Grievance

Present Tents

So in heavy anticipation of Philly this week (and sadly only able to attend one show - the 30th), I've been pulling out some of the old CD's and spinning them (more than is probably appropriate, actually). This weekend, Binaural got a few turns and Grievance is the song that got me thinking and screaming the most. And then the Food, Inc. news item gets posted this morning... and now I have to post. They actually quote the line:

"For every tool they lend us... A loss of independence..."

What's so interesting about this line (and indeed, the song) is that it exemplifies art in that it means such different things to different people and can be taken so differently depending on the context and current situation. Beautifully stated and wonderfully vague. Who is "they"? What is "independence"? Independence from what???

And then, of course, the last line:
"I will feel alive... as long as I am free..."

So to me, even though this is not what PJ originally wrote the song to mean - and I believe they still see it differently, the independence from "what" would be the government. Everything that is done today by the government (and I'm not just talking about our current president - I'm an equal opportunity dissenter when it comes to pretty much any type of government intrusion into our lives - this is not a conservative/liberal rant) insults all of us. Our sense of individuality, responsibility, and ultimately, our very freedom.

Today, it is all about the greater good, how to help society, what your group identity is, etc. The thing we're losing sight of is the individual. It seems on its face to be more enlightened to be concerned with society, but at what cost? We're all losing our freedom. As bad as it is to watch someone suffer, it is worse to give up freedom for their sake. It ultimately proves more dangerous, as well.

Freedom is not being able to watch what you want on the boob tube every Tuesday. Freedom is not being able to drive to the store whenever you want. Freedom is not having a cookout on Sunday afternoon and watching the football game w/ your buddies and getting schnockered. These are the things being protected today as "freedoms". No one is talking about curbing your right to watch American @#%*%! Idol.

What they are talking about is curbing your right to decide for yourself how you live your life. Look at nearly any government run program, and at its heart, it's about coercing you to act in a particular way. It's about removing choice. It's about the normalization of everything and everyone.

So what is freedom? What do we need to protect? To me, freedom is being able to control your own destiny and not having to depend on anyone else for anything. It's having the cahones to stand up and be counted. It's about being responsible and accountable for any mistakes you make in your life and plowing through the consequences - and coming out stronger on the other side. It's about not laying down and letting others live your life and make your choices for you. It's about getting experienced. It's about being an individual. And these are the things that are taken away brick-by-brick in the name of the greater good.

Are corporations greedy evil bastards? Sure... many times, they are. What's worse, however, is the government. Because at least the corporations make no bones about what's important to them. You know what they're after. You can make your choices accordingly. The government, on the other hand, is in the business of making you a fucking slave. A slobbering, grovelling, helpless, hapless, and thoughtless slave that needs government to survive. And they're lying to you about it. And you're believing them.

This is my Grievance.

What's yours?

CantKeepMeHere

Makes we wanna to the sea everytime I think about it