United States of Me

The egalitarianism typical of human hunter-gatherers is interesting when viewed in an evolutionary context. One of humanity’s two closest primate relatives, the chimpanzee, is anything but egalitarian, forming hierarchies that are dominated by alpha males. So great is the contrast with human hunter-gatherers that it is widely argued by palaeoanthropologists that resistance to being dominated was a key factor driving the development of human consciousness, language, kinship, and social organization. . . [WIKIPEDIA]

While I’m loathe to give credit to the hardcore Silicon tech bros due to so many of them having a bent toward misogyny and authoritarian ideals, which also made Trump so appealing to so many of these tech nerd dictator-wanna-bes, a la Peter Thiel, however, one of their ideals that somewhat sort of does appeal to me is a their striving toward a kind of hyper-freedom/ individualism, a striving so much so that some, again a la Peter Theil, are working to create these technology island havens of sort where each island would be governed autonomously as its own country and where, it seems to me, the island owners could proclaim themselves king or queen.

Yeah, we all know what Mel Brooks had to say about being king, a misogynistic ideal which I have absolutely no doubt was misogynistic/authoritarian-minded Donald Trump’s primary motivation to run for the presidency…

Anyway…

The band Pennywise (yes, it’s named after the Stephen King character from It), has been around since the Eighties singing truth to power. Below is a live, Not Safe For Work/NSFW verson of “My Own Country,” a song off their 1999 album Straight Ahead, where they angrily and effectively apply it to the, at the time, worstest president ever – George Dubya Bush.

Next month the old but still fresh punkers are dropping a new album called Never Gonna Die. I look forward to hearing what it has to say about our current worstest president ever.

Fools run the government sick foreign policy
Their words sound valiant but their hands are green
Unending quest for power
Taxes that make us slaves
Don’t believe a word of it ignore the fucked up things they say
I’m gonna make it on my own
Dictator on a throne
Make my own philosophy U.S. of me
A citizen who’s really pissed United Anarchists
Give me death or liberty I am my own country
United States Confederate of me
Old whigs in parliament play bedroom politics
Salacious stories make them look obscene
Spin on your nemesis fill up the news today
Don’t believe a word of it not all the fucked up things they say
It’s ail me no secret police

Songwriters: PETER WARLOCK
© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
For non-commercial use only.
Data from: LyricFind

Featured image courtesy of rockinidro.com

BTW, Pennywise’s lead singer Jim Lindberg has a kick ass website that’s all about punk rock and its amazing history. If you’re a punk rock lover or hater or just punk-curious, you can find it at punkguru.com

#prayforpunkrockers
#prayforamerica
#prayforautonomousislands

 

Say it like you mean it

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