Yesterday the River Pool at Beacon, N.Y., held its annual swim across the Hudson. (I fetched the watermelons.) 203 or so swimmers left the dock at Newburgh at 9:30 a.m. Before they left they gathered around Pete Seeger, who picked out a phrase on his banjo then sang “This Land Is Your Land.” The swimmers sang along. I heard some of them were crying.
The song is especially appropriate because Seeger and many others saved the river over the last 30 years.
Then Seeger said, “See you on the other side!” The 89-year-old was good for his word, too. Later he was at a tent on the Beacon side, singing “This Land Is Your Land.”
I had a couple responses to it. First, Seeger told me a year back, “You know how if you throw a tennis ball against the floor, the
harder you throw it down on cement, the higher it bounces? These
horrible things in Washington will spur on the best things over the
next eight years. The greatest people will come forward.” Did that include Seeger? “Oh no, I’m going to be kicking the bucket in the
next few years.”
Second, This Land Is Your Land is a populist/nationalist song about land. The best verse is about climbing over a fence where there’s a No Trespassing sign. All these lefties are singing it. I wonder how Palestinians feel when they hear that song?
Do you remember the summer of 68, when the Clearwater came to Woods Hole?
That guy makes banjo playing totally cool.
if the Democratic Party had any soul or balls they would make his Guantanamera the official song of the convention
Your Land Is My Land, My Land Is My Land–Hedge Fund Operators
I crewed on the Clearwater in '68 for a week! Sleeping on the deck of that boat on a summer night w. the wind blowing off the River was indescribably wonderful. Do you remember the music festivals they put on along the river? I saw a magnificent one at Nyack w. Don McLean, Pete, Richie Havens, etc. Lord, those were the days!
I performed at two in 1978 and 1979 in Croton, with an anti-nuclear street theator troupe.
I played a dinosaur that turned into oil, and proceeded to extort humanity.
Then also a troubadour after a fictional Indian Point meltdown, with roads clogged. "Ain't got no home in this world anymore. Ain't got no home in this world anymore. Farewell sorry, praise God the open door. Ain't got no home in this world any more."
And now you are that dinosaur.
That was clever Charles.
Ignorant, but clever.
You never answered the question about whether you desire the US military effort in Iraq to succeed, or to fail.
Any comments?
I was against the war on Iraq from day one. Still am. The US troops have been sent all along on a fool's errand. Pull them out ASAP, and pull out all the Israeli settlements in the occupied areas–that would initiate the beginning of peace, which is in the interest of all concerned about it. Not to mention, it would be the beginning of fairness for American troops and Palestinians.
Your concept of failure is my concept of success.
Or, do you want to ask a different question than the abstract one you did, akin to the more specific standard: When's the last time you beat your wife?
RE: "I crewed on the Clearwater in '68 for a week! Sleeping on the deck of that boat on a summer night w. the wind blowing off the River was indescribably wonderful. Do you remember the music festivals they put on along the river? I saw a magnificent one at Nyack w. Don McLean, Pete, Richie Havens, etc. Lord, those were the days!"-Witty
Lots of young American guys were dying while you were sleeping on the deck. As they are dying now.
And all for nothing in America's interest.
I guess it doesn't matter much if you don't know any of them, or their families…
In this new incarnation the dinosaurs want to kill all the palestinians, turn them into oil and proceeded to extort the germans.
Charles,
You really don't get it.
If the military effort in Iraq is successful and fewer and fewer Americans and Iraqis die, and some political unity emerges that defines a popular democratic state, that that will have proved that the neo-conservatives were right.
The only way that argument does not get credibility is if the American military fails, insurgency against the US occurs, and MANY soldiers die.
Which do you prefer?
The decision time was 2002, when the republicans to a T were voting for, twisting arms, to invade Iraq.
Old con, new con. Each louder than the other.
At the same time that the idiots were decreasing taxation while increasing spending. Old con, new con. Each louder than the other.
Read the list of senators. Read the list of representatives.
How many Jews voted for the war powers proposal? How many against?
Really.
At 14 on the Clearwater, I worked for the war to end. At 15, at 16, at 17, at 18.
This stupid war at least was about oil. The Vietnam War was about nothing.
Dear Richard Witty, I don't think only the American Zionists (both Jewish and Gentile) are to blame for our current situation. I equally blame all the less imbalanced ideological American people who thought the invasion of Iraq was the way to go. However, I also give the latter some allowance, given the state of information given to them by the MSM. Of course, I don't extend that allowance to our congressional representatives, who had access to more data & the power to act on it, if they chose.
I think I "get it" too well. And I resent your recent direct and indirect statements to the contrary. I could make similar statements about your postings, but that's just entertainment–I was a GI grunt; I know the price. You don't. All you have is your second-hand data. Just because you were born a Jew doesn't give you any special insight–unless you can take such insight beyond your tribe. Of course, then you wouldn't have an identity–right? What is your identiy beyond being a Jew? I can see Phil's. I don't see yours at all.
I'm sure if you had been in the US Army with me, you would have been snapped with a hot towel during shower time many times. And, possibley much worse–even if not a soul there and then ever had a thought registering "Jew."