So let's note five tracks by Patti Smith that I absolutely love.
1) "Radio Baghdad."
Patti weighed in on the war early on. She did so with this epic song that only she could have done. 2004's TRAMPIN's is a great album.
2) "Death Singing."
That's from 1997's PEACE AND NOISE.
3) "About A Boy"
Everybody -- even Sinead O'Connor -- tried to write a song about Kurt Cobain after he died. One of the few who got it right? Patti Smith. (Cat Power also got it right.) This is from Patti's GONE AGAIN (1996) which is an album that still amazes me.
4) "Easter"
This is not just the title song of her third album, it's an epic song.
5) "People Have The Power"
I tried to stay away from the obvious tracks but "People Have The Power" is one of the all time great songs and there is no way not to include it.
"Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):
Younger Black Voters to Their Parents: Break Up With Joe Biden, I’m Bored. An organic effort by black millennials and Gen Z-ers to influence older family members against Mr. Biden may be important in the Democratic primary. nytimes.com/2019/09/20/us/…
He's referring to Astead W. Herndon's report for THE NEW YORK TIMES. The report fails to note that similar efforts took place in previous elections, including in 2008. There was, for instance, "the great schlep" where voters were encouraged to get their Jewish grandparents in Florida to vote for Barack Obama. THE NEW YORK TIMES' own reporting of that effort ran October 5, 2008 and was entitled "Sarah Silverman's Message to Your Grandma: Vote Obama."
From Herndon's article:
For Mr. Biden, though, students carried
mixed feelings. They respected his tenure as Barack Obama’s vice
president, but implicitly rejected his campaign’s central premise, that
the primary goal of Democrats in the 2020 election should be defeating
President Trump.
They pointed to
systemic problems they said the country must address, such as
inequality, climate change and gun violence. The Democratic nominee,
they said, should embrace progressive proposals like canceling student
loan debt, the Green New Deal and gun buyback programs.
Most #viral News Now: Younger Black Voters to Their Parents: Break Up With Joe Biden, I’m Bored
As a voter, you are much more likely to be influenced by someone you know and face-to-face contact is always stronger than any other. The efforts these activists are undertaking will have some success. It could be a huge success depending upon how much effort is put into the action.
Joe Biden wants to lead. But when has his leadership ever been a good thing? In last week's debate, Bernie Sanders noted the reality of Joe's 'wisdom.'
Sen. Bernie Sanders to Joe Biden: "The big mistake, the huge mistake, and one of the big differences between you and me: I never believed what Cheney and Bush said about Iraq."
"I voted against the war in Iraq, and helped lead the opposition." abcn.ws/DemDebate #DemDebate
1:39
.@BernieSanders "One of the big differences between you (Joe Biden) and me. I never believed Bush and Cheney on Iraq." #ABC13DemDebate
"Iraq is the biggest foreign policy disaster of at least the past 45 years. Bernie Sanders was completely right about it. Joe Biden was completely wrong. That is something to hammer him over and over again."
The YUGE difference between Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden:
Bernie led the fight against the Iraq War.
Biden followed Bush and Cheney. #DemDebate
WATCH THIS: In just one minute #BernieSanders defines the difference between his vision & Joe Biden’s on: the Iraq war, disastrous trade deals, Wall St. bailout, the bankruptcy bill, & healthcare as a right. It’s clear, concise, & brilliant. Thank you @Silvers4Sanders
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders went back and forth on Biden's support for the war in Iraq. n.pr/2UP0CKY
#RT @BernieSanders: I never believed Cheney and Bush. Unlike Joe Biden, not only did I vote against the Iraq War, I led the fight to prevent it. #DemDebate
Joe's never shown real leadership. But now, at 76, Joe swears, if you give him a chance, he's finally ready to show leadership.
Biden is Clinton 2.0. Elite uber wealthy politicians who voted for the Iraq war & sat for #standingrock. If @JoeBiden truly cared about Americans, he’d drop out. You had your time. Pass the torch to someone who can lead us out of this darkness. #BernieSanders
Yesterday on KPFA's FLASHPOINTS, host Dennis Bernstein and guest Norman Solomon discussed Joe's corporate ties.
On Iraq, Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Zeina Karam (AP) report:
It is wedged between Saudi Arabia to the south
and Iran to the east and hosts thousands of U.S. troops on its soil. At
the same time, powerful Shiite paramilitary forces linked to Iran pose a
growing challenge to the authority of the central government.
As
the pressure mounts, divisions within Iraq’s pro-Iranian factions have
burst into the open, threatening to collapse a fragile government
coalition and end a rare reprieve from the violence that has plagued the
country for years.
“Regional challenges
facing Iraq will make it even more difficult for Adel Abdel-Mahdi to
bring the (militias) under control,” said Randa Slim, a senior fellow at
the Washington-based Middle East Institute, referring to Iraq’s prime
minister.
The divisions among Iran’s Shiite
allies in Iraq have been spurred by a spate of airstrikes blamed on
Israel that have hit weapons depots and bases belonging to the
Iran-backed militias, known collectively as the Popular Mobilization
Forces, or PMF.
Why isn't Joe asked every day about how to address Iraq? He voted for the war that destroyed the country. That alone should make him responsible for coming up with solutions. He can't stop bragging that Barack Obama tasked him, as vice president, to deal with Iraq. If he wants to brag about that, he needs to be asked about that.
He claims today that Bully Boy Bush tricked him into supporting the Iraq War. Is Bush still tricking him? Is he tricking Joe into silence?
Joe needs to stop his folklore stories and start addressing reality. If the press isn't up to demanding that from him, they just need to admit that they're worthless.
The following sites updated:
New Music Friday: Our Top 7 Albums Out Sept. 20
3 hours ago
The Imperial Debris of War
8 hours ago
Tweet of the week?
9 hours ago
Joe Biden's a coward
9 hours ago
Jeffrey St. Clair Tweets it
10 hours ago
No surprises this Sunday
10 hours ago
Australopithecine skull
11 hours ago
American Psychopathy
11 hours ago
Thursday Reads, Etc.
14 hours ago
Featured Panelists: September 20, 2019
19 hours ago
Jody Watley Greetings
20 hours ago
