They're Rioting In Africa...

The current upheaval throughout Africa, particularly the rioting and protests that have rocked the northern Africa nations of Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt over the past few months, have brought to mind  some old song lyrics and some old, wise sayings that are listed below. Read each of them and then try to guess who made each of the entries famous and when did they make them famous:

They're rioting in Africa, they're starving in Spain.
There's hurricanes in Florida, and Texas needs rain.
The whole world is festering with unhappy souls.
The French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles.
Italians hate Yugoslavs, South Africans hate the Dutch.
And I don't like anybody very much!


But we can be tranquil, and thankful, and proud,
For mans' been endowed with a mushroom-shaped cloud.
And we know for certain that some lovely day
Someone will set the spark off, and we will all be blown away.


They're rioting in Africa, there's strife in Iran.
What nature doesn't do to us, will be done by our fellow man.


***************

An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth
Vote for me, and I'll set you free
Rap on brother, rap on
Well, the only person talkin'
'Bout love thy brother is the preacher.

And it seems, Nobody is interested in learnin'
But the teacher.
Segregation, determination, demonstration,
Integration, aggravation,
Humiliation, obligation to our nation.


That's what the world is today.
The sale of pills are at an all time high
Young folks walk around with
Their heads in the sky, Cities aflame in the summer time.
And, the beat goes on


Air pollution, revolution, gun control,
Sound of soul. Shootin' rockets to the moon
Kids growin' up too soon,
Politicians say more taxes will solve everything.


And the band played on
So round 'n' round 'n' round we go
Where the world's headed, nobody knows,
Oh yea, that's what the world is today.

Fear in the air, tension everywhere,
Unemployment rising fast,

And the band played on
Eve of destruction, tax deduction
City inspectors, bill collectors
Mod clothes in demand,
Population out of hand
Suicide, too many bills, hippies movin'
To the hills.


************

“Every year, whether the Republican or the Democratic Party is in office, more and more power drains away from the individual to feed vast reservoirs in far-off places; and we have less and less say about the shape of events which shape our future.”

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Believe it or not, the first entry is the lyrics from a Kingston Trio hit from about five decades ago. Even back then, they were rioting in Africa, we were worried about Iran, we were worried about atomic weapons (with a primary difference we are now worried about Iran having atomic weapons), and we were worried about nature doing us in, similar to what many think will happen with global warming. Seems the more things change, the more they stay the same, fifty years later.

The second entry is a hit song from the Temptations, "Ball Of Confusion," which is over forty years old. Even back then we were arguing over taxes, gun control, drug abuse, lack of civility between fellow Americans, false promises from politicians, unemployment, failing  public schools, and kids growing up too soon. These topics could have been ripped form today's headlines and fit right in to what is happening in our country today. Seems the more things change, the more they stay the same, over forty years later.

The third entry is not a song lyric but a quote from William F. Buckley, Jr. and was written about 50 years ago. In a sense, his insight so many years ago is a link back in time to today's Tea Party Movement, a movement that is fighting to get both the rule of government and the oversized budgets of government under control, which will hopefully result in Americans getting their freedoms and liberty back. With the returned freedom, Americans can fulfill the original promise of the Constitution and be free to shape their lives as they see fit. Seems the more things change, the more they stay the same, fifty years later.

Two songs, one quote, all of which prove that the political class in this country have not really moved forward in too many ways if drug abuse, failing public schools, riots in Africa, problems with Iran, ebbing freedom, empty political promises, and lack of civility are still with us. If you look at some of the tenures of those currently serving in Washington, it is not surprising nothing has changed much since the same people that should have fixed the problems decades ago are still holding power in D.C.:

• John Dingell - 55 years of Congressional service
• Daniel Inouye - 51 Years
• John Conyers - 51 Years
• Charles Rangel - 40 Years
• Bill Young - 40 Years
• Thad Cochran - 38 years
• Pete Stark - 38 Years
• Don Young - 38 Years
• Patrick leahy - 36 Years
• Max Baucus - 36 years
• Chuck Grassley - 36 Years
• Tom Harkin - 36 Years
• George Miller - 36 Years
• Henry Waxman - 36 Years

This list does not include Robert Byrd (57 years) and Ted Kennedy (46 years), both of whom recently passed away. This does not include the countless politicians that have been in office for decades but less than 36 years. If these long serving seat holders have not solved the problems identified 40 and 50 years ago, what makes us think they will solve them in the future? Isn't it time to try some new approaches with some new folks that are not mired in the old ways operating the government?

Several steps from "Love My Country, Loathe My Government" might be a good start to flushing out the old, ineffective and trying some new, and hopefully, effective ideas and people:

1. Step 39 would install term limits so that there is a reasonable turnover of people in D.C., bringing new ideas and probably people that are better in touch with reality out in the country, outside of the Beltway.
2. Step 6 would allow only individual Americans to contribute to election campaign funds. Now, these campaign funds from individual Americans are overwhelmed with funding from corporations, unions, PACS, etc., most of whom have a vested interest in seeing incumbents re-elected and the status quo maintained. This type of money perversion results in the above dilemma where problems go unsolved for decades.
3. Step 34 would remove sitting politicians from their valued committee seats and posts when the part of the government their committee is responsible for fails at executing its duties by either wasting taxpayer funds, not delivering the mandated services, or places American lives  in danger.

These are just three of the steps needed to get a whole new mentality into our political processes so that in 50 years in the future, we as a nation are still not faced with riots in Africa, problems with Iran and the same issues quoted and sung about above from decades before.

Consider two more quotes, one prophetic from the past and one prophetic from today:

"Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it." - George Santayana, Spanish writer and novelist, 1863 - 1952.

"It can't get any worse." - Brazilian professional clown, Tirirca, who was recently elected to the Brazilian parliament based on the above quote that was also his campaign slogan and platform.

Well, Mr. Santayana was obviously right in predicting that we in America have not learned enough to prevent the past from repeating, just ask the Kingston Trio, The Temptations, and William F. Buckley. And maybe Tirirca is on to something. How much worse could it be to get some new people into the political process and into seats of power in Washington?



Our book, "Love My Country, Loathe My Government - Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom And Destroying The American Political Class" is now available at http://www.loathemygovernment.com/. It is also available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Please pass our message of freedom onward. Let your friends and family know about our websites and blogs, ask your library to carry the book, and respect freedom for both yourselves and others everyday.


Please visit the following sites for freedom:

http://www.cato.org/
http://www.robertringer.com
http://realpolichick.blogspot.com
http://www.flipcongress2010.com/
http://www.reason.com/
http://www.repealamendment