"I Alone Can End It": America In Crisis
The American Crisis Playlist, Series two
The jury has been settled and seated. Opening arguments begin tomorrow, and as New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd puts it,
“What could be more absurd and hypocritical than the putative Republican nominee selling Bibles and promoting an America with draconian abortion laws during his trial over a $130,000 payment to keep a porn star from telling voters about their dalliance” (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/20/opinion/melania-trump.html)?
That’s our nation today, though. Who can say what is more absurd: The Melania-stand-by-your-man issue Dowd raises, or what’s happening over there in the twilight zoned never-never land we call the House of Representatives, where yesterday, the lovely and talented Lauren Boebert had this to say about Congress’s passage of aid to Ukraine:
“Such an embarrassing and disgusting show of America LAST politicians!” she then wrote on social media. “You love Ukraine so much, get your ass over there and leave America’s governing to those who love THIS country” (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/20/us/politics/trump-ukraine-house-vote.html?)!
Boebert upstaged her twin from another phantom zone, Miz Greene, who tried to echo it all with her “It’s despicable” proclamation.
And speaking of despicable and absurd all in the same breath, the man to whom all want to pledge their hearts, minds, mouths, and throats to — that inflatable orange Blimp himself — proclaimed in words almost too funny and predictable to believe, or not believe because this is absurdity after all and who says anyone has to make sense of it or sense at all? —
“The former president’s most common take on the war in Ukraine has been to insist that, in an alternate version of history where he won in 2020, the war never would have happened…He has also insisted that if he wins in November, he could have the war settled before inauguration, though he has not provided a specific plan around how he might do so…” [same source as above]
Oh sure, because who needs a plan when those you don’t love but who worship you need only empty words blown at them, as the blimp floats by, to keep on keepin’ on?
“I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine totally settled,” Mr. Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania last week. “I will settle it.” [Ibid.]
Well sure, anyone could settle it if by settling we mean making sure Russia gets everything and Ukraine gets cut off from any aid and squeezed out of any friendly alliance.
I also read somewhere that former Stormy Daniels attorney and OB accuser Michael Avenatti is now siding with the ex-President in his battle to…do what exactly in this trial? Because he can’t say that what he’s trying to do is to prove he didn’t pay off Daniels in order to keep this mess out of the news just before we voted in the 2016 election, because that would be to give credence to the state of New York’s more significant charge.
Whatever happens to us in November, somehow I’m starting to believe that whatever force governs us has found a way to make the OB suffer in whatever ways most of us can’t imagine. He might win but the sane among us know that being him means never having to say you’re human.
So Much Fun.
So I’m trying to come up with ten absurdities in the music world to show support for my right not to make any sense in these times, and what better place to start than…
ACP, week of 4/21/24
“Girlfriend Is Better,” Talking Heads from the soundtrack, STOP MAKING SENSE. How many times must a man declare that his girlfriend is better than his wife? Oh Donald, let me count the ways.
“Fuck Up,” Sarah Shook and The Disarmers, from Sidelong. You can be the judge as to what in all of the above is the most fucked up, but I’ll go ahead and say that whatever you choose is the correct answer. Now, as to exactly who is the biggest fuck up of all, well, there is DT Jr, whom we haven’t talked about lately but who’s still around practicing for the next game of thrones.
“Cursed Female,” Porno for Pyros, from their 1993 eponymous debut. Spawned from Jane’s Addiction, P for P captures this mood well. Makes me want to shout “MAPA (Make America Pornographic Again).” Of course, take a look around at all the landscape in the parts of town that we like to believe are “their” problems. There’s border security and there’s border security, as those cursed females, Boebert and Greene can never understand.
“Transmission,” Joy Division from 1979’s Unknown Pleasures. With all apologies to Ian Curtis, it’s the “unknown pleasures” part that we’re focused on here. I could have selected many JD tunes, but this one seems fitting for today, since whatever is being transmitted over the radio, or any other modern contrivance, is just not getting through.
“Merry Go ‘Round,” Kacey Musgraves from her 2013 debut, Same Trailer Different Park. And just a few doors down from wherever he is, there’s someone waiting to welcome him in her strong arms, her petrochemical arms, as Laurie Anderson once sang. Kacey is on a different planet, but even then, she knows drama when she sees it. Though the drama moves from Moliere to Pinter for sure.
“Lovin’ Me,” Kid Cudi, featuring Phoebe Bridgers from 2020’s Man on the Moon III: The Chosen. What, really, does love have to do with any of this? How does Lauren Boebert measure her LOVE for this country? How do any of us measure it, or do we really mean, simply, how much we love ourselves — so much so that we’re willing to…what? Get in bed with Matt Gaetz?
“Get Yr Life Back,” Kim Gordon, coming to us from 2019’s No Home Record. Exactly how? If anyone knows, Kim might, but to follow her will take you far away from yourself before you ever get back. That’s what today feels like, as I ponder the superstars playing before us.
“Union City Blue,” Soraia, from their just released single, a cover of a Blondie song from 1979’s Eat To the Beat. This has nothing to do with anything, which is today’s theme, I think, in the sense that I loved this song then, love it now, and will think of it tomorrow when the trial properly starts. What are we going to do? True.
“I Stand Alone” Al Kooper from the album of the same name, released some 55 years ago. It must feel that way to some, but going back to the Orange Blimp’s comment about Russia and Ukraine, we’ll see how it all de-evolves soon.
“It’s a Shame,” The Spinners, from their 1970 Best Of LP. That’s really all you can say at the end of this. Who’s messing around with whom? All of the above, and it’s just a shame that Kafka didn’t live to see this, as it puts The Trial to shame, for certain. “Why don’t you free me from this prison…” Oh, if only.
My daughter gets married this week, so the crisis goes on hold, because too much joy overcomes too much madness and too much sorrow.
Originally published on Medium at The Riff (https://medium.com/the-riff/i-alone-can-end-it-1d33e4e74af0). Please go there if you want to read others in the series, and thank you!
He had it coming.