bout Halliburton fleecing the American taxpayers to the tune of 8 billion? I imagine that they're doing important work over there in Iraq, but do they really need to use taxpayers' money to house their employees in 5-star hotels, or abandon $85,000 trucks because of flat tires?
I suppose my fantasy of seeing Phil Ochs burst Lazarus-like from his tomb, armed with a guitar and a notebook full of new songs is a bit far-fetched. In his absence, it's good to know that we still have Paul Krugman, and his assertion that "John Ashcroft is the worst attorney general in history."
Also, we still have Michael Moore, and on June 25, we get to see "Fahrenheit 9/11." Check out a few quotes from this glowing review:
"...a really brilliant piece of work, and a film that members of all political parties should see without fail."
"...a tribute to patriotism, to the American sense of duty — and at the same time a indictment of stupidity and avarice."
"...in the end, not seeing "F9/11" would be like allowing your First Amendment rights to be abrogated, no matter whether you're a Republican or a Democrat."
Guess what? These pull-quotes don't come from a review in some pinko-commie rag like the New York Times or Salon. They're from *gasp* FOX News! Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on those goose-steppers.
Lastly, and on a rather unrelated note, I can remember a professor of mine explaining that any historical investigation into the mental capabilities of Ronald Reagan at the end of his term in office was taboo. Well, now that he's left us, I suppose we can speculate. The New York Times has an interesting article that does just that.