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We better get on to doing that and pretty quickly, considering what we’re collectively facing these days. What we're facing as people. As a society (I know, I know Maggie T., there’s no such thing as society, just individuals, right? Neoliberalism - aka the power of money - Uber Alles). What we're facing as a nation. As a world.
And there’s few things more inspirationally powerful in helping to do that than music. Once again with the art and culture thing, always being at the forefront of real change.
There’s lots going on right now, which is obvious to anyone paying attention, and even to those trying not to. That’s kinda what happens when you’re living in the midst of a fascistic oligarchy going for broke in trying to seize absolute power for itself and ditching the last vestiges of any kind of truly democratically accountable social civic state.
The revolution may or may not be televised (seems Kendrick Lamar has made that an open question again), but some of its sounds can and will likely be heard over our radios and internet streams (the ones not algorithmically blocked and censored by our feudal tech lords).
But as we weather the storming blows of the oligarchic blitzkrieg being unleashed right now, trying to implement their own corporate final solution to ending that pesky democracy thing for once and for all (they even have a cute little name for it, Project 2025), we’re seeing the first real stirrings of popular rebellion against it. It’s allll happening, that’s for sure, and we are hear for it.
Michael Moore recently published a piece that the IAH 180º episode feels like might make a pretty good accompanying soundtrack to. It's one featuring voices from both our local as well as national community, including the great American Rev. Dr. William Barber during his recent visit to Dayton, one documented by fellow DJ Dave Barber (no relation), with the full speech featured in his WYSO ’Think Twice”series. There’s also Ohio’s Nina Turner reminding us we are ALL somebody, and like James Brown exhorts us to do, it’s time for us somebodys to get on up, get into it and get involved. On whatever level you can. Doing what you can with what you have where you are.
And that includes expressing yourself (as Charles Wright amplifies in this episode). That seems to be a more revolutionary act now than it’s been in generations. And make it the truth, which is always a radical thing, and a great equalizer. As Caitlin Johnstone noted, the truth makes the abuses of the powerful much more difficult to execute, and gives the disempowered much more power. This is why our rulers are constantly trying to suppress it and control it. Orwell and Twain and Guthrie and the like understood this full well.
It's time our rulers understood this as well, and why we shouldn’t accept them as rulers any longer.
Turn it up and pass it on...
Ain't gonna let no fascist turn me 'round
I'm gonna keep on walkin', keep on talkin'
Marching down to freedom land
(The Specials; “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Us Around”)
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