Brett Dennen on War and the Holidays

Brett Dennen is a breath of fresh air in today's commercialized music industry. He writes his own music and lyrics. His message in this song is fantastic. Be sure to check out his Aint No Reason and I Asked When songs as well. A few days late, here is his YouTube live performance.

I hope that 2008 will be a much better year for our world than 2007.



Lyrics

Pilgrims in the parking lot
Arteries clogged with blood clots
Pushing through the aisles of department stores
Neon crosses and Christmas lights
Credit card debts and brand new bikes
The holidays are here and we're still at war

The rabbi reads from the testament
The banker gazes at the year's investments
Salvation Santa's solicit for the poor
Deception of democracy
The philanderings of faux foreign policy
The holidays are here and we're still at war

Smoggy skies and fixed elections
Injustice strikes from all directions
People with their backs against the floor
Looking for someone to set us free
A king with fists like Mohammad Ali
The holidays are here and we're still at war

A mother knows what is best for you
Even though it's hard to listen
Your father knows he can count on you
Though you couldn't count on him

Christopher Columbus knew
Vasco De Gama and Magellan too
The profits of oppression grow like never before
All hail to the captalist thief
And mourn your lost ones and covet our grief
The holidays are here and we're still at war

Hurricane waters ravage southern towns
And black and brown people are left to drown
While the White House and the emergency management agency ignores
Victims seek shelter in the Astrodome
And the National Guard says "Don't go home"
The holidays are here and we're still at war

Police officers hassle the homeless
Domestic disputes, alcohol and violence
The jailhouse opens wide its door
A corporation cuts a million employees
And the factory is moving overseas
The holidays are here and we're still at war

A mother knows what is best for you
Even though it's hard to listen
Your father knows he can count on you
Though you couldn't count on him

Jesus sheds another tear
Into a sea of two thousand years
Into the eve of a new year once more
Tears of joy, resolutions of sorrow
Toast to health and wealth tomorrow
The holidays are here and we're still at war

Religious wars and domination
World trade and globalization
The prices of petroleum soar
Lonesome churches are packed with sinners
Non-believers and new beginners
The holidays are here and we're still at war

Say a prayer for the less fortunate
Prisoners and soldiers you never have met
Understand what it is they're fighting for
Say a prayer for your enemies
Say a prayer for the victims and their families
The holidays are here and we're still at war

Yes, the holidays are here and we're still at war

Facism - Top Ten Signs

This is absolutely scary...



"Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it." George Santayana

John Bolton Defends War

Here is an interesting clip of American ambassador John Bolton defending the Iraq war, and some heated exchanges from an Iraqi citizen and Tony Benn of the UK. I think it demonstrates how flimsy the U.S. justifications for the Iraq war really are, and how strong the world opinion is against American unilateralism.



HT: CM

War - And Its Terrible Cost

Viewing the Reuter's slide show portraying President Bush visiting a center for veterans badly injured during the war left me feeling both sad and outraged. Of course, the Iraqi people have borne a far greater cost than U.S. soliders, with over 70,000 civilians killed as of September this year!!!

I personally found the images disturbing, as I watched a cheerful Bush visit with men who had lost multiple limbs or were severly scarred as a result of this terribly misguided war. My limited consolation is that I believe history will not be kind to Bush and the legacy he created, but that won't bring back all the lost lives and alleviate all the suffering.