Venezuela 2019: Nightmare Deja Vu For 1980s Peace Activists.

by Jerry Alatalo

Bruce Cockburn’s “World of Wonders” was first released in 1985, during the U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H.W. Bush (1980-1988) administration, the era which saw the infamous Iran-Contra scandal explode across headlines worldwide.

hile this generation’s young people learn about coercive economic measures used against “target” nations like Venezuela, described in an official U.S. Army “Unconventional Warfare” manual, and published by WikiLeaks – Canadian artist/musician Bruce Cockburn was writing songs about the International Monetary Fund and the connection between money, natural resources and war more than 30 years ago.

One wonders: where are all the famous artists, musicians, sports and movie/TV celebrities from across the Earth who hold strong personal positions on the important matter of war and peace? If any by chance pass this way, perhaps they will digest, and become sparked to take action by, the clearly inspirational peace message delivered by the great Canadian artist Bruce Cockburn.

“Call It Democracy” | Bruce Cockburn | 1985

Padded with power here they come

International loan sharks backed by the guns

Of market hungry military profiteers

Whose word is a swamp and whose brow is smeared

With the blood of the poor

—-

Who rob life of its quality

Who render rage a necessity

By turning countries into labor camps

Modern slavers in drag as champions of freedom

—-

Sinister cynical instrument

Who makes the gun into a sacrament

The only response to the deification

Of tyranny by so-called “developed” nations’

Idolatry of ideology

—-

North, south, east, west

Kill the best and buy the rest

It’s just spend a buck to make a buck

You don’t really give a flying fuck

About the people in misery

—-

I-M-F … dirty M-F

Takes away everything it can get

Always making certain that there’s one thing left

Keep them on the hook with insupportable debt

—-

See the paid off local bottom feeders

Passing themselves off as leaders

Kiss the ladies, shake hands with the fellows

And it’s open for business like a cheap bordello

—-

And they call it democracy. And they call it democracy. And they call it democracy. And they call it democracy…

—-

See the loaded eyes of the children too

Trying to make the best of it the way kids do

One day you’re going to rise from your habitual feast

To find yourself staring down the throat of the beast

They call a revolution

—-

I-M-F … dirty M-F

Takes away everything it can get

Always making certain that there’s one thing left

Keep them on the hook with insupportable debt

—-

And they call it democracy. And they call it democracy. And they call it democracy. And they call it democracy…

(Thank you to BruceCockburnVEVO at YouTube)

*

Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn became most focused during his musical career on war and peace during the 1980s and the administration (1980-1988) of U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H. W. Bush. Bush would go on to become president for one term (1988-1992).

Many have become concerned about a man who had a large role in covert wars of aggression in Central America in the Reagan-Bush administration, Elliot Abrams. People are extremely concerned about Donald Trump’s appointment of Elliot Abrams as his so-called “point man on Venezuela”, and especially worried about the fate of innocent Venezuelans if there were a repeat of the covert mass murdering days of Reagan-Bush.

#HandsOffVenezuela.

Bruce Cockburn is now in his 70s, still very active with songwriting and performing, – and probably feeling a strong sense of déjà vu, sadness and frustration when seeing what’s occurring in Venezuela. Our guess is that in 2019 the more mature, decades wiser Bruce Cockburn in his mind’s eye has images of potential weapons to finally, successfully battle and defeat this generation’s war criminals. Mr. Cockburn probably held out hope through the many years that his earlier powerful antiwar-message music would never have become relevant – again.

Peace.

Canadian singer/songwriter and peace activist Bruce Cockburn in studio creating/working on his latest musical collection: “Bone on Bone” (2017)

Live performance by Bruce Cockburn – Summer 2005:

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Dimash: The Greatest Vocalist On Earth?

by Jerry Alatalo

***

“Art is not a pleasure, or an amusement; art is a great matter. Art is an organ of human life transmitting man’s reasonable perception into feeling.” What is Art? 

– LEO TOLSTOY (1828-1910) Russian writer*

*(On Tolstoy)”No man deserves to be called a genius, no man is more complex, more contradictory, more admirable than he in all things, yes, in all things … He is a man who envelops all men, a man – mankind.” – Maksim Gorki (1868-1936) Russian novelist, playwright

***

hank you and tip of the hat to peace activist, documentary filmmaker and 9/11 truth advocate Charles Ewing Smith for posting a video of the amazing male singer from Kazakhstan, Dimash Kudaibergen. We were thankful to “stumble across” the artistic phenomenon at Charles’ YouTube channel. Singing and studying classical music from the age of (5), the now 24-year old Dimash possesses an amazing range of (6) octaves and could credibly be positioned near the top of great vocalists, male or female, of this or any generation in history.

Having only heard of Dimash Kudaibergen today January 12, 2019, one finds it astonishing that the young man’s name isn’t already known worldwide, and mentioned in the same breath as American superstar entertainers Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. One can only hope that Mr. Kudaibergen can avoid the same fate as Elvis and Michael who passed away young, but, instead, continues performing into his eighties like another legend American vocalist Tony Bennett.

For those who haven’t heard of Dimash or seen his performances, please enjoy one of his more popular and complex songs containing a higher level of maturity in the lyrics titled “S.O.S.”. The thought came across that “S.O.S.” has the kind of deeper philosophical message which approximates the musical genre termed peace anthem. The lyrics don’t explicitly advocate for peace in the world, but do reflect the generalized feelings of frustration felt by those activists searching for peace, truth, justice, brotherhood and associated concepts, or, in other words, those higher consciousness ideas embraced and emphasized by people wishing for a better world.

It is unknown whether Dimash Kudaibergen has ever read the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, specifically Tolstoy’s profound non-fiction book titled “What is Art?” published in 1898. There is some sense, especially when observing the level of focus, intensity and seriousness with which his performances are characteristic that he has read the classic. The legend and historic icon of non-violent peaceful resistance and satyagraha (“truth force”) Mohandes Gandhi (1869-1948) of India considered “What is Art” Tolstoy’s masterpiece, assessing the book’s messages in higher esteem than Tolstoy’s world-famous novels “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina”.

If by chance men or women from Kazakhstan pass this way, please consider getting a copy of “What is Art” to your country’s native son and soon-to-be world-famous Dimash. People can obtain a free eBook download of “What is Art” online here. It may seem preposterous to say it after watching him perform with jaw dropped, but after reading Tolstoy’s “What is Art?”, – where the great Russian separates and/or distinguishes true art from what he observed as rubbish in his time – as an artist Dimash Kudaibergen is going to become real good.

Peace.

(Thank you to Dimash Kudaibergen on YouTube)